How to open a .rtf file
Quick, free ways to open RTF on any system.
A .rtf file is a Rich Text Format. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads RTF yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .rtf file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .rtf. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with WordPad or Word.
- On Mac, use TextEdit or Word.
- On Linux, try LibreOffice or AbiWord.
- Still stuck? Convert the .rtf to DOCX, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .rtf files
Windows
- WordPad
- Word
- LibreOffice
macOS
- TextEdit
- Word
- Pages
Linux
- LibreOffice
- AbiWord
Web
- Google Docs (import)
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Before you open it: Safer than most office formats because it cannot contain macros, though malformed RTFs have historically exploited old versions of Word. Keep software updated.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .rtf file?
Almost always because no installed app understands RTF. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
Is RTF better than DOCX?
RTF is more portable and cannot hold macros, but DOCX supports far richer formatting. Use RTF for simple, universally readable documents.