How to open a .tar file (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Q: Why can't I open my .tar file?

Usually your computer lacks an app that understands TAR. Install one of the apps listed here, or convert the file to a more common format.

A .tar file is a Tape Archive. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads TAR yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.

Open a .tar file step by step

Confirm the file really is a .tar. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
On Windows, open it with 7-Zip or WinRAR.
On Mac, use Archive Utility or tar.
On Linux, try tar or Archive Manager.
Still stuck? Convert the .tar to ZIP, which opens more widely.

Best apps to open .tar files

Windows

7-Zip
WinRAR
tar (Windows 10+)

macOS

Archive Utility
tar
Keka

Linux

tar
Archive Manager

Web

Not natively; extract locally

Before you open it: The archive is safe. Inspect and scan its contents before use.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I open my .tar file?

Almost always because no installed app understands TAR. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.

What is a tar.gz file?

It is a TAR archive that has then been compressed with gzip. TAR bundles the files, gzip shrinks the bundle. Extract with tar -xzf or any archive tool.