iOS 15 Files App Archive Compression Features

Apple’s iOS 15 introduced several targeted refinements to file management on the iPhone, including notable improvements to how the Files app handles file archives and compression. This update enhanced system performance, multi-item selection workflows, and background progress tracking, allowing users to bundle, compress, and extract files directly on iOS without relying on third-party utilities.

Dedicated Progress Indicators for Compression

Prior to iOS 15, compressing large files or multiple folders provided little feedback, leaving users unsure if a compression task was active or stalled. iOS 15 introduced a visible progress indicator within the Files app interface. When compressing or decompressing large directories, a circular pie-chart progress bar appears on screen, displaying real-time completion status for archive operations.

Streamlined Multi-Item Batch Archiving

iOS 15 optimized the multi-selection workflow for archiving. Users can tap the ellipsis menu, choose Select, highlight any combination of disparate file types (such as PDFs, photos, and folders), tap the secondary action menu, and select Compress. The system automatically compiles the selected items into a single, standard .zip file titled Archive.zip (or numbered sequentially) in the current directory.

Improved Stability and Large File Handling

The underlying archiving engine received performance optimizations in iOS 15 to handle higher-capacity archives. The system manages memory footprint more efficiently during compression, significantly lowering instances of the Files app crashing or timing out when compressing large media files, RAW images, or 4K video clips.

Expanded Shortcut-Driven Archive Capabilities

While the standard Files app context menu creates universal .zip files, iOS 15 introduced deeper integration with the Shortcuts app. Through automated actions tied directly into Files, users gained the ability to create and extract additional archive formats—such as .tar, .gz, and .tar.gz—as well as specify custom compression levels before saving the output back to local storage or iCloud Drive.