Open Safari > Settings > General and uncheck Open “safe” files after downloading. New ZIP downloads will remain compressed until you open them yourself. On older Safari versions, the menu is called Preferences instead of Settings.
This is useful when a website expects you to upload the original ZIP file, or when you want to keep a downloaded archive intact. It also stops Safari’s automatic opening of other file types covered by that setting.
Turn Off Automatic Unzipping
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Choose Settings. On an older version, choose Preferences.
- Click General.
- Uncheck Open “safe” files after downloading near the bottom.
- Close the settings window.
- Download a new ZIP file from a source you trust and inspect it in Finder.
You can also use Command + comma to open Safari’s settings. Be sure Safari is the active app, since the menu bar and shortcut apply to the app you are using.
Apple’s General settings reference documents the checkbox, and its download guide explains Safari’s decompression of ZIP downloads.
Confirm That the ZIP Remains Compressed
Download a fresh archive after changing the setting. In Safari’s downloads list, use the control to show the file in Finder, or open the download folder directly.
Look for the actual .zip file, rather than only a folder containing the extracted items. Do not click the downloaded archive to open it during this check: opening it can deliberately extract it and make the result confusing.
The setting affects the automatic action after a download. It does not stop you from extracting an archive manually. If a new ZIP stays compressed in Finder until you open it, the intended change has worked.
Why Other Downloads Stop Opening Too
This is one general auto-open preference, rather than a ZIP-only switch. Turning it off can also stop supported documents, images, audio, and other covered files from opening immediately after download.
You can still find and open those files yourself. The download is saved according to Safari’s File download location setting; unchecking automatic opening does not mean the file disappeared or failed to download.
The word “safe” is Apple’s label for this preference. It is not a guarantee that a downloaded archive is harmless. Keep normal macOS security protections and inspect the source before opening unfamiliar content.
Open a ZIP Manually When You Need It
Find the archive in Finder and double-click it when you want to extract its contents. Keep the original archive if you need to upload or share it later.
For example, a WordPress plugin installer may require the ZIP package. Select that package in the uploader rather than the folder produced by extraction. The same distinction can matter with other products that specifically ask for an archive.
Changing Safari’s setting does not convert an already extracted folder back into the exact original download. If the original ZIP is missing, download the official package again after disabling auto-open. Simply renaming a folder with a .zip extension does not create a valid archive.
Find or Change the Download Folder
In Safari > Settings > General, inspect File download location. Choose a folder or the option to ask where to save each download if that better suits your workflow. The Homepage field is in this pane too, as shown in how to change your homepage in Safari on a Mac.
This destination setting is separate from the auto-open checkbox. Check both when a file seems missing: it may be saved in a different folder without opening automatically.
Safari’s Remove download list items preference controls entries in its downloads list. Clearing an entry should not be treated as proof that you deleted the corresponding file. Check the actual folder in Finder to manage the file itself.
If You Still Get a Folder
Check the saved preference: Return to General and confirm the checkbox is unchecked. Make sure you changed Safari’s setting in the app used for the download.
Try a fresh download: The preference does not undo an earlier extraction. Download again from the original source and inspect the new file before opening it.
Avoid opening the download during the check: Clicking the archive in the downloads list can launch extraction manually. Show it in Finder instead.
Check what the website actually supplied: A site may provide a different format or package than expected. Inspect the file name and source instructions rather than assuming every download is a ZIP.
Check an incomplete download: If Safari is still downloading or the transfer was interrupted, wait for completion or retry as Apple’s download guide recommends. A partial file is not a usable archive.
If necessary, download the official archive using another browser and inspect the saved file there. Each browser has its own handling; changing Safari does not configure Chrome or Firefox.
Restore Automatic Opening
Return to Safari > Settings > General and check Open “safe” files after downloading again. The automatic behavior applies to subsequent downloads, so test with a new file if you want to verify the restored setting.
Common Questions
Does this work on Safari for iPhone?
These instructions are for Safari on a Mac. The macOS General settings checkbox is not the same as the download controls in iPhone Settings.
Does it block ZIP downloads?
No. It changes what Safari does after downloading covered files. You can still download and open an archive deliberately.
Do I need to change my homepage too?
No. That is a separate General setting. If you want to configure it, see how to make Google your Safari homepage.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.