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BZ2 file: what it is and how to open it

Bzip2 archive. Here is what a .bz2 file contains, how to open one on any device, and a viewer that opens it right in your browser.

Open a .bz2 file hereChoose fileRead in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

What the viewer shows

  • Whether the file matches the .bz2 signature
  • The first bytes as hex
  • A preview when your browser can display it

What is a .bz2 file?

A .bz2 file is a bzip2 archive. Its registered MIME type is application/x-bzip2, which places it in the application or document family of formats.

BZ2 is a binary format: the contents are not readable text, so opening it in a text editor shows scrambled characters.

Files of this type usually begin with the bytes 42 5A 68. That signature is how programs recognise the format even when the extension is wrong or missing.

The same format is also saved with the extension .boz.

BZ2 file format details

Extension.bz2
FormatBzip2 archive
MIME typeapplication/x-bzip2, application/bzip2, application/x-bzip
CategoryApplication or document
Text or binaryBinary
File signature42 5A 68
Registered with IANANo
Other extensions.boz

How to open BZ2 files

WindowsWindows opens ZIP files itself. For other archive types, the free 7-Zip program opens most of them, BZ2 included.
MacArchive Utility opens ZIP and several other formats with a double click. The free app The Unarchiver handles many more.
iPhone and iPadThe Files app can open ZIP archives. Other archive types need an app from the App Store.
AndroidFiles by Google opens ZIP archives. Other types need an archive app such as RAR or ZArchiver.

Can you convert a .bz2 file?

TapToConvert does not convert BZ2 files. The usual route is to open the file in the program that made it and use its Export or Save as option.

BZ2 file FAQ

What is a .bz2 file?

A .bz2 file is a bzip2 archive, with the MIME type application/x-bzip2.

How do I open a .bz2 file?

7-Zip on Windows and The Unarchiver on Mac open most archive formats.

Is a .bz2 file safe to open?

BZ2 files hold data rather than programs, but any file from an unknown source can be crafted to exploit the software that opens it. Keep that software up to date. The viewer on this page only reads the bytes and never runs anything.

What is the MIME type of .bz2?

application/x-bzip2, and it is also seen as application/bzip2 or application/x-bzip. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.

Is BZ2 a text or binary format?

Binary. Its contents are not readable as text.

File type facts come from the IANA media type registry, the mime-db project and the freedesktop.org shared MIME database.

Similar file types

Try MP4 to MP3, HEIC, merge PDF or compress video.