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 |
|---|---|
| Format | Bzip2 archive |
| MIME type | application/x-bzip2, application/bzip2, application/x-bzip |
| Category | Application or document |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| File signature | 42 5A 68 |
| Registered with IANA | No |
| Other extensions | .boz |
How to open BZ2 files
| Windows | Windows opens ZIP files itself. For other archive types, the free 7-Zip program opens most of them, BZ2 included. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Archive Utility opens ZIP and several other formats with a double click. The free app The Unarchiver handles many more. |
| iPhone and iPad | The Files app can open ZIP archives. Other archive types need an app from the App Store. |
| Android | Files 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.