What is a .tar file?
A .tar file is a tar archive. Its registered MIME type is application/x-tar, which places it in the application or document family of formats.
TAR is a binary format: the contents are not readable text, so opening it in a text editor shows scrambled characters.
The same format is also saved with the extensions .gem, .gtar.
TAR file format details
| Extension | .tar |
|---|---|
| Format | Tar archive |
| MIME type | application/x-tar, application/x-gtar |
| Category | Application or document |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| File signature | None fixed |
| Registered with IANA | No |
| Other extensions | .gem, .gtar |
How to open TAR files
| Windows | Windows opens ZIP files itself. For other archive types, the free 7-Zip program opens most of them, TAR 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. |
Convert TAR files
TapToConvert converts TAR files in your browser, without uploading them. Open the TAR converter, or go straight to a conversion:
TAR file FAQ
What is a .tar file?
A .tar file is a tar archive, with the MIME type application/x-tar.
How do I open a .tar file?
7-Zip on Windows and The Unarchiver on Mac open most archive formats.
Is a .tar file safe to open?
TAR 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 .tar?
application/x-tar, and it is also seen as application/x-gtar. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.
Is TAR 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.