What is a .tbz2 file?
A .tbz2 file is a tar archive (bzip2-compressed). Its registered MIME type is application/x-bzip2-compressed-tar, which places it in the application or document family of formats.
Technically it is a specialised form of application/x-bzip2 (the .boz format), so tools that understand that format can often read at least part of it.
TBZ2 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 extension .tb2.
TBZ2 file format details
| Extension | .tbz2 |
|---|---|
| Format | Tar archive (bzip2-compressed) |
| MIME type | application/x-bzip2-compressed-tar, application/x-bzip-compressed-tar |
| Category | Application or document |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Based on | application/x-bzip2 |
| File signature | None fixed |
| Registered with IANA | No |
| Other extensions | .tb2 |
How to open TBZ2 files
| Windows | Windows opens ZIP files itself. For other archive types, the free 7-Zip program opens most of them, TBZ2 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 .tbz2 file?
TapToConvert does not convert TBZ2 files. The usual route is to open the file in the program that made it and use its Export or Save as option.
TBZ2 file FAQ
What is a .tbz2 file?
A .tbz2 file is a tar archive (bzip2-compressed), with the MIME type application/x-bzip2-compressed-tar.
How do I open a .tbz2 file?
7-Zip on Windows and The Unarchiver on Mac open most archive formats.
Is a .tbz2 file safe to open?
TBZ2 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 .tbz2?
application/x-bzip2-compressed-tar, and it is also seen as application/x-bzip-compressed-tar. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.
Is TBZ2 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.