Extract text from XIP files
To convert your XIP file to another format, you need Apple Archive Utility or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "macOS Signed Archive" file type, you need software like Apple Archive Utility or a similar tool.
A .XIP file is primarily a Signed Xcode Archive, utilizing the XAR (eXtensible ARchive) format wrapped with a digital signature from Apple. It is the standard delivery mechanism for securing large development tools like Xcode.
The Problem: While the digital signature ensures security, it is a common problem for workflow and compatibility. The format is effectively locked to the macOS ecosystem, requiring the native xip command-line tool or Apple Archive Utility to verify and expand. Users attempting to open these files on Windows or Linux often encounter errors, as standard extractors like WinRAR or 7-Zip typically fail to handle the signature header. Additionally, the mandatory verification step can make expanding large XIP files incredibly slow.
The Solution: To inspect contents, recover data, or move files to non-Apple systems, the best approach is to convert the .XIP into a universally supported format. Converting to ZIP makes the content accessible on any operating system without verification delays. For archival purposes on Unix-like systems, converting to TAR preserves file permissions without the proprietary Apple lock-in.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XIP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZIP, XPI, IPA, PDF, BOM, ICNS and DS_STORE files.
If you want to convert XIP file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use Apple Archive Utility or similar software from the "Secure Software Distribution" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert XXE, 7Z, Z, PAK, LHA, DEB, UUE, TAR, LZH, ZIP, PKG or RAR files to XIP, try Apple Archive Utility or another comparable tool in the "Secure Software Distribution" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our XIP converter.