Privacy-first utility
Recover a forgotten ZIP password
Private ZIP password recovery that runs directly in your browser. Your archive stays on your device and is never uploaded.
Read on your device. Your file is never uploaded.
Only for ZIP files you own or are authorized to open.
Free, no sign-up. See how it works
In Safari Private Browsing, choose your file on the recovery page instead: our tests show a private WebKit session losing a file dropped here.
Why ZipRecover
A recovery tool that respects your files
Built as a privacy tool first. The heavy lifting happens on your machine, and only where it is needed.
Runs in your browser
Recovery executes locally with WebAssembly. No native app, no install.
Your file is never uploaded
The archive is read with the File API and processed on-device. It never touches a server.
ZipCrypto and AES
Detects and supports traditional ZipCrypto and WinZip AES-128/192/256 archives.
Responsive, cancelable
Work runs in Web Workers so the page stays smooth. Pause, resume, or stop anytime.
Dictionary, mask, brute force
Bring your own candidates, describe the password's shape, or search a character set.
Passwords are never sent
No request, analytics event or error report carries a candidate or recovered password. A mask you type is kept on your device with a mask or brute-force search's progress until that search ends.
The difference
Your ZIP file stays on your device
- ZIP file on your device
- Browser File API + WebAssembly
- Password tested locally
- Result stays with you
- ZIP file on your device
- Uploaded to a remote server
- Processed out of your sight
- Copies may be retained
Read the full architecture on the security & privacy page.
How it works
From locked archive to recovered password
Choose your ZIP file
Drop the archive on the homepage or pick it from your device. We read it locally and detect the encryption method.
Pick a strategy
Use a dictionary of likely passwords, a mask for a remembered shape, or a bounded brute-force search.
Confirm and recover
Confirm you own the archive or are authorized to open it, then let WebAssembly test candidates on your device. Any match appears only to you.
Supported formats
Know what you are working with
ZipRecover detects the encryption method the moment you select a file and tells you whether it is supported.
- ZipCrypto (traditional PKWARE encryption)
- WinZip AES-128
- WinZip AES-192
- WinZip AES-256
Learn the difference between ZipCrypto and AES, or how to identify an encrypted ZIP.
What decides whether a password is recoverable
No tool can instantly recover an arbitrary ZIP password, and we will not claim that. Success depends on the password's length and randomness and on the encryption method. AES archives use a deliberately slow key derivation, so they are far slower to test. This tool is most useful when you can narrow the search with what you remember.
Learn
Guides to ZIP recovery and encryption
Understand your archive before you start, and choose the right approach.
FAQ
Common questions
Is my ZIP file uploaded anywhere?
No. The archive is read in your browser with the File API and processed by WebAssembly on your device. There is no server-side upload. See our security page.
Which ZIP encryption types are supported?
Traditional ZipCrypto (PKWARE) and WinZip AES-128, AES-192, and AES-256. The tool detects the method automatically when you select a file.
Can you recover any password?
No. Recovery depends on the password's strength and the encryption method. Strong, random passwords on AES archives are effectively not recoverable by guessing.
Is this legal to use?
It is intended only for archives you own or are explicitly authorized to access. Using it against files without authorization may be illegal. See the Acceptable Use Policy.
Authorized use only
Use this tool only on ZIP archives you own or are authorized to access. Attempting to open files without permission may violate applicable laws. See our Acceptable Use Policy and Terms of Use.
Ready to recover your ZIP password?
Runs locally in your browser. Your archive never leaves your device.