OpenAnyFile
Works
Viewing, inspecting and verifying. You get the full member listing as a browsable tree with per-file sizes. File details, exact byte size and the detected signature are always shown.
How to open a .tar file
You have a TAR file and nothing on your machine will touch it. Here is what the format actually is, and how to read one in about four seconds without installing anything.
What is a .tar file?
Tape Archive is an archive format developed by AT&T Unix, first appearing in 1979. It is normally produced by Unix, Linux, macOS.
Concatenates files with 512-byte headers and no compression at all — which is exactly why you almost always see it paired as .tar.gz.
| Full name | Tape Archive |
|---|---|
| File category | Archives |
| MIME type | application/x-tar |
| Magic bytes (file signature) | 75 73 74 61 72 (ustar at 257) |
| Developer | AT&T Unix |
| Introduced | 1979 |
| Usually created by | Unix, Linux, macOS |
| OpenAnyFile engine | TAR archive browser |
| Opens without upload | Yes — parsed locally in your browser |
Open a .tar file in your browser
OpenAnyFile routes .tar to its TAR archive browser, which opens the full member listing as a browsable tree with per-file sizes.
- Open the OpenAnyFile opener in this browser — nothing to download or sign up for.
- Drag your .tar file onto the drop zone, click to browse for it, or paste it with Ctrl+V.
- The extension is detected and the file is handed to the TAR archive browser.
- Your TAR opens on its own viewer page: the full member listing as a browsable tree with per-file sizes.
- Use fullscreen for a closer look, or download the file back out unchanged. Free, and free in the sense that there is no paid tier waiting behind step three.
What you can and cannot do with it here
Does not work
Editing and re-saving. OpenAnyFile is a reader, not an editor — for changes you still need special software or an equivalent.
Local-only by design, not by promise
Plenty of sites promise they delete your uploads. OpenAnyFile avoids the promise by avoiding the upload. When you drop a .tar file in, the browser grants the page temporary read access to those bytes and nothing more — the page has no path to send them anywhere. You can verify it in seconds: open DevTools, switch to the network tab, and open a file. The request list stays empty.
Frequently asked questions about TAR files
Can I open a .tar file without installing special software?
Yes. OpenAnyFile's TAR archive browser runs in your browser, so you can read a TAR file with nothing installed. You get the full member listing as a browsable tree with per-file sizes. For full editing you still need the original application — this is a viewer, not an editor.
How can I check a file really is a TAR file?
Look at the first bytes rather than the extension. A genuine TAR begins with 75 73 74 61 72 (ustar at 257). Opening the file in OpenAnyFile shows that signature in the file-details panel, so a file renamed to .tar by mistake is easy to spot.
Is it safe to open a TAR file online?
With OpenAnyFile, yes, because nothing is uploaded. The file is read locally through your browser's File API and never leaves your device, so there is no server copy to leak, log or retain. That matters most for the kind of file people are least willing to hand to a random converter site.
What is a .tar file, exactly?
Tape Archive — an application/x-tar format created by AT&T Unix since 1979. Concatenates files with 512-byte headers and no compression at all — which is exactly why you almost always see it paired as .tar.gz.
Does the same viewer handle formats related to TAR?
Yes — the same engine also opens .ar, .cpio, .001, so you can compare related files without switching tools.
Related formats
These open with the same engine, so if you have one of these sitting next to your .tar file, it will open too: