OpenAnyFile
Works
Viewing, inspecting and verifying. You get a browsable listing of everything inside, decompressed in-browser by libarchive compiled to WebAssembly. File details, exact byte size and the detected signature are always shown.
How to open a .xar file
If double-clicking a XAR file did nothing useful, that is normal: the format is fine, your operating system just has no default application registered for it. This page explains the format and gives you a way to read one immediately.
What is a .xar file?
eXtensible ARchive is an archive format developed by Apple / OpenDarwin, first appearing in 2004. It is normally produced by macOS .pkg installers, Safari extensions.
Its entire table of contents sits at the front as compressed XML, so listing the contents needs no full scan. Every macOS installer package is a xar underneath the .pkg name.
| Full name | eXtensible ARchive |
|---|---|
| File category | Archives |
| MIME type | application/x-xar |
| Magic bytes (file signature) | 78 61 72 21 (xar!) |
| Developer | Apple / OpenDarwin |
| Introduced | 2004 |
| Usually created by | macOS .pkg installers, Safari extensions |
| OpenAnyFile engine | libarchive WASM engine |
| Opens without upload | Yes — parsed locally in your browser |
Open a .xar file in your browser
OpenAnyFile routes .xar to its libarchive WASM engine, which opens a browsable listing of everything inside, decompressed in-browser by libarchive compiled to WebAssembly.
- Open the OpenAnyFile opener in this browser — nothing to download or sign up for.
- Drag your .xar 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 libarchive WASM engine.
- Your XAR opens on its own viewer page: a browsable listing of everything inside, decompressed in-browser by libarchive compiled to WebAssembly.
- Use fullscreen for a closer look, or download the file back out unchanged. No account, no upload, no watermark, no file-size gate.
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 .xar 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 XAR files
Can I open a .xar file without installing special software?
Yes. OpenAnyFile's libarchive WASM engine runs in your browser, so you can read a XAR file with nothing installed. You get a browsable listing of everything inside, decompressed in-browser by libarchive compiled to WebAssembly. 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 XAR file?
Look at the first bytes rather than the extension. A genuine XAR begins with 78 61 72 21 (xar!). Opening the file in OpenAnyFile shows that signature in the file-details panel, so a file renamed to .xar by mistake is easy to spot.
Is it safe to open a XAR 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 .xar file, exactly?
eXtensible ARchive — an application/x-xar format created by Apple / OpenDarwin since 2004. Its entire table of contents sits at the front as compressed XML, so listing the contents needs no full scan. Every macOS installer package is a xar underneath the .pkg name.
Does the same viewer handle formats related to XAR?
Yes — the same engine also opens .7z, .iso, .rar, 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 .xar file, it will open too: