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 .xz file
XZ files come from Kernel tarballs, Linux packages, and the usual advice — buy the software that made it — is rarely what you need just to look inside one. This page covers what the format is and how to open it in a browser tab.
What is a .xz file?
XZ Compressed File is an archive format developed by Tukaani Project, first appearing in 2009. It is normally produced by Kernel tarballs, Linux packages.
LZMA2 with integrity checks. Now the default for Linux kernel source releases because of its high compression ratio.
| Full name | XZ Compressed File |
|---|---|
| File category | Archives |
| MIME type | application/x-xz |
| Magic bytes (file signature) | FD 37 7A 58 5A 00 |
| Developer | Tukaani Project |
| Introduced | 2009 |
| Usually created by | Kernel tarballs, Linux packages |
| OpenAnyFile engine | libarchive WASM engine |
| Opens without upload | Yes — parsed locally in your browser |
Open a .xz file in your browser
OpenAnyFile routes .xz 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 .xz 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 XZ 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.
No upload, and here is why that matters for {E}
Handing a .xz file to a random conversion site means handing over a copy you cannot get back. OpenAnyFile parses the file locally instead — the same way special software reads it off your disk, except the reader happens to be a web page. Nothing is transmitted, so there is nothing to leak, log or subpoena. It also means it keeps working with your Wi-Fi switched off.
Frequently asked questions about XZ files
Can I open a .xz file without installing special software?
Yes. OpenAnyFile's libarchive WASM engine runs in your browser, so you can read a XZ 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 XZ file?
Look at the first bytes rather than the extension. A genuine XZ begins with FD 37 7A 58 5A 00. Opening the file in OpenAnyFile shows that signature in the file-details panel, so a file renamed to .xz by mistake is easy to spot.
Is it safe to open a XZ 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 .xz file, exactly?
XZ Compressed File — an application/x-xz format created by Tukaani Project since 2009. LZMA2 with integrity checks. Now the default for Linux kernel source releases because of its high compression ratio.
Does the same viewer handle formats related to XZ?
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 .xz file, it will open too: