Folder Quick Look — Preview Folders & Archives in Finder without Extracting

Folder Quick Look (also known as Folder Preview) is a macOS app that extends Finder’s Quick Look so you can view contents of folders and compressed archives without extracting them first. It supports common archive formats and speeds up workflows for users who frequently inspect archive contents.

Supported formats

• ZIP
• RAR
• 7z
• TAR (and compressed variants like .tar.gz)

How it works

After installing the app from the Mac App Store and enabling its Quick Look extension in System Settings > Extensions > Quick Look, select a folder or archive in Finder and press Space (or ⌘Y) to preview its contents instantly — no double-clicking, no extraction.

Notes & limitations

• Quick Look previews are read-only: you can’t launch files from the preview window due to macOS restrictions.
• Performance and UI have improved in recent updates; however, very large archives or deeply nested folders may take longer to render.

Get it on the Mac App Store: Folder Preview on the Mac App Store

Have you tried it? Share which archive formats you preview most and any tips for managing large archives.

Note: This post summarizes app details; original reporting removed to avoid linking to the news RSS source.