XAR Extractor
Extract files from XAR (eXtensible Archive) — Apple's archive format with XML TOC + heap. Parses the XAR header, decompresses the XML Table of Contents, lists files with sizes/types, lets you preview, download individual files or re-package as ZIP. 100% client-side.
About XAR Extractor
Extract files from XAR (eXtensible Archive) — Apple's archive format with XML TOC + heap. Parses the XAR header, decompresses the XML Table of Contents, lists files with sizes/types, lets you preview, download individual files or re-package as ZIP. 100% client-side. Everything runs locally in your browser — your data never leaves your device.
How to use
- Enter your input in the tool above.
- Adjust any options to your preference.
- Use the Copy or Download buttons to save the result.
- Everything happens locally — your data never leaves your browser.
FAQ
What is a XAR file?
XAR (eXtensible Archive Resource) is Apple's archive format introduced in Mac OS X 10.4. It starts with the magic 'xar!' (0x78 0x61 0x72 0x21), followed by a 28-byte header containing offsets to a compressed XML Table of Contents, and a heap of compressed file data. XAR is used for macOS installer packages (.pkg) and Software Update payloads.
How does this extractor work?
We read the 28-byte XAR header to find the compressed TOC (always zlib-deflated), decompress it with the browser's built-in DecompressionStream, parse the resulting XML, and walk the <toc> tree to build a list of files with their offsets into the heap. Each file may be individually zlib-compressed; we decompress on demand when you click Download.
Can this tool fully extract every XAR file?
Yes for files using zlib (the most common compression). XAR also supports bzip2, gzip, and LZMA per-file encodings — we support zlib and stored (no compression); other methods surface a clear 'unsupported compression' error. Encrypted XAR payloads (rare) are not supported.
What is the XML TOC?
The Table of Contents is a zlib-compressed XML document that lists every file in the archive with its name, size, type (file/dir/symlink), encoding, and offset into the heap. We render the raw XML in a viewer so you can inspect the structure of any XAR file.
What extra features does this tool have compared to others?
10 extras: (1) Drag-drop input. (2) File tree with directories expanded. (3) Search filter by name. (4) Type filter (all / files / dirs / symlinks). (5) Stats panel (file count, total uncompressed, compression ratio, encoding breakdown). (6) Download individual files. (7) Download all as a new ZIP archive. (8) Raw XML TOC viewer. (9) History of recently opened .xar files (localStorage — last 10). (10) Shareable URL with current view settings.
Is my .xar file uploaded anywhere?
No. All XAR parsing, zlib decompression, and ZIP repackaging happens in your browser using native APIs. File contents never leave your device. Only filenames and counts are saved to local history.
Related tools
7Z Extractor
Inspect and extract files from 7z archives. Detects the 7z signature (0x37 0x7A 0xBC 0xAF 0x27 0x1C), parses the SignatureHeader and StartHeader, lists files from the archive metadata, and extracts STORE-method files when possible. Honest about LZMA compression limitations. 100% client-side.
APK Extractor
Extract and inspect Android APK files in the browser — pure JavaScript APK (ZIP) parser. View AndroidManifest.xml (binary XML detection), list DEX files, resources, and assets, extract individual files, detect app info (package name, version) from manifest. 100% client-side.
ARJ Extractor
Inspect ARJ archives. Detects the ARJ magic (0x60 0xEA), parses header structures, lists file entries with sizes and CRCs, and extracts STORE-method files when possible. Honest about ARJ compression limitations. 100% client-side.