Stow support

Help with your archives.

For Stow on Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Need a hand? Email corvusdevs@outlook.com with your device, system version, Stow version, the archive format, and what happened. A screenshot of the error is often useful.

Getting started on Mac

  1. Drag files or folders onto the Stow window to create an archive.
  2. Drag an archive onto Stow to unpack it. Stow recognizes archive files automatically.
  3. Use the format and compression controls in Archive setup when you want to override Stow's default choice.
  4. Use the queue to follow more than one operation, or pause and cancel a job.

Getting started on iPhone and iPad

Choose files from the Files app, choose an output format and compression level, then start the job. Stow saves its output in its Files container, where you can share or move it using the standard Files controls.

Passwords and encryption

Stow can create AES-256 encrypted ZIP and 7z archives. A 7z archive can also hide its file names when that option is selected. Keep your password somewhere safe: Stow cannot recover a forgotten password.

When opening an encrypted archive, enter the password when Stow asks. An incorrect password and a damaged archive can look similar, so try a known-good copy if the password is accepted but extraction still fails.

Finder integration on Mac

Stow adds Compress with Stow and Extract with Stow to Finder's contextual menu. macOS requires you to enable the Finder extension once. Open Stow, then go to System Settings, General, Login Items and Extensions, Finder extensions, and enable Stow. If the menu does not appear, relaunch Finder.

Why did Stow ask to access a folder?

macOS and iOS protect your files. Stow asks only when it needs permission to read a file you selected or write a result to a folder. On Mac, Stow can remember a folder you approved so it does not ask again for the same location.

Supported archive formats

Stow can create ZIP, 7-Zip, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ, TAR.ZST, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, Zstandard, LZ4, and Lzip archives on Mac. Mobile focuses on ZIP, 7-Zip, TAR, TAR.GZ, GZIP, BZIP2, and XZ. Stow can open a broader range of common archive formats.

Still stuck?

Send us a message at corvusdevs@outlook.com. Do not send passwords or sensitive archive contents. You can also include the exact error message and the archive format.