Why does my .docx show as a ZIP archive?

Because it genuinely is one. Modern Office formats — docx, xlsx, pptx — plus EPUB and Android APKs are ZIP archives containing XML and assets. The tool uses the extension to name the specific format once the ZIP signature is confirmed, which is the only way to tell them apart without unpacking.

Can it show a photo's camera, date or GPS location?

Not here — this reads the container format rather than what is embedded inside it. For EXIF data from a photo, including the camera and any GPS coordinates, use the Image Metadata Viewer in the image tools.

It says the type isn't recognised.

That is expected for plain text, CSV, source code, Markdown and configuration files. None of them have a binary signature to detect, because they are just text. It also happens with rarer or proprietary formats that aren't in the signature list.

File Metadata Viewer

An extension is a claim, and it is frequently wrong. This reads the first bytes of a file and tells you what it actually is: every real format starts with a fixed signature, so a PNG saved as .jpg, or a download that arrived as .txt, is identified straight away. Alongside that you get the size, the modified date and the raw signature bytes.

Drop a file to inspector click to browse — any file type

Nothing is uploaded — this tool runs inside your browser, so your files never leave your device.

Help us improve

Why use this tool

Identifies the real format from the file's signature, not its name
Flags it when the extension and the contents disagree
Shows exact byte size, modified date and the raw header bytes
Runs in your browser — the file is never uploaded

How it works

1Drop in the file you want to identify.
2Press Inspect file.
3Compare what the extension claims with what the bytes say.

File Metadata Viewer — frequently asked questions

Usually something innocent: an app saved a PNG with a .jpg name, a download server sent the wrong type, or someone renamed it to get past an upload filter. Occasionally it is deliberate — disguising an executable is an old trick. Either way, renaming the file to match what it actually is will let the right program open it.

More file tools

Create ZIP Extract ZIP Checksum Find Duplicates

Explore the other tools

Same deal everywhere on the site — free, no sign-up, and no watermark on anything you download.

QR Code Tools Barcode Tools PDF Tools Image Tools Developer Tools SEO Tools Text Tools Calculators Unit Converters Color Tools Business Tools AI Tools Utilities

Or see every tool on one page.