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Unix Timestamp Converter

Translate between epoch time and readable dates in both directions. The unit is detected automatically, and results are shown in your local time, UTC and ISO 8601.

  • Runs in your browser
  • No sign-up
  • Free to use
Current Unix time
–

Timestamp → date

Date → timestamp

Interpret as

How to use Timestamp Converter

  1. To decode a timestamp, paste the number into the first field. The unit (seconds, milliseconds and so on) is detected from its length.
  2. Read the date in local time, UTC, ISO 8601 and as a relative time such as “3 days ago”.
  3. To go the other way, pick a date and time in the second section and choose whether it is local or UTC.
  4. Copy any value with the button beside it.

Timestamp Converter features

Automatic unit detection

Distinguishes seconds, milliseconds, microseconds and nanoseconds by magnitude.

Live current time

Shows the current Unix time ticking, with one-click copy.

Several output formats

Local time, UTC, ISO 8601, RFC 2822 and a relative description.

Date to timestamp

Convert any date and time to seconds and milliseconds since the epoch.

Time zone clarity

Your detected time zone and its UTC offset are shown so there is no ambiguity.

No server

Everything is computed in the browser using your device clock.

When to use Timestamp Converter

  • Reading timestamps in log files, database rows and API responses.
  • Checking when a token, cookie or cache entry expires.
  • Generating a timestamp for a query, test fixture or scheduled job.
  • Debugging time zone problems by comparing local and UTC values.

Timestamp Converter FAQ

What is a Unix timestamp?

It is the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, not counting leap seconds. It is a compact, time-zone-independent way to store a moment in time.

How do I know if a timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds?

Current timestamps in seconds have 10 digits; in milliseconds, 13; in microseconds, 16; in nanoseconds, 19. JavaScript and Java commonly use milliseconds, while Unix tools, PHP and Python use seconds.

Does a timestamp have a time zone?

No. A timestamp identifies an instant that is the same everywhere. The time zone only matters when you display it as a calendar date and clock time.

What is the year 2038 problem?

Systems that store the timestamp in a signed 32-bit integer overflow on 19 January 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. Modern systems use 64-bit values, which do not have this limit.

Can it handle dates before 1970?

Yes. Earlier dates are represented by negative timestamps.

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Why computers count seconds

Calendars are complicated: months have different lengths, leap years add days, and time zones and daylight saving shift the clock. Storing time as a single increasing number avoids all of that. Two timestamps can be compared or subtracted with ordinary arithmetic, and the result means the same thing on any machine in the world.

The complexity returns only at the edges, when a timestamp is shown to a person or parsed from text. That is where bugs arise: a date entered in local time but stored as if it were UTC, or milliseconds passed to a function expecting seconds, producing a date tens of thousands of years in the future. Seeing the same instant as local time, UTC and ISO 8601 side by side makes those mistakes easy to spot.

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