Converter
Common Formats (for 0)
What is a Unix Timestamp Converter?
This tool solves the common developer headache of converting between human-readable dates (like '2023-12-25 15:30:00') and Unix Timestamps (like '1703518200'). A Unix Timestamp is simply the total count of seconds that have elapsed since the 'Unix Epoch' (January 1st, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC).
Computers prefer storing time as a single number (integer) because it's efficient and timezone-neutral. However, humans can't easily read '1678886400'. This converter acts as a bridge, instantly translating between the machine format and a format you can actually read.
It handles both seconds (10 digits) and milliseconds (13 digits), automatically detecting the format to prevent common 'date is in year 50,000' errors. It also provides multiple output formats like ISO 8601 (for APIs), UTC (for servers), and your local browser time (for debugging user issues).
1How to Use
- Unix to Date: Paste a timestamp (e.g., 1609459200) into the left box.
- Date to Unix: Type or paste a date string (e.g., '2021-01-01') into the right box.
- Auto-Convert: The tool updates the other field instantly as you type.
- Check Formats: Look at the table below to see the result in ISO, UTC, and Local formats.
- Copy: Click any result to copy it to your clipboard.
★Key Features
- Bidirectional: Convert Timestamp → Date OR Date → Timestamp.
- Auto-Detection: Smartly handles both Seconds (10-digit) and Milliseconds (13-digit) inputs.
- Live Epoch Clock: Shows the current real-time Unix timestamp at the top.
- Multi-Format Output: Displays ISO 8601, RFC 2822, and Local string formats.
- timezone Aware: Clearly distinguishes between UTC and your local computer time.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
History of Unix Timestamp
The Unix Timestamp (or Unix Epoch) tracks time as the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, roughly when the Unix operating system was in its infancy.
It was created by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Originally, it measured time in sixtieths of a second to save storage space on early 32-bit systems. Later, it was changed to measure time in full seconds to extend the range of representable dates.
This system allows computers to store time as a simple integer, making it easy to calculate time differences and store dates efficiently across different timezones. However, it does have a famous limitation known as the Year 2038 problem, where 32-bit signed integers will overflow on January 19, 2038. Modern 64-bit systems have effectively solved this for the foreseeable future (until the year 292 billion).