Timestamp Converter
Unix time ↔ human-readable date. Paste a timestamp (seconds or milliseconds) or any date string — it figures out which direction you mean.
Convert Unix timestamps to human-readable dates and back. Paste an epoch value in seconds or milliseconds and see the date and time in your local zone and UTC. Or pick any date and time and get its timestamp instantly — ideal for developers, API work and debugging.
How to convert a Unix timestamp
Unix timestamps count time from 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. Paste a timestamp to convert it to a readable date, or enter a date to get Unix seconds and milliseconds.
Check whether your source system uses seconds or milliseconds before converting. JavaScript commonly uses milliseconds, while many Unix APIs use seconds.
Reference: Unix epoch — seconds since 1970-01-01 UTC (POSIX time).
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Example
1700000000 (seconds) → 2023-11-14 22:13:20 UTC, a Tuesday. The same instant in milliseconds is 1700000000000; a 13-digit value is read as milliseconds automatically.
How to use the Unix Timestamp Converter
- Enter a Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds) in the input.
- The date and time update automatically in local time and UTC.
- To go the other way, enter a date and time and read the epoch value.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 (UTC), also called epoch time. Computers use it because it is timezone-independent.
How do I convert a Unix timestamp to a date?
Paste the number into the box above. Seconds and milliseconds are both detected automatically.
Why is my timestamp 11 digits vs 13 digits?
11-digit values are seconds; 13-digit values are milliseconds, which some systems (for example JavaScript Date.now()) use. This tool accepts both.
Does the timezone matter?
A timestamp is an absolute instant. The tool shows the equivalent wall-clock time in your local timezone and in UTC.
Fun facts about Unix Timestamp Converter
- The Unix epoch starts at January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC — this date was chosen somewhat arbitrarily by the creators of Unix.
- Unix timestamps will overflow 32-bit signed integers on January 19, 2038 — this is the 'Year 2038 problem,' similar to the Y2K bug.
- JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds since the epoch, while most Unix systems use seconds — a common source of bugs when converting between them.
- Unix time passed 1.7 billion seconds on 14 November 2023 (1700000000 = 22:13:20 UTC); it crosses each new billion roughly every 31.7 years.
- Some systems use 'epoch time' starting from different dates — Windows FILETIME starts from January 1, 1601, and Mac Classic used January 1, 1904.