Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix epoch timestamps and human-readable dates instantly.
Timestamp → Date
Date → Timestamp
How to use
- The live counter at the top shows the current Unix timestamp in seconds, updating every second.
- To convert a timestamp to a date, paste a Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds — auto-detected) and click Convert.
- To convert a date to a timestamp, pick a date and time and click Convert. Click Now to use the current date/time.
- Use individual Copy buttons to copy any value to your clipboard.
- Millisecond timestamps are detected automatically (13+ digits).
About this Unix Timestamp Converter
A Unix timestamp represents a point in time as the number of seconds elapsed since midnight UTC on January 1, 1970 (the "Unix epoch"). It's the standard way computers store and exchange time internally because a single number is simpler to compare, sort, and calculate with than a formatted date string.
Why timestamps instead of readable dates
Comparing two dates stored as text ("March 5, 2026" vs. "2026-03-05") requires parsing logic and is prone to format mismatches. Comparing two Unix timestamps is just comparing two numbers — faster, unambiguous, and independent of locale or date format. This is why timestamps are the standard in databases, APIs, and log files.
Seconds vs. milliseconds
The traditional Unix timestamp is measured in seconds (a 10-digit number for current dates), but JavaScript and some APIs use milliseconds (a 13-digit number) instead. Mixing the two up is a common bug — a millisecond timestamp interpreted as seconds will appear to be a date roughly 1,000 times further in the future than intended.
Time zones and timestamps
A Unix timestamp itself has no time zone — it represents an exact, universal moment. Time zones only come into play when converting that moment into a human-readable local date and time. The same timestamp displays as different clock times depending on which time zone is used for the conversion.