Unix Epoch Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps to readable dates and convert dates back to Unix epoch. See the current timestamp and work with multiple timezones.
How to Convert Unix Timestamps
- 1Enter a Unix timestamp to convert it to a human-readable date
- 2Or enter a date and time to get the Unix timestamp
- 3Click 'Current Timestamp' to see the current epoch time
- 4View both local and UTC representations
Key Benefits
- Convert in both directions: timestamp ↔ date
- Shows current timestamp with live update
- Displays local time and UTC simultaneously
- Supports millisecond timestamps
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called epoch time) is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC — the 'Unix epoch'. It represents an absolute point in time with no timezone attached, which makes it ideal for storing and comparing dates in databases, APIs, and log systems where different machines may be in different timezones. The convention originated with the Unix operating system and is now universal across programming languages.
What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps?
Standard Unix timestamps count seconds. Many modern environments — including JavaScript's Date.now() — use milliseconds instead (1000× larger). A quick way to tell them apart: a 10-digit number covers dates in the range of the early 2000s to 2030s in seconds; a 13-digit number is almost certainly milliseconds. This tool detects both automatically, but double-check the source documentation when in doubt.
When does the Unix timestamp overflow?
Signed 32-bit integers storing Unix timestamps will overflow on January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC — known as the Year 2038 problem. Systems that store timestamps in 32-bit signed integers may misinterpret dates after that point. Most modern systems use 64-bit integers and will not encounter this issue for an astronomically long time, but older embedded systems or legacy databases may still be vulnerable.
What is the difference between UTC and local time in timestamps?
A Unix timestamp is always in UTC — it is a timezone-neutral count of seconds. When you display it as a date, a timezone offset is applied to produce local time. Two people in different timezones converting the same timestamp will see different clock times, but they refer to the exact same moment. When storing timestamps in APIs or databases, the recommended practice is to store the raw Unix timestamp or an ISO 8601 string that includes the UTC offset.
What is ISO 8601 and how does it compare to Unix timestamps?
ISO 8601 is a standardized text format for dates and times, such as 2024-06-15T14:30:00Z or 2024-06-15T16:30:00+02:00. It is human-readable and includes timezone information explicitly. Unix timestamps are compact integers — easier to sort, compare, and store. ISO 8601 is generally preferred when the data is displayed to or entered by humans; Unix timestamps are preferred when the data is processed by code.
How do I debug a timestamp that looks wrong?
Start by checking whether the value is in seconds or milliseconds — a 13-digit number is almost always milliseconds. If the date is off by a fixed number of hours, the issue is typically a timezone mismatch: the timestamp is correct but displayed in the wrong zone. If the date is off by decades, you may have mixed up seconds and milliseconds. Paste the value here to see the local time, UTC, and ISO 8601 representations side by side.