Unix Timestamp Converter

What is a Unix timestamp?

A Unix timestamp, also called epoch time, counts the seconds that have passed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970. Because it is a single number that does not depend on time zones or date formats, computers use it everywhere: databases, log files, APIs, cookies and file systems. The downside is that a number like 1767225600 means nothing to most people. This converter turns timestamps into readable dates and back again.

How to use the converter

1. See the current Unix time at the top, in seconds and milliseconds, updating live.
2. To read a timestamp, paste it into Unix timestamp. The unit is detected automatically.
3. Read the result as local time, UTC, ISO 8601 and a relative time such as “3 days ago”.
4. To create a timestamp, pick a date and time and choose whether it is your local time or UTC.
5. Copy the seconds, milliseconds or ISO value with one click.

Features

• Automatic unit detection for seconds, milliseconds and microseconds, with a manual override.
• Several formats at once: full local date with time zone, UTC, ISO 8601, relative time, seconds and milliseconds.
• Live clock you can pause to copy an exact value.
• Time zone choice when converting a date, so you can enter a time in UTC or in your own zone.

Seconds or milliseconds?

Unix and most server languages such as PHP, Python and Go use seconds, which today gives a 10 digit number. JavaScript, Java and many databases use milliseconds, a 13 digit number. Mixing them up is a classic bug that produces dates in 1970 or tens of thousands of years in the future. The auto detect option treats numbers of 12 digits or more as milliseconds and numbers of 15 digits or more as microseconds.

Common uses

Developers convert timestamps while reading server logs, checking when a cache entry or token expires, debugging scheduled jobs and writing database queries for a date range. Analysts convert exported data columns into readable dates. The ISO 8601 output is ideal for documentation and APIs because it is unambiguous worldwide.

The year 2038 problem

Older systems store Unix time in a signed 32-bit integer, which runs out at 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038, timestamp 2147483647. Modern systems use 64-bit values, which last far longer than anyone needs. Paste that number into the converter to see the moment for yourself.

Tips

Store and send times as UTC timestamps or ISO 8601 strings, and only convert to local time when displaying them to a person. This avoids most daylight saving time bugs.