Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert epoch to a readable date and back, in local time or UTC.
Live clock
……Your timezone: …
Type a timestamp to see the result.
How do you convert a Unix timestamp to a date?
Paste a Unix timestamp (epoch) into the input field and the tool instantly converts it to a readable date in your local time, in UTC, in ISO 8601, and in RFC 2822 format, plus a plain-language relative time ("3 days ago"). It automatically detects whether the number is in seconds, milliseconds, microseconds or nanoseconds based on its length, and shows exactly what it detected in case you'd rather force a different unit by hand. It also works the other way around: pick a date and time, choose whether it's local time or UTC, and get the epoch ready to copy in both seconds and milliseconds. Negative timestamps are supported too, for dates before January 1, 1970 — a case most converters simply ignore. Everything runs locally in your browser, nothing is ever uploaded, and it's completely free with no signup and no usage limits.
How to use Unix Timestamp Converter
- Paste or type the Unix timestamp you want to convert into the "Timestamp → Date" tab.
- Check the auto-detected unit (seconds, milliseconds, microseconds or nanoseconds), or override it manually with the s / ms / µs / ns buttons if the number doesn't follow the usual convention.
- Read the simultaneous output in local time, UTC, ISO 8601, RFC 2822 and relative time, and copy whichever one you need with one click.
- For the reverse direction, switch to the "Date → Timestamp" tab, pick a date and time and whether it's interpreted as local time or UTC, then copy the epoch in seconds or milliseconds.
- Use the live clock at the top to copy the current timestamp, or load it straight into the converter with "Use this value".
Common use cases
Debugging server logs full of Unix timestamps
Convert the `created_at` or `timestamp` field of a JSON log line or error trace on the fly to know exactly when an event happened, without doing timezone math in your head.
Checking when a JWT token expires
The `exp` and `iat` claims of a JWT are epoch seconds. Paste them here to see the exact expiration or issue date in your local time, without manually decoding the token.
Telling seconds and milliseconds apart in an API response
Plenty of APIs (Stripe, AWS, JavaScript's `Date.now()`) return epoch in milliseconds instead of seconds. Auto-detection by digit count catches the mismatch before you compute a nonsense date.
Migrating a date column between databases
Convert epoch integers stored in a database into readable dates to sanity-check them before a migration or before writing an import script.
Working out how much time is left until a deadline
Convert a future epoch and read the relative time directly ("in 12 days") to know how long is left until an expiration, a campaign, or a due date — no manual subtraction needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp or epoch?
It's the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC — the "Unix epoch". It's used because it's a single integer with no timezone or calendar ambiguity, easy to store, compare and sort on any system.
How do I know if my timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds?
By its length: an epoch in seconds has up to 10 digits until the year 2286; in milliseconds it has 11-13 digits; in microseconds, 14-16; and in nanoseconds, 17-19. This converter applies that rule automatically and shows what it detected.
What is the year 2038 problem?
Many older systems store epoch seconds as a signed 32-bit integer, whose maximum value is 2147483647. That value is reached on January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC; once exceeded, the number wraps around to negative and the computed date jumps back to 1901. This tool uses higher-precision numbers, so it isn't affected by that limit.
Can I convert dates before 1970?
Yes. Enter the timestamp with a minus sign, e.g. -86400, which is December 31, 1969. Most online converters don't support negative epochs, but this one does.
What's the difference between seconds, milliseconds, microseconds and nanoseconds?
They're the same unit of time at different precisions. Classic Unix systems use seconds; JavaScript and most web APIs use milliseconds; some databases and logging systems use microseconds; and languages like Go (`time.UnixNano()`) use nanoseconds to measure very short intervals.
Is my timestamp uploaded to a server?
No. The entire conversion happens in your browser using JavaScript, with nothing ever sent to a server. It's free, with no signup and no usage limit.