Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates
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Add this tool to your website with customizable styling
How to Use
- 1 View the current timestamp — The current Unix timestamp updates in real-time at the top. Click the copy button to copy it in seconds or milliseconds format.
- 2 Convert a timestamp to date — Enter any Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds) in the input field. The converter auto-detects the format and displays the corresponding date and time.
- 3 Convert a date to timestamp — Select a date and optionally add a time to get the Unix timestamp. Use the "Use Now" button to quickly set the current date and time.
- 4 View multiple formats — See your result in various formats: Unix (seconds), Unix (milliseconds), ISO 8601, UTC, local time, and relative time.
- 5 Explore notable timestamps — Check out historically significant Unix timestamps like the Unix Epoch, Y2K, and the Year 2038 problem. Click "Load" to view any of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. This date is known as the Unix Epoch. Unix timestamps are widely used in programming because they provide a simple, timezone-independent way to represent time.
What's the difference between seconds and milliseconds?
Unix timestamps in seconds are 10 digits long (e.g., 1700000000), while milliseconds are 13 digits (e.g., 1700000000000). JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds, while many backend systems use seconds. Our converter auto-detects which format you're using.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
The Year 2038 problem (also called the Unix Millennium Bug) affects systems that store Unix timestamps as 32-bit signed integers. The maximum value (2,147,483,647) corresponds to January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. After this moment, such systems may overflow and incorrectly interpret dates. Modern 64-bit systems don't have this limitation.
Why are Unix timestamps useful?
Unix timestamps are timezone-independent, making them ideal for storing dates in databases, comparing times across systems, and sorting chronologically. They're also compact (just a single number) and easy to perform arithmetic on (adding 86400 seconds adds one day).
How do I use Unix timestamps in my code?
In JavaScript: Date.now() for milliseconds, Math.floor(Date.now()/1000) for seconds. In Python: time.time(). In PHP: time(). To convert back: new Date(timestamp * 1000) in JavaScript, datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp) in Python.
Is my data private?
Absolutely. All conversions happen directly in your browser using JavaScript. No timestamps or dates are sent to any servers or stored anywhere. Your privacy is completely protected.