Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps to readable dates, and parse dates into seconds or milliseconds — instantly.
Current time
177896976717789697676962026-05-16T22:16:07.696ZTimestamp → Date
Date → Timestamp
About this tool
A two-way converter between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates. The tool always shows the current Unix time, and lets you input a timestamp (in seconds or milliseconds) or any common date string to see all common formats — local, UTC, ISO 8601, RFC 2822, and relative time.
How to use it
Quick steps to get the most out of this utility.
- 1
See the current time
The top panel shows Unix seconds, Unix milliseconds, and ISO 8601 right now.
- 2
Convert a timestamp
Paste a Unix timestamp and pick seconds or milliseconds. The tool shows local, UTC, ISO, and relative formats.
- 3
Convert a date
Type a date in almost any common format — ISO 8601, RFC 2822, or natural language — to get the timestamp.
A 60-second guide to Unix time
Unix time is the number of seconds (or milliseconds) since the “Unix epoch”: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. It's a single integer that doesn't care about timezones, daylight saving, or calendar quirks — perfect for storing and comparing timestamps in databases and APIs.
The catch is that Unix time is unreadable to humans. 1782518400 tells you nothing without conversion. That's why every API that exposes timestamps either pairs them with a human-readable string or expects you to convert on the client. This tool exists to bridge that gap when you're debugging a payload, reading a log, or constructing a query.
Storing dates: a quick rule of thumb
- For machine-to-machine: store as Unix timestamp (seconds or ms) or ISO 8601 UTC.
- For display: always convert to the user's local timezone at render time.
- Never: store dates in the user's timezone — you can't reliably reconstruct UTC from a local string without timezone metadata.
Frequently asked questions
Are Unix timestamps in seconds or milliseconds?+
It depends on the system. Unix originally measured in seconds (the number of seconds since 1970-01-01 UTC). JavaScript and most modern web APIs use milliseconds. The tool lets you toggle between the two — if your number has 13 digits, it's probably milliseconds; 10 digits, probably seconds.
What is ISO 8601?+
ISO 8601 is a standardized date format like 2026-05-07T08:30:00Z. It's unambiguous (year-month-day order), sortable as a string, and supported by virtually every programming language and database.
What is the Year 2038 problem?+
Unix timestamps stored in signed 32-bit integers will overflow on January 19, 2038 at 03:14:08 UTC. Modern systems use 64-bit timestamps to avoid this, but legacy systems and some embedded devices may still need updating.
How accurate is the relative time?+
The relative time is rounded to the nearest sensible unit (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years). It's intended for human-readable display, not precise measurement.
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