⏱️ Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix epoch timestamps (seconds or milliseconds) to human-readable dates, or convert any date/time back to a Unix timestamp.
How to Use the Timestamp Converter
The Timestamp Converter tool converts between Unix timestamps (seconds since January 1, 1970 UTC) and human-readable date and time formats. In the first section, enter a Unix timestamp in the input field and click Convert → to see the equivalent local date/time, UTC date/time, and ISO 8601 string. Click Now to auto-fill the current Unix timestamp.
In the second section, select or type a date and time using the date/time picker and click → Timestamp to convert it to both a seconds-precision and a milliseconds-precision Unix timestamp. This tool is invaluable for developers working with APIs, databases, logs, and distributed systems that store dates as timestamps. Unix timestamps are timezone-agnostic — they always represent an absolute moment in time — making them the standard for inter-system date exchange. The ISO 8601 output (e.g., 2024-11-14T12:34:56.000Z) is the preferred format for APIs and JSON. All conversions use your browser's local timezone settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
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A Unix timestamp (also called Unix time, POSIX time, or epoch time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on Thursday, January 1, 1970 — the Unix epoch. It is a single integer that uniquely identifies any moment in time, regardless of timezone. For example, the timestamp 1700000000 corresponds to November 14, 2023 at 22:13:20 UTC.
Why do developers use Unix timestamps?
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Unix timestamps are timezone-independent (always UTC), easy to sort and compare (just compare integers), compact (a 10-digit number), and universally supported across all programming languages and databases. They are the standard for storing dates in databases, passing dates between APIs, measuring time intervals, and setting expiry times in tokens and caches.
What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps?
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A seconds-precision Unix timestamp is a 10-digit number (e.g., 1700000000). A milliseconds-precision timestamp is 13 digits (e.g., 1700000000000). JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds, while Unix command-line tools, Python's time.time(), and most databases use seconds. Always check the precision expected by the API or library you are working with.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
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The Year 2038 problem (Y2K38) affects systems that store Unix timestamps as a signed 32-bit integer. The maximum value of a signed 32-bit integer (2,147,483,647) corresponds to January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. After this point, the counter overflows and the time resets to 1901. Modern 64-bit systems are not affected — they can store timestamps billions of years into the future.