Choose a direction
Start with a Unix timestamp or a UTC date and time.
Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps in seconds or milliseconds to readable dates, or a UTC date back to a timestamp. Auto mode detects the unit for you.
Work in your browser
Local and privateHow to use Timestamp Converter
Three simple steps, with your content kept on your device.
Set the unit
Leave Auto selected to detect seconds or milliseconds, or choose the unit yourself.
Read the result
Use the ISO, local date, seconds, or milliseconds output.
Built for useful work
Fast, focused, and made to be clear on every screen.
Two-way conversion
Convert timestamps to dates and UTC dates back to timestamps.
Auto unit detection
Auto mode decides between seconds and milliseconds from the value itself.
Browser-local
Dates and timestamps are processed only in the current tab.
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is a number that counts the elapsed seconds — or milliseconds — since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC, a moment known as the Unix epoch. It is a compact, timezone-free way to store a point in time.
Almost every operating system and programming language can produce and consume Unix timestamps, which is why they are the standard exchange format between servers, databases, and APIs.
Unix epoch and why it matters
The epoch is the reference point of all Unix time: midnight UTC on January 1, 1970. Every timestamp is the distance from that instant, so a timestamp of zero means exactly the epoch itself.
Because the count is relative to a fixed instant, the same timestamp represents the same moment everywhere in the world — converting it to a local date is only a display question.
Seconds vs milliseconds
Timestamps appear in two common scales: whole seconds (10 digits today) and milliseconds (13 digits today). Mixing them up shifts the result by a factor of a thousand — a 1970 date instead of today's date.
This converter accepts both and offers an auto mode that detects the unit from the value's magnitude, so you rarely need to know which scale you are looking at.
Converting a timestamp to a date
To convert a timestamp to a date, paste the number and read the output: the UTC date, your local date and time, and an ISO 8601 string. The UTC result is unambiguous; the local result reflects your browser's time zone.
Always check which one you need. Logs and API timestamps are normally UTC, while user-facing displays usually show the local time — this tool shows both side by side.
UTC vs local time
UTC is the timezone-free reference used by servers; local time applies your device's time zone and daylight saving rules. The same timestamp prints differently in each, and both are correct for their context.
The tool labels its outputs clearly so you never confuse them: UTC for the canonical instant and local for the human-friendly reading in your area.
Converting a date to a timestamp
The reverse direction turns a date and time into Unix seconds and milliseconds. Enter the components in UTC or local time, and the converter returns the exact numeric values ready for code, databases, or API calls.
This is the daily workflow of generating a valid timestamp for a scheduled task, an expiry check, or a test payload.
Timestamp use cases
Timestamps drive expiry checks, cache headers, audit logs, and scheduled jobs. A timestamp converter is the quick bridge between the raw numbers in a log and the human dates a developer needs to reason about them.
Having the converter in the browser means the conversion happens locally and instantly — no need to paste sensitive values into an external service.
Timestamps in databases and logs
Databases store timestamps as integers for compactness and ordering, and log lines embed them as a number followed by a human-readable date. Converting the numeric value tells you exactly when an event happened.
When you investigate a log entry or a database row, this converter turns the raw number into both UTC and local readings, so you can pinpoint the moment without timezone guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp counts elapsed time from January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. This tool accepts whole seconds or milliseconds.
How does Auto unit detection work?
Values below 100 billion are treated as seconds, and larger values as milliseconds. That covers every timestamp from 1970 to 5138 in seconds and from 1973 onward in milliseconds, so the common cases are always detected correctly.
Why can the local result differ from the UTC result?
The local result applies your browser's current locale and time zone, while the ISO result always uses UTC.