About this tool
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds that have passed since January 1, 1970 (UTC) — the way most computers and APIs store time. This converter turns a timestamp into a readable date and time, and turns any date back into a timestamp. It shows both your local time and UTC, which is essential for developers debugging logs, databases and API responses.
How to use
- 1Enter a Unix timestamp to see the date, or pick a date to get the timestamp.
- 2Read both local and UTC time.
- 3Use the 'Now' button for the current timestamp.
Benefits
- Two-way conversion.
- Shows local time and UTC.
- Supports seconds and milliseconds.
Distinguish seconds, milliseconds and time zones
Practical example
A 10-digit Unix value usually represents seconds, while many JavaScript systems store 13-digit milliseconds. Treating milliseconds as seconds produces a date thousands of years away.
Interpreting the result
Compare UTC with local display and record which unit the source system uses. For logs and APIs, keep the original value beside the human-readable date to make debugging reproducible.
Limits and common mistakes
A timestamp alone does not contain a named time zone, daylight-saving rule or business calendar. Ambiguous source units and out-of-range dates must be resolved from system documentation.
Detailed guides for this tool
Learn the underlying concepts, worked examples and common mistakes before relying on the result.
Frequently asked questions
Seconds or milliseconds?+
Unix timestamps are usually in seconds (10 digits); JavaScript uses milliseconds (13 digits). The tool handles both.
What is UTC?+
Coordinated Universal Time — the global time standard that timestamps are based on, independent of time zones.