Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates.
The number computers count time with
A Unix timestamp is the way computers commonly represent a moment in time: a single number counting the seconds since a fixed starting point. This converts between that number and an ordinary date and time, in both directions.
Enter a timestamp or a date to convert between them.
The epoch, and a famous deadline
The fixed starting point, called the epoch, is the very beginning of 1970, and a Unix timestamp simply counts the seconds elapsed since then — which is why the numbers are large and cryptic to a human but perfectly convenient for a computer, since a single integer is easy to store, compare and calculate with. This format is everywhere behind the scenes in programming, databases and file systems. It comes with a famous looming quirk: systems that store the timestamp in a common older format will run out of room in the year 2038, when the number grows too large for that format to hold — a genuine engineering concern known as the Year 2038 problem, being addressed by moving to larger number formats. For developers, converting between the machine's seconds-since-1970 and a readable date is a constant everyday need.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A single number counting the seconds since the start of 1970, the way computers commonly store a moment in time — compact and easy to calculate with.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
Systems storing the timestamp in a common older format will run out of room in 2038 when the number grows too large — addressed by moving to larger formats.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The conversion happens in your browser.