Convert between epoch unix timestamps and human-readable dates easily. Convert dates to epoch unix timestamps and vice versa, and calculate the difference between two timestamps.
A Unix timestamp is a simple yet powerful way for computers to keep track of time. Instead of using traditional date formats like "April 16, 2022," a Unix timestamp just counts the total number of seconds that have passed since a specific starting point in time: the Unix Epoch. That moment is January 1, 1970 at exactly 00:00:00 UTC — a kind of "ground zero" for time in many digital systems.
Every second that ticks by adds one to that count. So, a timestamp like 1650123456 represents the number of seconds from the Unix Epoch up to April 16, 2022, at 16:04:16 UTC. Neat, right?
Because it's just an integer, it's fast for machines to store, sort, and calculate with. That said, Unix timestamps don't account for leap seconds (those occasional extra seconds added to adjust Earth's rotation), so while they're great for consistency, they're not a perfect representation of real-world time — but for most applications, they're more than accurate enough.
Unix timestamps are everywhere in tech — often hiding in plain sight. Whether it's logging events on a server, syncing files across time zones, or saving when a user made a post or purchase, timestamps are quietly doing the work.
They have a few big advantages: they're timezone-agnostic (always stored in UTC), they're just plain numbers (which makes them super compact and efficient to store), and they make comparing dates and calculating time differences a breeze. No parsing month names or juggling daylight saving rules.
Best of all? They're consistent across platforms. Whether you're working in Python, PHP, JavaScript, MySQL, or some obscure framework you've just inherited — they all understand the language of Unix time. Knowing how to read and use these timestamps isn't just nerd trivia — it's a practical skill for anyone working with data, systems, or development tools.
This tool makes it incredibly easy to move between human-readable dates and Unix timestamps. Want to know the exact timestamp for an event? Just select the date and time, and you'll get the corresponding Unix value instantly.
Have a raw timestamp and want to make sense of it? Paste it in, and we'll translate it into a normal date and time for you — no programming needed. The converter also shows you the current, real-time Unix timestamp right at the top of the page, updating as each second passes.
By default, all dates are showen in your local timezone, so there's no confusion about what 1650123456 actually means where you are. Whether you're debugging logs, working with APIs, or just curious about the exact second something happened, this converter has you covered.
The number of seconds that have passed since midnight UTC on 1 January 1970, a moment known as the Unix epoch. It is a single number, with no time zone attached, which is why systems use it to store an exact instant.
Ten digits are seconds since the epoch; thirteen are milliseconds. Feeding one where the other is expected lands you thousands of years out, which is the usual cause of a date in the year 55000.
Your own, as your browser reports it, with the UTC equivalent shown beside it so you can check the offset.
They point to a date before 1970. Counting backwards from the epoch gives a negative number, which is how dates of birth and historical events are stored.
Systems that hold a timestamp in a signed 32-bit number run out of room on 19 January 2038 and wrap around to 1901. Anything using 64-bit values, which is most modern software, is unaffected.
Subtract one from the other and the answer is the gap in seconds. The converter also shows it in days, hours and minutes, which is usually what you wanted.