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How do I convert a Unix timestamp to a readable date?

Short answer

Paste a Unix timestamp into a browser-based converter and it turns the epoch number into a human-readable date and time, and converts a date back into a timestamp too. It supports both seconds and milliseconds, runs on your device, and is the fastest way to read the timestamps that show up in logs, databases and API responses.

What a Unix timestamp is

A Unix timestamp is a single number: the count of seconds (or milliseconds) since the start of 1970 in UTC. It is compact and unambiguous, which is why systems store and exchange time this way, but it is unreadable to a person. A converter reverses it, mapping the number back to a normal calendar date and clock time, and works the other way too so you can turn a date into the timestamp a system expects.

Seconds versus milliseconds

The common source of confusion is scale: some systems count seconds and others count milliseconds, and getting it wrong throws the result off by a factor of a thousand, landing you decades away. A good converter recognises or lets you pick the unit so a ten-digit seconds value and a thirteen-digit milliseconds value both decode correctly. Since timestamps often come from private logs or internal databases, doing the conversion in the browser keeps them local.

Step by step

  1. Paste the timestamp. Paste the Unix epoch number into the converter.
  2. Convert locally. The tool turns it into a readable date and time in your browser.
  3. Copy or reverse. Copy the date, or enter a date to convert it back into a Unix timestamp.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Unix timestamp?

The number of seconds, or sometimes milliseconds, since the start of 1970 in UTC, used by systems to store time compactly.

Does it support milliseconds?

Yes. It handles both seconds and millisecond timestamps, so both decode to the correct date.

Is the timestamp uploaded?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser.

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