How to convert a Unix timestamp to a date
- Paste a timestamp into the Unix timestamp field, or click Now.
- Leave Unit on Auto-detect or choose seconds, milliseconds, microseconds or nanoseconds.
- Read the date in local time, UTC, ISO 8601 and relative form, and copy any row.
- To go the other way, pick a date and time and choose Local or UTC, or type any date string.
What you can do with Unix Timestamp Converter
- Live current timestamp
- The current Unix time ticks every second at the top, with one-click copy in seconds or milliseconds.
- Unit auto-detection
- Recognizes 10-digit seconds, 13-digit milliseconds, and longer microsecond or nanosecond values from the number of digits.
- Many output formats
- Shows the full local date, the UTC string, ISO 8601, a relative time like 3 days ago, and seconds and milliseconds.
- Date to timestamp
- Choose a date and time to the second and treat it as local time or UTC to get the exact epoch value.
- Parse date strings
- Paste ISO 8601 dates or common written formats such as March 14, 2025 3:09 PM and get the timestamp back.
- Your time zone shown
- Displays your detected IANA time zone and UTC offset, so it's always clear which local time you're looking at.
Unix time, timestamp units and the Year 2038 problem
A Unix timestamp counts the seconds since the Unix epoch, 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970, ignoring leap seconds. It represents the same moment everywhere in the world, which is why databases, APIs, logs and JWTs use it: there's no time zone to get wrong until you display it. JavaScript, Java and many APIs use milliseconds instead, so you'll see 13-digit values like 1700000000000 alongside 10-digit ones. Some systems, such as Go's UnixNano and many tracing tools, use nanoseconds.
Most timestamp bugs come from mixing units and from converting with the wrong time zone. Reading milliseconds as seconds lands you tens of thousands of years in the future, while the reverse lands you in January 1970. Another is the Year 2038 problem: systems that store timestamps as signed 32-bit integers overflow at 03:14:07 UTC on January 19, 2038, when the value passes 2,147,483,647. Negative timestamps represent dates before 1970. Store dates in UTC and convert to local time only for display.
Frequently asked questions
Is the timestamp converter private?
Yes. All conversions use your browser's built-in date functions and happen on your device. Nothing you enter is sent to a server, so it's safe to paste timestamps from production logs, database rows or tokens.
How do I know if a timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds?
Count the digits. Current timestamps in seconds have 10 digits, such as 1700000000, while milliseconds have 13, such as 1700000000000. Auto-detect uses this rule and also recognizes 16-digit microseconds and 19-digit nanoseconds. Override it with the Unit menu if needed.
What is the current Unix timestamp?
It's shown live at the top of the tool, updating every second, together with the current time in ISO 8601 format. Use the Seconds or Milliseconds buttons to copy it straight to your clipboard.
Why is my converted date off by a few hours?
That's almost always a time zone issue. A timestamp is always UTC; the Local row shows it in your device's time zone, which is listed at the bottom of the tool. When converting a date to a timestamp, check that Interpret as is set correctly.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
Systems that store Unix time as a signed 32-bit integer can only count to 2,147,483,647 seconds, which is reached at 03:14:07 UTC on January 19, 2038. After that the value overflows and wraps to 1901. Modern systems use 64-bit timestamps, which avoid the problem.