A Unix timestamp to Date converter lets you turn timestamps into human-readable dates and also convert dates back into timestamps. This tool supports both seconds and milliseconds, shows results in Local time and UTC, and runs entirely in your browser. No signup, no server, no data sharing. Paste a timestamp, get the date instantly, or enter a date and see its Unix time.
Unix Timestamp to Date and back
Convert timestamps to human dates and dates back to timestamps in seconds or milliseconds. Shows local and UTC.
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What Is a Unix Timestamp
A Unix timestamp (also called epoch time or POSIX time) is a number that represents the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. Computers use it as a standard way to represent points in time. Some systems use seconds, while JavaScript’s Date uses milliseconds.
For example:
- 1724822400 = Thursday, August 28, 2025 00:00:00 UTC (in seconds)
- 1724822400000 = Thursday, August 28, 2025 00:00:00 UTC (in milliseconds)
Because timestamps are simple integers, they are widely used in APIs, databases, and programming.
Why Use a Timestamp Converter
You need a timestamp converter when you:
- Receive raw epoch time from an API or log file
- Want to check if a timestamp means “today” or some future date
- Need to convert local time into epoch seconds for database queries
- Debug code that uses JavaScript’s Date.now()
- Compare expiry times in authentication tokens
Instead of calculating manually or writing code, this converter gives instant results with Local and UTC views.
How to Use This Converter Step by Step
- Enter a timestamp in seconds or milliseconds into the input box
- Choose seconds or milliseconds from the dropdown
- Click From Timestamp to convert into human-readable dates
- Or enter a date in the date-time field and click From Date to get its timestamp
- Use Use Now to auto-fill the current time
- Results appear in Local and UTC formats
Example 1: Convert a Timestamp to Date
Input:
1672531200
Result in UTC:
ISO: 2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
Y-M-D: 2023-01-01
H:M:S: 00:00:00
Seconds: 1672531200
Milliseconds: 1672531200000
Result in Local (say you are in India, UTC+5:30):
ISO: 2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
Locale: Sun Jan 01 2023 05:30:00 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time)
Y-M-D: 2023-01-01
H:M:S: 05:30:00
Seconds: 1672531200
Milliseconds: 1672531200000
This shows how a single timestamp can display differently depending on timezone.
Example 2: Convert a Date to Timestamp
Input date:
2025-08-28 15:45:00
Click From Date → Result:
Seconds: 1756398900
Milliseconds: 1756398900000
UTC: 2025-08-28T10:15:00.000Z
This is useful when you want to store or compare times in databases that require epoch values.
Example 3: Get the Current Time
Click Use Now and instantly see:
Current Local time: for example 2025-08-28 13:12:45
UTC equivalent: 2025-08-28 07:42:45
Unix seconds: 1756370565
Unix milliseconds: 1756370565000
This is a quick way to grab the exact current timestamp without writing code like Date.now().
Features of This Converter
- Converts both timestamps to date and date to timestamps
- Supports seconds and milliseconds
- Shows both Local and UTC time representations
- Outputs in ISO 8601, Y-M-D, and H:M:S formats
- One-click current time button
- Works completely offline in your browser
- Copy-paste friendly outputs
Common Use Cases
- API debugging: Many APIs return created_at or updated_at fields as epoch seconds
- Database queries: SQL databases often store timestamps as integers for performance
- JWT token expiry: The exp claim in JWTs is usually in Unix seconds
- Log analysis: System logs often use epoch time for efficiency
- Cron jobs: Scheduling and job systems frequently depend on timestamps
Timestamp Basics
A timestamp is just an integer. But you need to know:
- Seconds vs milliseconds: APIs vary, so always check documentation
- UTC vs Local time: The same timestamp is universal, but displays differently based on your timezone
- Positive vs negative values: Negative timestamps represent times before 1970
- Leap seconds: Unix time ignores them, which is fine for most applications
Multiple Formats Supported
When you paste a timestamp, this tool automatically detects whether it is in seconds (10 digits) or milliseconds (13 digits). You can also force it using the dropdown.
For example:
- 1696118400 → seconds → 2023-10-01 00:00:00 UTC
- 1696118400000 → milliseconds → 2023-10-01 00:00:00 UTC
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Unix time
A: It is the number of seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC.
Q: Why do I see a different local time than UTC
A: Because your timezone offset is applied in local mode. UTC is the universal standard.
Q: How do I know if a timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds
A: Seconds are usually 10 digits, milliseconds are 13 digits.
Q: Can this tool handle dates before 1970
A: Yes, negative values represent times before the epoch.
Q: Is this safe to use with production data
A: Yes, everything runs locally in your browser. No requests are sent anywhere.
Q: Why does JavaScript Date use milliseconds
A: That is the design choice in ECMAScript, allowing higher precision.
Best Practices for Working With Timestamps
- Always confirm if your API expects seconds or milliseconds
- When comparing timestamps, keep them all in UTC to avoid timezone errors
- Convert once and store in integers, then format later for display
- For expiry checks, compare against Date.now() in JavaScript (milliseconds) or time() in PHP (seconds)
- When exporting for Excel or Sheets, convert to human-readable dates for readability
Thank You Note
If you made it this far, you probably really needed this tool. I hope it saved you time and maybe even a bit of frustration. I keep building new tools every week, some small and some surprisingly powerful. You can check out all our free tools here and make sure to bookmark CodeForGeek so you never lose us.
If you have an idea for improvement or something is not working right, just email me at [email protected]. I actually read those messages, and if your suggestion makes sense, I will add it.
Thanks for sticking around till the end. Now go try out your result before you forget why you came here.
