Epoch Converter
Convert Unix timestamps to human-readable dates and back. Auto-detects seconds vs milliseconds - no signup, no data stored.
Current Unix Timestamp
Updates every second · seconds elapsed since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Timestamp to Date
Date to Timestamp
Using your browser timezone.
Other Tools
What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also known as epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC — known as the Unix epoch. It provides a timezone-independent, language-agnostic way to represent a moment in time as a single integer. Unix timestamps are used in databases, APIs, log files, and system calls across virtually every programming language and platform.
Common Use Cases
APIs & Web Services
REST APIs commonly return timestamps in epoch format for timezone-neutral date storage and easy arithmetic.
Databases
SQL and NoSQL databases store timestamps as integers for efficient indexing, sorting, and range queries.
Log Files
System and application logs use epoch timestamps for precise, locale-independent event ordering.
JavaScript
Date.now() returns milliseconds since epoch. Divide by 1000 to get the standard Unix timestamp in seconds.
Expiry & Scheduling
Token expiry (JWT exp), scheduled tasks, and cache TTLs are all calculated using epoch arithmetic.
Cross-Platform Sync
Epoch time works identically across time zones, making it ideal for synchronizing distributed systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC. It is a standard, timezone-independent way to represent a point in time as a single integer.
How do I convert a Unix timestamp to a readable date?
Enter the timestamp in the "Timestamp to Date" field above. The tool auto-detects seconds (10 digits) vs milliseconds (13 digits) and displays the local time, UTC time, ISO 8601 string, and relative time.
What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps?
Standard Unix timestamps count seconds (10 digits, e.g. 1700000000). JavaScript uses milliseconds (13 digits, e.g. 1700000000000). This tool auto-detects both formats.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp in code?
JavaScript: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) · Python: import time; int(time.time()) · PHP: time() · Go: time.Now().Unix() · SQL: UNIX_TIMESTAMP() (MySQL) or EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW()) (PostgreSQL)
Is my data sent to a server?
No. All conversions happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
The 32-bit signed integer Unix timestamp overflows on January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. Modern systems use 64-bit integers, extending the range billions of years into the future.