Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps to dates and dates to timestamps instantly.
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Current Unix timestamp (seconds) — updates live
Timestamp → Date
Date → Timestamp
How to Use This Tool
- Enter your value into the Unix Timestamp Converter input field at the top of the page.
- Pick the source unit and the target unit, and the Unix Timestamp Converter will convert in real time as you type.
- Copy the converted value or swap the units to convert in the opposite direction.
Common Use Cases
- Log timestamp decoding: SREs convert epoch seconds in CloudWatch or syslog entries to local time when investigating incidents.
- Token expiration debugging: Decode JWT exp/iat claims (Unix timestamps) to see whether a token is actually expired or just rejected for another reason.
- Database migrations: Convert legacy created_at integer columns to ISO 8601 strings for downstream BI tools that don't parse epoch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the Unix epoch and why does it start in 1970?
Unix epoch time counts seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC, the chosen origin for Unix systems developed at Bell Labs in 1971. The choice was arbitrary but stuck; it predates most of the data we store, so all historical timestamps remain positive integers.
What is the "Year 2038 problem"?
Signed 32-bit Unix timestamps overflow on 2038-01-19 at 03:14:07 UTC, wrapping to 1901. Most modern systems already use 64-bit time_t (good for ~292 billion years), but embedded devices and legacy databases may still need migration before 2038.
Should I store milliseconds or seconds?
JavaScript Date.now() and most APIs use milliseconds; Unix tools like date and cron use seconds. JWT spec mandates seconds. Pick one and document it; mixing the two by a factor of 1000 is a common source of "dates in 1970" or "dates in 53694" bugs.