Unix Timestamp Converter - Epoch Converter
Convert Unix timestamps and epoch time to readable dates. Convert dates to timestamps instantly online.
More Tools
What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC — known as the Unix epoch. It is widely used in programming, databases, APIs, and system logs as a simple, unambiguous way to represent points in time. Timestamps ignore leap seconds and are timezone-independent, making them ideal for data storage and exchange.
Unix Timestamp vs Epoch Time
Unix timestamp and epoch time refer to the same concept — both count seconds since January 1, 1970. The term 'epoch' refers to the starting point (the Unix epoch), while 'timestamp' refers to the numeric value representing a specific moment. In practice, the terms are used interchangeably in software development.
Seconds vs Milliseconds
Seconds (s)
The standard Unix timestamp measured in seconds. Used by most programming languages and databases. Example: 1720000000 represents a moment in 2024.
Milliseconds (ms)
Higher precision timestamps measured in milliseconds. Commonly used in JavaScript (Date.now()) and HTTP headers. 1000 milliseconds = 1 second. Example: 1720000000000.
How to Use Timestamp Converter
- 1
Choose conversion direction — Timestamp to Date or Date to Timestamp
- 2
Enter a Unix timestamp or select a date/time
- 3
Click "Convert" or use the current time button for instant results
- 4
View the converted result in UTC, local time, and ISO 8601 formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Unix epoch?
The Unix epoch is January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC. It serves as the reference point from which Unix timestamps are counted. All Unix timestamps represent the number of seconds (or milliseconds) that have passed since this moment.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
The Year 2038 problem affects systems that store Unix timestamps as signed 32-bit integers. On January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC, the timestamp will overflow and wrap to negative values. Modern systems use 64-bit timestamps which can represent dates billions of years into the future, effectively solving this problem.
Why do timestamps ignore timezones?
Unix timestamps represent an absolute point in time, independent of any timezone. The same timestamp represents the exact same moment everywhere in the world. Timezone conversions (to local time) are applied only when displaying the timestamp as a human-readable date.
Which programming languages use second timestamps vs millisecond timestamps?
Most programming languages use seconds: Python (time.time()), PHP (time()), Go (time.Now().Unix()), Rust, C, C++, Java (System.currentTimeMillis()/1000). JavaScript uses milliseconds (Date.now()), and some HTTP headers use milliseconds too. Always check which unit a system or API expects.