This converter shows the current Unix timestamp live, ticking every second, and converts any timestamp into a human-readable date. It detects whether you pasted seconds (10 digits), milliseconds (13 digits) or microseconds (16 digits), and shows the result in your local time zone, in UTC, in ISO 8601 format and as a relative time such as “3 days ago”.
It also works the other way: pick a date and time, choose whether it is local time or UTC, and get the matching epoch value in seconds and milliseconds. You can also type almost any date string, such as an ISO date from a log file, to convert it. Everything is calculated by your browser’s clock and time-zone settings.
How to use the Unix Timestamp Converter tool
- Read or copy the current Unix time from the live counter at the top.
- Paste a timestamp into Unix timestamp; the unit is detected automatically.
- Read the local, UTC and ISO 8601 dates in the table and copy the one you need.
- To go the other way, choose a date and time, set Local time or UTC, and copy the seconds or milliseconds.
Why use ToolOrca Unix Timestamp Converter
- Live current epoch time
- Seconds, milliseconds and microseconds
- Local, UTC, ISO 8601 and relative time
- Date picker and free-text date input
- One-click copy for every format
- Works offline in your browser
What is Unix time?
Unix time (also called epoch time or POSIX time) counts the seconds that have passed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, not counting leap seconds. Because it is a single number with no time zone, it is the standard way to store and exchange moments in time in databases, APIs, log files and programming languages.
Many languages use seconds (PHP, Python, Unix shells), while JavaScript and Java use milliseconds. If a converted date lands in 1970 or far in the future, you probably mixed up the two units.
The year 2038 problem
Systems that store Unix time in a signed 32-bit integer will overflow at 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038 (timestamp 2147483647). Modern platforms use 64-bit values, which last for billions of years, but old embedded devices and databases may still need updating.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds?
Count the digits. Current timestamps in seconds have 10 digits, in milliseconds 13 digits and in microseconds 16 digits. The tool detects this for you, or you can choose the unit manually.
Is Unix time the same in every time zone?
Yes. A Unix timestamp always refers to UTC, so the same moment has the same number everywhere. Only the displayed local date changes with the time zone.
How do I get the current timestamp in code?
JavaScript: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000). Python: int(time.time()). PHP: time(). Bash: date +%s. SQL (MySQL): UNIX_TIMESTAMP().
Can it convert negative timestamps?
Yes. Negative values are dates before 1 January 1970, for example -86400 is 31 December 1969.
What is ISO 8601?
ISO 8601 is the international date format, for example 2026-03-15T08:30:00Z. The Z means UTC; an offset like +07:00 means local time ahead of UTC.