What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time, POSIX time, or Unix Epoch time) is a system for tracking time as a running total of seconds since the Unix Epoch — January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC.
Unix timestamps are used extensively in programming because they provide a simple, timezone-independent way to represent a point in time as a single number. This makes them ideal for databases, APIs, log files, and any system that needs to store or compare dates.
How to Use This Tool
- Enter a Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds) to convert to a human-readable date
- Or enter a date to convert to a Unix timestamp
- The current Unix timestamp is shown live and updates every second
Seconds vs Milliseconds
| Format | Digits | Example | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seconds | 10 | 1700000000 | PHP, Python, Ruby, Unix |
| Milliseconds | 13 | 1700000000000 | JavaScript, Java, Dart |
This tool auto-detects whether your input is in seconds or milliseconds based on the number of digits.
Common Timestamp Operations
- Current time:
Date.now()in JavaScript,time()in PHP,time.time()in Python - To date:
new Date(timestamp * 1000)in JavaScript - From date:
Math.floor(date.getTime() / 1000)in JavaScript