Unix Timestamp Converter: Master Epoch Time (2026)

Time in computing is measured in seconds, minutes, and hours—but when storing dates in databases, logging events, or building APIs, human-readable dates (“January 18, 2026 2:30 PM”) are inefficient and prone to errors.

Unix timestamps (epoch time) solve this: compact, unambiguous, and universally understood.

Our Unix Timestamp Converter transforms timestamps to human dates and vice versa—so you can debug APIs, analyze logs, and schedule tasks accurately.

What Is Unix Timestamp (Epoch)?

The Epoch: January 1, 1970

Unix timestamp represents the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC (the “epoch”).

Example:

Timestamp: 1737190200
Human Date: January 18, 2026, 12:30:00 PM UTC

Why 1970?

• Unix operating system release date (1969)
• Zero point chosen early in Unix history
• Adopted as standard across computing

Timestamp Structure

Unix Timestamp (Seconds):

1737190200

Range: -2,147,483,648 (1901) to +2,147,483,647 (2038) for 32-bit systems

Unix Timestamp (Milliseconds):

1737190200000

Range: Much wider, supports years beyond 2038

JavaScript Date (Milliseconds):

1737190200000 ms (same as above)

JavaScript uses milliseconds internally (multiply Unix seconds by 1000).

Why Unix Timestamps?

1. Compact Storage

Human Date (String):

"2026-01-18T14:30:00.000Z"

Size: ~28 bytes per timestamp

Unix Timestamp (Integer):

1737190200

Size: 4 bytes (32-bit) or 8 bytes (64-bit)

Storage Savings: 4 bytes vs 28 bytes = 7x more efficient

Impact:

• Databases: Smaller indexes = faster queries
• API Responses: Less bandwidth = faster load times
• Logs: More entries per disk = longer retention

2. Timezone Independent

Human dates require timezone context:

"2026-01-18 2:30 PM"  // Which timezone? UTC? PST?

Unix timestamps are always UTC:

1737190200  // Unambiguous: January 18, 2026, 12:30 PM UTC

Benefits:

• No Ambiguity: Same timestamp, same moment, everywhere
• Easier Calculations: No timezone math required
• Global Consistency: Servers worldwide agree on same time

3. Easy Calculations

Human Date Math:

// ❌ COMPLEX
const date1 = new Date("2026-01-18");
const date2 = new Date("2026-01-19");
const diff = date2 - date1;  // Milliseconds

Unix Timestamp Math:

// ✅ SIMPLE
const timestamp1 = 1737190200;
const timestamp2 = 1737276600;
const diffSeconds = timestamp2 - timestamp1;  // 86400 seconds (1 day)

Benefits:

• Subtracting Dates: Simple integer subtraction
• Adding Time: timestamp + 3600 = 1 hour later
• Sorting: Numeric sort = chronological order

Real-World Unix Timestamp Use Cases

1. API Responses

Most modern APIs return timestamps:

{
  "id": 123,
  "createdAt": 1737190200,
  "updatedAt": 1737276600,
  "deletedAt": null
}

Frontend Conversion:

const date = new Date(api.createdAt * 1000);  // Seconds to milliseconds
console.log(date.toLocaleDateString());  // "January 18, 2026"

Use our Unix Timestamp Converter to verify timestamp → date conversions during development.

2. Database Storage

Schema Example:

CREATE TABLE users (
  id INT PRIMARY KEY,
  created_at BIGINT NOT NULL,  -- Unix timestamp
  updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL   -- Unix timestamp
);

-- Insert with current timestamp
INSERT INTO users (id, created_at, updated_at)
VALUES (1, UNIX_TIMESTAMP(), UNIX_TIMESTAMP());

Benefits:

• Compact Storage: BIGINT (8 bytes) vs DATETIME (8+ bytes)
• Fast Indexing: Numeric indexes faster than datetime
• Timezone Independent: Store UTC, display locally

3. Application Logging

Log Entry:

{
  "level": "ERROR",
  "message": "Database connection failed",
  "timestamp": 1737190200,
  "userId": 123
}

Analysis:

• Filter by Time Range: WHERE timestamp >= 1737190200 AND timestamp <= 1737276600
• Sort Chronologically: ORDER BY timestamp DESC
• Calculate Durations: timestamp2 - timestamp1 = error duration

4. Scheduled Tasks (Cron Jobs)

Cron Expression:

0 2 * * *  // Run at 2 AM daily

Task Script:

import time

# Get current timestamp
current_time = int(time.time())

# Calculate next run (2 AM next day)
next_run = current_time + (86400 - (current_time % 86400)) + 7200

print(f"Next run timestamp: {next_run}")
print(f"Human date: {time.ctime(next_run)}")

Use our Cron Generator to build cron expressions and Unix Timestamp Converter to verify timestamps.

The Year 2038 Problem

32-bit Overflow

Max Value for Signed 32-bit Integer:

2,147,483,647  // January 19, 2038, 3:14:07 UTC

What Happens After:

2,147,483,648  // Overflows to -2,147,483,648 (December 13, 1901)

Impact:

• Old Systems: 32-bit Unix systems overflow to 1901
• Databases: Old MySQL versions (pre-8.0) use 32-bit timestamps
• Programming Languages: Some date libraries affected

Solutions

Use 64-bit Timestamps:

• Modern Systems: 64-bit = support to year 292,278,994
• Databases: Use BIGINT (64-bit) instead of INT (32-bit)
• Programming Languages: Modern date libraries use 64-bit internally

Check Your Stack:

• Database: Is created_at column INT or BIGINT?
• Programming Language: Does date library handle 64-bit?
• OS: Is server 32-bit or 64-bit?

Our Unix Timestamp Converter works with both 32-bit and 64-bit ranges.

Timestamp Formats Explained

Unix Timestamp (Seconds)

Standard Format:

1737190200

Used By:

• Unix/Linux Systems: Native time format
• Databases: MySQL’s UNIX_TIMESTAMP()
• Programming Languages: C, Python time.time(), Go time.Unix()

Unix Timestamp (Milliseconds)

Format:

1737190200000  (Unix seconds × 1000)

Used By:

• JavaScript: Date.now() returns milliseconds
• Java: System.currentTimeMillis()
• APIs: Many JSON APIs use milliseconds (e.g., Slack, Discord)

Relative Time

Format:

"2 hours ago", "3 days ago", "1 month ago"

Used By:

• Social Media: Facebook/Twitter feed timestamps
• Applications: “User logged in 5 minutes ago”
• Notifications: Display recency without exact dates

Our Unix Timestamp Converter shows relative time for quick understanding.

Conversion Examples

Timestamp to Date

Input: 1737190200

Our Tool Outputs:

Local:     January 18, 2026, 2:30:00 PM (your timezone)
UTC:       January 18, 2026, 12:30:00 PM
ISO:        2026-01-18T12:30:00.000Z
Relative:    Just now

Date to Timestamp

Input: 2026-01-18 14:30:00

Our Tool Outputs:

Unix (seconds): 1737190200
Unix (ms):      1737190200000
Hex:           67B9E928

Current Timestamp

Real-Time Display:

Current Unix Timestamp: 1737190200 (updates every second)

Our Unix Timestamp Converter shows live current timestamp—perfect for debugging or testing.

Common Timestamp Mistakes

1. Mixing Seconds and Milliseconds

Wrong:

// API returns milliseconds, treat as seconds
const date = new Date(apiTimestamp);  // Wrong: 1970, not 2026

Right:

const date = new Date(apiTimestamp);  // Correct if milliseconds
// OR
const date = new Date(apiTimestamp * 1000);  // Convert seconds to ms

Use Our Tool: Paste timestamp into Unix Timestamp Converter to verify format (seconds vs milliseconds).

2. Ignoring Timezones

Wrong:

"2026-01-18 14:30:00"  // Ambiguous: Which timezone?

Right:

1737190200  // UTC: January 18, 2026, 12:30:00
// Display in user's timezone: January 18, 2026, 2:30:00 PM PST

Best Practice: Store as UTC (Unix timestamp), display locally.

3. Not Handling Negative Timestamps

Wrong:

Negative timestamps are invalid  // Incorrect: Timestamps before 1970 are negative

Right:

-86400 = December 31, 1969, 12:00:00 AM UTC
// Valid timestamp 1 day before epoch

Use Case: Dates before 1970 (birthdates, historical events).

4. Rounding Errors

Wrong:

import time
timestamp = time.time()  # Returns float: 1737190200.123456789
integer_timestamp = int(timestamp)  # Rounding: 1737190200

Impact: Lost sub-second precision.

Right: Use int() if precision not needed, or store float() for milliseconds.

Cross-Tool Time Workflow

Unix timestamps work with scheduling and analysis tools:

• Unix Timestamp Converter → Convert timestamps to dates
• Cron Generator → Schedule tasks using timestamps
• Date Difference Calculator → Calculate time between dates
• Hash Generator → Generate hash of timestamp for cache keys

These tools create complete time management workflow.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a Unix timestamp (epoch)?

A: Unix timestamp (epoch time) represents the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC (the “epoch”). Example: 1737190200 = January 18, 2026, 12:30:00 PM UTC. It’s compact, timezone-independent, and easy to calculate with. Use our Unix Timestamp Converter to convert.

Q: How do I convert a Unix timestamp to date?

A: Paste Unix timestamp (like 1737190200) into our Unix Timestamp Converter and click “Convert to Date.” We’ll show Local time (your timezone), UTC time, ISO format, and relative time (“2 hours ago”) for quick understanding.

Q: What’s the difference between Unix timestamp in seconds vs milliseconds?

A: Unix timestamp in seconds counts seconds since epoch (January 1, 1970). Unix timestamp in milliseconds is seconds × 1000. JavaScript Date.now() returns milliseconds; most databases store seconds. Our Unix Timestamp Converter handles both formats—paste either, we detect automatically.

Q: What is the year 2038 problem?

A: The year 2038 problem is a 32-bit Unix timestamp overflow. 32-bit signed integers max at 2,147,483,647 (January 19, 2038, 3:14:07 UTC). After that, timestamps overflow to December 13, 1901. Solution: Use 64-bit timestamps (BIGINT in databases), which support years to 292,278,994.

Q: How do I convert date to Unix timestamp?

A: Paste human-readable date (like 2026-01-18 14:30:00) into our Unix Timestamp Converter and click “Convert to Timestamp.” We’ll return Unix timestamp in seconds (1737190200) and milliseconds (1737190200000), plus hexadecimal format.

Q: Why use Unix timestamps instead of human dates?

A: Unix timestamps are compact (4-8 bytes vs 28+ bytes for strings), timezone-independent (always UTC), and easy for calculations (subtract for diff, add for future date). They’re used in APIs, databases, and logging for efficiency and consistency. Use our Unix Timestamp Converter to debug conversions.

Q: Can Unix timestamps be negative?

A: Yes! Negative timestamps represent dates before epoch (January 1, 1970). Example: -86400 = December 31, 1969, 12:00:00 AM UTC (1 day before epoch). Use for birthdates, historical events, or any pre-1970 dates. Our Unix Timestamp Converter handles negative timestamps.

Q: How do I see the current Unix timestamp?

A: Our Unix Timestamp Converter displays current Unix timestamp in real-time (updates every second). You’ll see “Current Unix Timestamp: 1737190200” at top of tool. Copy it for testing APIs, databases, or applications.

Q: What is relative time?

A: Relative time expresses timestamps as human-readable intervals like “2 hours ago” or “3 days ago.” Used in social media feeds, notifications, and applications to show recency without exact dates. Our Unix Timestamp Converter shows relative time for any timestamp.

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Start Converting Timestamps Today

Transform time instantly. Whether you’re debugging API responses, analyzing logs, or scheduling tasks, our Unix Timestamp Converter handles all conversions.

Try it now:

• Convert Timestamp to Date - Debug APIs
• Convert Date to Timestamp - Database storage
• View Current Timestamp - Real-time reference
• Convert Seconds to Milliseconds - Format switching

Instant conversion. Real-time current. Perfect for development.

Explore all 21 free tools at Hasare.

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API returning mysterious numbers? Convert timestamps with our Unix Timestamp Converter and verify data accuracy. Combine with Cron Generator for task scheduling.