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's the universal standard for representing time in computing, used by virtually every programming language and operating system.

What's the difference between seconds, milliseconds, and microseconds?

Unix timestamps can be expressed in different precisions. Seconds (10 digits, e.g. 1710000000) is the traditional format. Milliseconds (13 digits) adds three decimal places of precision and is used by JavaScript's Date.now(). Microseconds (16 digits) provides even finer precision for high-frequency applications.

What is the Year 2038 problem?

32-bit systems store Unix timestamps as a signed 32-bit integer, which can represent dates up to January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. After that, the integer overflows. Most modern systems use 64-bit integers, which won't overflow for billions of years. This is similar to the Y2K bug.

Why do developers use Unix timestamps?

Unix timestamps are timezone-agnostic (always UTC), easy to compare (just compare numbers), compact to store (a single integer), and universally supported across all programming languages. They eliminate timezone confusion in distributed systems.

Is the live timestamp accurate?

The live timestamp uses your browser's Date.now() function, which is synchronized with your system clock. For most purposes it's accurate to within a few milliseconds. For cryptographic or scientific precision, use an NTP-synchronized server.

Does this tool send my data anywhere?

No. EpochNow runs 100% in your browser. All conversions happen locally using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server.

What is ISO 8601 format?

ISO 8601 is the international standard for date and time representation. It looks like 2026-03-10T14:30:00.000Z. The 'T' separates date and time, and 'Z' indicates UTC. It's the most widely accepted format for APIs and data exchange.

Can I convert negative timestamps?

Yes! Negative Unix timestamps represent dates before January 1, 1970. For example, -86400 represents December 31, 1969. EpochNow supports the full range of dates your browser can handle.

⚡ Real-Time · 14+ Timezones · 100% Private

Unix Timestamp
Converter

Convert Unix epoch timestamps to human-readable dates and back. Live mode shows the current timestamp ticking in real time. Supports seconds, milliseconds, and microseconds.

🔴 Live Unix Timestamp

Seconds

Milliseconds

Microseconds

⏱ Timestamp → Date

📅 Date → Timestamp

Why Developers Use EpochNow

🔴

Live Mode

Watch the current Unix timestamp tick in real time — seconds, milliseconds, and microseconds. Pause anytime. One-click copy for instant use in your code.

🌍

14+ Timezones

See your converted date across major timezones worldwide. From New York to Tokyo, London to Sydney — all at a glance with copy buttons.

🔢

Multi-Precision

Supports seconds (10 digits), milliseconds (13 digits), and microseconds (16 digits). Automatic detection coming soon.

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100% Private

All conversions happen in your browser. No data sent to servers. No tracking, no cookies, no accounts. Just fast, reliable conversion.

Notable Unix Timestamps

Event	Timestamp	Date (UTC)
Unix Epoch	0	Jan 1, 1970 00:00:00
1 Billion	1,000,000,000	Sep 9, 2001 01:46:40
Max 32-bit	2,147,483,647	Jan 19, 2038 03:14:07
2 Billion	2,000,000,000	May 18, 2033 03:33:20
Y2K	946,684,800	Jan 1, 2000 00:00:00

Frequently Asked Questions

About EpochNow

EpochNow is a modern Unix timestamp converter built for developers, DevOps engineers, and anyone who works with epoch time. Whether you need to decode a timestamp from a server log, convert a date to Unix time for an API call, or simply check the current epoch — EpochNow does it instantly.

The Live Mode feature displays the current Unix timestamp in real time, updating every 50 milliseconds. It's perfect for grabbing the exact current timestamp for testing, debugging, or documentation. Choose between seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds precision.

All conversions show results across 14+ major timezones simultaneously, eliminating the back-and-forth of timezone math. Each result has a one-click copy button. EpochNow runs entirely in your browser — no server calls, no data collection, completely private.

Unix TimestampConverter