Epoch Time Converter 2025 - UNIX Timestamp Calculator
Professional epoch time converter designed for developers, system administrators, and data analysts. Convert between UNIX timestamps and human-readable dates with millisecond precision, timezone support, and batch processing capabilities. Essential for debugging, log analysis, API development, and timestamp management.
Current Epoch Time
Master Time Management in Development
Epoch time is the foundation of time handling in programming. Our converter provides comprehensive tools for working with UNIX timestamps across all your development and data analysis needs.
Precision Conversion
Handle both second and millisecond precision timestamps with automatic format detection. Perfect for JavaScript, Python, Java, and other programming languages.
Timezone Support
Convert timestamps with full timezone awareness. Display dates in any timezone while maintaining accurate UTC epoch values for global applications.
Multiple Formats
Support for various date formats including ISO 8601, RFC 2822, and custom formats. Export results in your preferred format for different systems and APIs.
Batch Processing
Convert multiple timestamps or dates simultaneously. Essential for log analysis, data migration, and processing large datasets with mixed timestamp formats.
Real-time Updates
Live current epoch time display with millisecond updates. Perfect for debugging time-sensitive applications and synchronizing system clocks.
Copy & Export
One-click copy functionality and export options for converted timestamps. Integrate seamlessly with your development workflow and documentation.
Understanding Epoch Time
Essential knowledge for working with timestamps in modern development
The Epoch Origin
January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC is the epoch origin (timestamp 0). All UNIX timestamps count seconds from this moment, creating a universal time reference.
Year 2038 Problem
32-bit systems face the Y2K38 problem when timestamps overflow on January 19, 2038. Modern 64-bit systems handle dates far into the future.
Language Differences
JavaScript uses milliseconds (Date.now()), while Python and PHP use seconds (time()). Always verify the precision when working across languages.
Negative Timestamps
Negative epoch values represent dates before 1970. For example, -86400 represents December 31, 1969, useful for historical data.
Leap Seconds
UNIX time ignores leap seconds, treating days as exactly 86400 seconds. This simplifies calculations but requires adjustment for precise astronomical time.
Best Practices
Always store timestamps in UTC, convert for display only. Use ISO 8601 format for human-readable dates in APIs and databases.
Code Examples & Implementation
Practical examples for working with epoch time in popular programming languages
JavaScript
// Get current epoch (milliseconds)
const now = Date.now();
const nowSeconds = Math.floor(now / 1000);
// Convert epoch to date
const date = new Date(1234567890 * 1000);
// Convert date to epoch
const epoch = Math.floor(date.getTime() / 1000);Python
import time
from datetime import datetime
# Get current epoch (seconds)
now = int(time.time())
# Convert epoch to date
date = datetime.fromtimestamp(1234567890)
# Convert date to epoch
epoch = int(date.timestamp())PHP
// Get current epoch (seconds)
$now = time();
// Convert epoch to date
$date = date('Y-m-d H:i:s', 1234567890);
// Convert date to epoch
$epoch = strtotime('2023-12-25 00:00:00');Java
// Get current epoch (milliseconds)
long now = System.currentTimeMillis();
long nowSeconds = now / 1000;
// Convert epoch to date
Date date = new Date(1234567890L * 1000);
// Using Instant (Java 8+)
Instant instant = Instant.ofEpochSecond(1234567890);Frequently Asked Questions
Expert answers to common epoch time questions
What is epoch time and why is it used? â–¼
Epoch time (also known as UNIX time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. It's widely used in programming and systems because it provides a simple, timezone-independent way to represent time as a single number, making it easy to store, compare, and calculate time differences. This universal standard eliminates ambiguity in time representation across different systems and timezones.
What's the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps? â–¼
Standard UNIX timestamps are in seconds (10 digits as of 2025), while JavaScript and many modern systems use milliseconds (13 digits). Millisecond timestamps provide 1000x more precision, essential for high-frequency operations, performance monitoring, and event ordering. Our converter automatically detects the format based on the number of digits and converts accordingly. Always verify which format your system expects to avoid off-by-1000x errors.
How do I handle timezone conversions with epoch time? â–¼
Epoch time is always in UTC, which makes it timezone-agnostic. This is its greatest strength - the timestamp remains constant regardless of where it's viewed. When converting to human-readable dates, you specify the timezone for display. When converting from dates to epoch, ensure you account for the timezone of your input date to get the correct UTC timestamp. Best practice: store all timestamps as epoch/UTC and only apply timezone conversions for user display.
How do I calculate time differences using epoch timestamps? â–¼
Calculating time differences with epoch timestamps is straightforward - simply subtract one timestamp from another. The result is the difference in seconds (or milliseconds). For example: 1234567890 - 1234567800 = 90 seconds. To convert to other units: divide by 60 for minutes, 3600 for hours, or 86400 for days. This simplicity makes epoch time ideal for duration calculations, timeouts, and scheduling systems.
What happens with dates before 1970? â–¼
Dates before January 1, 1970, are represented as negative epoch timestamps. For example, December 31, 1969, 23:59:59 UTC is -1, and January 1, 1960, 00:00:00 UTC is -315619200. Most modern systems handle negative timestamps correctly, allowing you to work with historical dates. However, some older systems or specific implementations may have limitations with negative values, so always test when working with historical data.
How can I validate epoch timestamps in my application? â–¼
To validate epoch timestamps: 1) Check if the value is numeric, 2) Verify the number of digits (10 for seconds, 13 for milliseconds as of 2025), 3) Ensure the value is within reasonable bounds (not too far in the past or future), 4) Convert to a date and check if it's valid. For production systems, consider setting min/max bounds based on your application's context. For example, user birthdates shouldn't be in the future or before 1900.