A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 (midnight UTC/GMT), not counting leap seconds. It is widely used in computing for representing points in time.
What's the difference between seconds and milliseconds?
Unix timestamps can be in seconds or milliseconds. Milliseconds timestamps are simply the seconds value multiplied by 1000. This converter automatically detects whether you've entered seconds or milliseconds based on the number of digits.
Why do I see different times for UTC and local?
The timestamp represents a specific moment in time (UTC). When converted to your local time zone, it adjusts based on your timezone offset from UTC. This shows you what that moment in time corresponds to in your local area.
Is there a year 2038 problem?
The year 2038 problem relates to 32-bit signed integers overflowing after 2,147,483,647 seconds (January 19, 2038). This calculator uses JavaScript numbers which can handle much larger values, so it works for dates far beyond 2038.