How to translate binary
- Choose the direction. Pick Text to binary to make binary code, or Binary to text to read it.
- Enter your text or code. Type or paste in the Text or binary code box. Binary is read in groups of eight digits.
- Copy the result. The translation appears in the Result box with the number of bytes. Press Copy to use it.
What is binary code?
Binary code is a way to write information with only two digits, 0 and 1. Computers store all text this way. One digit is called a bit, and a group of eight bits is called a byte.
To store text, each character is given a number, and that number is written in binary. The capital letter A has the number 65, which is 01000001 in binary.
Features
- Two directions: text to binary and binary to text.
- UTF-8 encoding, so accents, other scripts and emojis convert correctly.
- 8 bits per byte, with a space between bytes or no space.
- Clear error messages when the binary code is not valid.
- Copy, select or download the result as a .txt file.
How text becomes binary
The tool uses UTF-8, the standard encoding of the web. English letters, digits and common signs take one byte each. Other characters take two to four bytes.
| Character | Bytes | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 01000001 |
| a | 1 | 01100001 |
| 1 | 1 | 00110001 |
| Space | 1 | 00100000 |
| é | 2 | 11000011 10101001 |
The word Hi becomes 01001000 01101001: one byte for H and one for i.
Why the result may not look right
- An error about 0 and 1. The binary box contains another character, such as a letter or the digit 2.
- An error about a multiple of 8. A digit is missing or extra. Every byte needs exactly eight digits, including the zeros at the start.
- An error about UTF-8. The bytes do not form valid text. The code may come from a file that is not text, or from a different encoding.
- The binary is longer than expected. Emojis and letters outside English use two to four bytes each.
- The text stops growing. The box takes up to 100,000 characters.
Related tools
Three other tools on this site turn text into another form. The Morse code translator writes text as dots and dashes. The URL slug generator turns a title into a web address. The word counter counts the characters of a text, which is not always the same as its bytes.
Is it private?
Yes. The translation happens inside your browser. Your text is not sent to our server and is not saved by us.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert text to binary?
- Keep Text to binary selected and type your text. Each character becomes one or more groups of eight 0s and 1s.
- How do I read binary code?
- Choose Binary to text and paste the code. The tool reads it in groups of eight digits and shows the text.
- What is Hello in binary?
- Hello is 01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111.
- Does it work with emojis?
- Yes. The tool uses UTF-8, so an emoji becomes four bytes and converts back correctly.
- Is the Binary Translator free?
- Yes. It is free and you do not need an account.