Binary to Text Converter
Decodes binary, hexadecimal, decimal bytes or Base64 back into readable text.
Runs in your browser. The file or text you give it is not uploaded. Free, no account.
How it works
You have a block of binary, hex, decimal bytes or Base64 and you need to know what it says. Paste it here. The format is detected for you, or you set it. Bytes are decoded as UTF-8, and any invalid sequence is reported with its position so you can find the fault.
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Paste the encoded data. The format is detected, or you can set it.
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Bytes are decoded as UTF-8. Invalid sequences are reported with their position instead of being shown as garbage.
What it does not do
If the bytes are not text (an image, for example), there is nothing readable to show.
When a source is busy or a site does not answer, this tool says so. It never fills the gap with a guess.
Questions
Why does my binary string decode to nonsense characters?
Binary, hex and Base64 are three ways of writing the same bytes, so the tool decodes bytes either way. If the bytes are not text, an image or a compressed file for example, there is nothing readable to show. Check the format setting, and check that the data you pasted is complete.
Why does it report an invalid UTF-8 sequence instead of showing text?
UTF-8 has rules about which byte values may follow which. When a byte breaks those rules, decoding it would give you a wrong character, so the tool reports the position instead. That tells you the data is not valid UTF-8 text, or that your paste lost or gained a byte.
Can it decode a Base64 string into an image?
No. The tool turns bytes into text. A Base64 string that holds an image decodes to image bytes, not to characters, so there is nothing readable to show. Decoding the same string back to Base64 confirms the bytes are intact, but the tool will not render a picture.