Binary to Text Converter
Convert binary to readable text and back.
Translating between binary and text
Every character you read on a screen is stored as a number, and that number is stored in binary. This translator converts in both directions — text into 8-bit binary, and binary back into readable characters. It is a standard exercise in computer science courses and a quick way to decode the binary strings that turn up in puzzles and CTF challenges.
How to use the Binary to Text Translator
- Paste text to convert it into binary.
- Or paste binary — groups of eight digits separated by spaces — to convert it back.
- Both directions update as you type.
- Conversion happens in your browser.
Formula and a worked example
Each character → its character code → 8 binary digits
Standard ASCII characters fit in seven bits, padded to eight for consistency. Characters outside basic ASCII — accented letters, emoji, non-Latin scripts — need multiple bytes under UTF-8, so one character can become 16, 24 or 32 binary digits.
Worked example
The letter A has character code 65, which in binary is 01000001. The word Hi becomes 01001000 01101001.
Frequently asked questions
Why is each character eight digits?
Eight bits make one byte, the standard unit of storage. ASCII only needs seven, so the leading digit is usually 0.
How do I decode a binary string by hand?
Split it into groups of eight, convert each group to decimal using place values 128 down to 1, then look up the character code.
Do spaces between the groups matter?
They make the binary readable and help the decoder split it correctly. Unspaced strings still work if the length is a multiple of eight.
What about emoji and non-English text?
They are encoded in UTF-8 and take several bytes each, so a single emoji produces 32 binary digits.
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