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Binary to text converter
Paste binary code, groups of 0s and 1s, and read the text it spells. It decodes as you type, accepts spaces or none, and flags any group that is not valid.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
100% private — the calculation is done in your browser and nothing is sent to any server.
How it works
Read the result
The result appears as you type.
Copy it
Use the copy button, or switch the direction to convert back.
How to convert binary to text
To convert binary to text, paste the 0s and 1s in the converter above. Each group of eight bits is one byte, and each byte is one character: for example, 01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 is the word Hello. Spaces between groups are optional, and the text appears as you type.
Reading binary by hand
Every bit has a value that doubles as you move left, so a byte is worth 0 to 255. To decode a byte, add the values of the positions that hold a 1. This is the weight table for eight bits:
Bit values in a byte
| Bit position | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 128 | 64 | 32 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
A worked example
Take the first byte of 01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111, 01001000. The ones sit in the positions worth 64, 8, and 64 + 8 = 72. In ASCII, 72 is the letter H. Repeat for each byte and the message appears: Hello.
Decoded bytes of the example
| Character | Decimal (ASCII/UTF-8) | Binary |
|---|---|---|
H | 72 | 01001000 |
e | 101 | 01100101 |
l | 108 | 01101100 |
l | 108 | 01101100 |
o | 111 | 01101111 |
Why binary messages fail to decode
- Wrong length: a group must have eight bits; seven-bit ASCII needs a leading zero.
- Stray characters: only 0, 1 and separators are valid; letters or a 2 mean it is another format.
- Missing bits: one dropped digit shifts every byte after it and produces gibberish.
- Not text at all: binary can hold images or numbers, which look like random symbols when read as text.
Who uses binary decoders
Students learning how computers store text, players of puzzle and capture-the-flag games, and anyone who receives a message written in binary as a joke, a greeting or a hidden clue. Programmers use it to inspect flags and bit fields.
Private by design
The conversion runs in your browser, so what you type is never sent to a server.
More number base converters
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode binary code?
Split it into groups of eight bits, turn each group into a number by adding the values of the 1s, and look up the number in the ASCII table. The converter does it for you.
Why does binary use groups of 8?
A byte, eight bits, is the smallest unit computers use to store a character, and it gives 256 possible values.
What if my binary has no spaces?
That works: the converter splits the digits into groups of eight from the left.
Can it decode emoji or accents?
Yes, when the bytes are UTF-8. Those characters take two to four bytes, so their code has 16 to 32 bits.
Is it free and private?
Yes. It runs in your browser and nothing you paste is sent to a server.
Is this converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit, and it runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to a server.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It works in any modern mobile browser, and the result updates as you type.
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