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Text to binary converter
Type any text and get its binary code, eight bits per character, ready to copy. Good for names, messages, cards and lessons. UTF-8, so accents and emoji work.
- 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 text to binary
To convert text to binary, type or paste it in the converter above. Each character is looked up in ASCII or UTF-8 and written as eight bits: for example, the word Dock becomes 01000100 01101111 01100011 01101011, which is 32 bits for 4 characters. Copy the result or switch the direction to translate back.
How each letter becomes eight bits
A computer stores every character as a number: H is 72, e is 101, l is 108 and o is 111. That number is then written in base 2 with eight digits, padding on the left with zeros. Seventy-two is 64 + 8, so its binary is 01001000.
The word Dock, character by character
| Character | Decimal (ASCII/UTF-8) | Binary |
|---|---|---|
D | 68 | 01000100 |
o | 111 | 01101111 |
c | 99 | 01100011 |
k | 107 | 01101011 |
Ideas for binary text
- Your name in binary for a card, a mug, a poster or a piece of jewellery.
- Secret messages in games, escape rooms and scavenger hunts.
- Teaching: showing how a computer sees text before introducing bytes and encodings.
- Testing: creating known binary input for programs, exercises and puzzles.
Size and encoding
In ASCII and UTF-8, each basic letter, digit and punctuation mark takes one byte, so eight binary digits. A text with 20 characters is 160 bits. Accented letters, other alphabets and emoji take two to four bytes in UTF-8, so they produce 16 to 32 bits each.
Formatting tips
- Keep the space between bytes if a person will read it; remove it if a program will.
- Uppercase and lowercase differ by one bit, the one worth 32: A is 01000001 and a is 01100001.
- A space is also a character: it is 00100000.
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 write my name in binary?
Type it in the converter. Every letter is turned into eight bits. Uppercase and lowercase letters give different codes.
How many bits is one letter?
Eight bits, one byte, for plain ASCII letters. Accented letters and emoji need 16 to 32 bits in UTF-8.
Why is the binary of a lowercase letter different from an uppercase one?
Because they are different characters with different codes. The two differ by exactly one bit, the one worth 32.
Can I convert binary back to text?
Yes. Switch the direction, or use the binary to text converter.
Is it free and private?
Yes. It runs in your browser, and your text is never 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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