Binary Converter
Convert between binary, decimal, hexadecimal, octal and ASCII text instantly.
About Number System Conversion
Computers work in binary (base 2), but humans prefer decimal (base 10). Hexadecimal (base 16) is widely used in programming, colour codes and memory addresses. Octal (base 8) appears in Unix file permissions and legacy systems.
What is binary?
Binary is a base-2 number system using only the digits 0 and 1. Each digit is called a bit. Groups of 8 bits form a byte, which can represent values 0–255.
How do I convert text to binary?
Select the "Text / ASCII" tab, type any text and the tool converts each character to its binary ASCII code automatically.
What is hexadecimal used for?
Hex is used in HTML/CSS colour codes (#FF5733), memory addresses, MAC addresses and debugging. Each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary bits.
About the Binary Converter
Our free binary converter instantly converts numbers between binary (base-2), decimal (base-10), hexadecimal (base-16), and octal (base-8) number systems. It also converts text to binary and binary back to text, making it useful for computer science students, programmers, and anyone learning about how computers represent information.
Binary is the fundamental language of computers. Every piece of data stored on a computer — numbers, text, images, audio — is ultimately represented as sequences of 0s and 1s. Understanding binary and how it relates to decimal, hex, and octal is essential knowledge in computer science, electronics, and network engineering.
Number Systems Explained
- Binary (base-2) — Uses only 0 and 1. Each digit is a "bit". Groups of 8 bits form a "byte". Example: 1010 in binary = 10 in decimal.
- Decimal (base-10) — The standard number system humans use daily, with digits 0–9.
- Hexadecimal (base-16) — Uses digits 0–9 and letters A–F. Widely used in programming, memory addresses, and colour codes (e.g. #FF5733).
- Octal (base-8) — Uses digits 0–7. Historically used in computing; still used in Unix file permissions (e.g. chmod 755).
How to Use the Binary Converter
- Select conversion type — Choose between number conversion (binary ↔ decimal ↔ hex ↔ octal) or text conversion (text ↔ binary).
- Enter your value — Type a number or text in the input field.
- View all conversions — Results in all number bases appear simultaneously.
- Copy any result — Click a result to copy it to your clipboard.
Practical Uses
- Computer science education — Learn and verify binary, hex, and octal conversions for coursework and exams.
- Web development — Convert hex colour codes and understand RGB values in binary.
- Network engineering — Convert IP addresses and subnet masks between binary and decimal.
- Embedded systems — Work with binary registers and hex memory addresses in microcontroller programming.
- File permissions — Understand Unix octal permissions (755, 644) in binary form.
- Cryptography — Understand binary representations of data in encryption and hashing contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert decimal to binary?
Repeatedly divide the decimal number by 2 and record the remainders from bottom to top. Our tool does this instantly — just enter the decimal number and read the binary result.
What is the maximum number I can convert?
The tool handles numbers up to 2^53 − 1 (JavaScript's safe integer limit), which is 9,007,199,254,740,991 in decimal.
Can I convert negative numbers?
Yes. Negative numbers are shown with a minus sign. Two's complement representation (used in actual computer hardware) is shown as an option for signed integers.
What character encoding is used for text-to-binary conversion?
Text is converted using UTF-8 encoding, the most widely used character encoding standard on the web. Each character may use 1 to 4 bytes (8 to 32 bits).