Binary Translator
Convert text to 8-bit binary bytes, or paste binary to read it as text.
Drop your file hereTap to choose a file
or click to browse, or paste from the clipboard
Both directions
Type text to get space-separated 8-bit bytes, or paste binary to read the text. The direction is detected automatically, or you can choose it.
Every language and emoji
Text is encoded as UTF-8: é and Arabic letters take two bytes, most Chinese and Hindi characters three, and most emoji four. All of them decode back exactly.
Precise error messages
Binary can be split by spaces, line breaks or nothing at all. A group with the wrong number of bits, a stray character or a broken UTF-8 sequence is reported by position.
How to use the Binary Translator
- 1
Type text, or paste binary digits, into the input box.
- 2
Check the detected direction, or choose Text to binary or Binary to text yourself.
- 3
Copy the result or download it as a text file.
What people use this tool for
- Write a message in binary for a puzzle, card or classroom activity.
- Read a binary string from a game, quiz or escape room.
- See how many UTF-8 bytes an emoji or accented letter uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does text become binary?
Each character is encoded as UTF-8 bytes, and each byte is written as eight 0s and 1s. Basic English letters take one byte each, so A becomes 01000001.
Why does one emoji produce four bytes?
UTF-8 uses one byte for basic Latin characters, two for most accented, Greek, Cyrillic, Hebrew and Arabic letters, three for most other scripts, including Chinese and Hindi, and four for most emoji.
What binary input can I paste?
Groups of 8 bits separated by spaces or line breaks, or one unbroken run whose length is a multiple of 8. If every group has exactly 7 bits, the input is read as 7-bit ASCII. Any other character, such as a comma, is reported as an error.
What does “not valid UTF-8” mean?
The bits make whole bytes, but the bytes do not form UTF-8 text, for example a byte from another encoding or a multi-byte character cut short. The message names the first byte that breaks the sequence.
Can I see hexadecimal or decimal values?
Yes. Choose Hexadecimal or Decimal under Show bytes as to see the same UTF-8 bytes as two-digit hex values or numbers from 0 to 255. Decoding reads binary only.
Does binary hide a message?
No. Binary is an encoding, not encryption, and anyone can translate it back. Translation happens in your browser, and up to 50,000 bytes of text can be converted at once.