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Binary to Text Converter
Paste binary code and read the message. It accepts spaces, commas, 0b prefixes and unbroken streams, and tells you exactly what is wrong if the input cannot be decoded.
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- Instant results as you type
- Step-by-step working
- Private: input stays in your browser
- Free, no signup
To convert binary to text, split the binary into groups of 8 bits, convert each group to a decimal number, and look up the matching character. For example, 01001000 is 72, which is H, and 01101001 is 105, which is i.
How to use the binary to text converter
- Paste your binary into the box. Spaces between bytes are optional.
- The text appears as you type. If something is wrong, a message says what to fix.
- Copy the text, or open Show the steps to see each byte as binary, decimal, hex and a character.
Examples
| Binary | Text |
|---|---|
| 01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 | Hello |
| 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 | I love you |
| 01000010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001 | Binary |
| 01011001 01100101 01110011 | Yes |
Input formats the decoder accepts
| Format | Example | Decodes to |
|---|---|---|
| Spaced bytes | 01001000 01101001 | Hi |
| Unbroken stream | 0100100001101001 | Hi |
| Commas | 01001000,01101001 | Hi |
| 0b prefixes | 0b01001000 0b01101001 | Hi |
| 7-bit groups | 1001000 1101001 | Hi |
| Line breaks | 01001000 (new line) 01101001 | Hi |
How to decode binary by hand
- Write the bits in groups of 8, starting from the left.
- Convert each group to decimal using place values (128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1).
- Look the number up in an ASCII table.
Worked example for 01101111: 64 + 32 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 111, and 111 is the letter o. The full method is in the guide how to convert binary to text.
Why binary sometimes will not decode
- The bit count is not a multiple of 8. A dropped or extra digit shifts every byte after it. The tool reports how many bits it found.
- There are characters other than 0 and 1. Letters, digits 2 to 9 or stray symbols are flagged.
- A group is longer than 8 bits. Add spaces between bytes.
- The bytes are not valid UTF-8. The tool falls back to single-byte characters and says so.
Binary to English and other languages
Binary does not contain a language; it contains numbers that a character table turns into letters. If the message was encoded with UTF-8, the same decoder reads English, Spanish, Arabic or Chinese. Messages written for other tables, such as old code pages, can produce odd characters.
Binary to text converter FAQ
What if my binary has no spaces?
The tool splits an unbroken stream into 8-bit groups automatically. If the length is not a multiple of 8 it also tries 7-bit groups, and otherwise tells you how many bits to add or remove.
Is binary to text the same as binary to ASCII?
For English text, yes. ASCII covers the first 128 characters, and UTF-8 is identical for them. See the binary to ASCII converter for the ASCII-focused view.
Why do I get strange characters?
The bytes probably encode a different character set, or the message is not text at all, for example a number or an image.
Can it decode very long binary?
Yes. It runs in your browser and handles thousands of bytes; the step table shows the first 200.
How do I turn text into binary?
Use the text to binary converter.