A Unix timestamp is a number representing the seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 UTC (the "Unix epoch"). It's the standard way computers store and exchange points in time, used in APIs, logs, and databases.
Unix timestamps come in two common variants: seconds (10 digits, e.g. 1720512000) and milliseconds (13 digits, e.g. 1720512000000). JavaScript, MongoDB, and many modern APIs use milliseconds; PostgreSQL, Redis, and traditional Unix tools use seconds. Both refer to the same moment — just at different precision. UnixTime automatically detects which format is on your clipboard and converts it to a readable date.
The fastest way is a native menu bar app like UnixTime: copy the timestamp, click the menu bar icon, and the converted date is on your clipboard. No browser tab required.
macOS doesn't ship with a built-in Unix timestamp converter. You can use the Terminal (date -r 1720512000), a web tool like epochconverter.com, or a native app. Native apps are fastest because they don't require switching context to a browser or terminal. UnixTime lives in your menu bar, auto-detects timestamps in seconds or milliseconds from your clipboard, and copies the result back automatically — one click, done.
For daily use, a native menu bar app is the best choice — it's always accessible, works offline, and doesn't require a browser tab. UnixTime is purpose-built for this workflow, with clipboard auto-detection, custom formats, and history.
The "best" tool depends on your use case: for one-off conversions, a web tool like epochconverter.com is fine; for command-line workflows, date -r works; for repeated daily use, a native menu bar app saves the most time. UnixTime combines automatic clipboard detection, configurable date formats (ISO 8601, RFC 2822, custom Unicode), a history of past conversions, and native macOS integration — all in a lightweight, offline app.
Yes — UnixTime is a native macOS app that runs completely offline, with no network requests and no telemetry. Everything happens locally on your Mac.
Most Unix timestamp converters are web-based, which means every conversion sends data through a server. That's fine for public timestamps but problematic when you're working with sensitive log data or under strict network policies. UnixTime is sandboxed and has no network entitlement — it literally cannot make outbound connections. All conversions, history, and settings stay on your device.
Yes. UnixTime supports all Unicode date format strings (yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss, custom patterns, locale-specific tokens) plus a reorderable list of built-in formats.
In Settings you can define a custom format using standard Unicode tokens: yyyy (year), MM (month), dd (day), HH (24h hour), hh (12h), mm (minute), ss (second), Z (timezone offset), EEEE (weekday). Built-in formats include ISO 8601 UTC, ISO 8601 local, European (dd.MM.yyyy), US (M/d/yyyy), British, Japanese, RFC 2822, and Unix date readable. Reorder them via drag & drop to put your most-used formats at the top of the menu.
UnixTime is available in 12 languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Turkish. It follows your Mac's system language automatically.
Beyond the interface, the output formats are localized too: weekday and month names (EEEE, MMMM) appear in the selected language. Set the language automatically via your macOS system language, or choose it manually in Settings — changes take effect instantly, no restart required.
No. UnixTime is sandboxed, has no network entitlement, and collects no analytics, telemetry, or usage data whatsoever.
UnixTime is designed with privacy as a core principle. The App Store version is built with App Sandbox enabled and both com.apple.security.network.client and network.server entitlements disabled — the app literally cannot make network requests. No analytics SDK, no crash reporter beyond what Apple provides in App Store Connect (opt-in, aggregated). Your timestamps, history, and settings never leave your Mac.
Both count time from January 1, 1970 UTC, but at different precision: seconds have 10 digits (e.g. 1720512000), milliseconds have 13 digits (e.g. 1720512000000). They represent the same moment, just scaled by 1000.
JavaScript's Date.now(), MongoDB's ISODate, and most modern web APIs use milliseconds. PostgreSQL's to_timestamp(), Redis TTLs, Unix date command, and traditional Linux tools use seconds. When you see a 10-digit number, it's seconds; 13 digits means milliseconds. UnixTime auto-detects both and converts correctly regardless.
UnixTime requires macOS 14.6 (Sonoma) or later. It runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
UnixTime is built with the latest SwiftUI and system frameworks, which require macOS 14.6 or higher. It's a Universal Binary and runs natively on M1/M2/M3/M4 Apple Silicon as well as recent Intel Macs. If you're on an older macOS version, you can install it on your current system but will need to update macOS to receive future improvements.
UnixTime converts Unix timestamps to your Mac's local time zone by default. You can also display UTC or any specific time zone in the date-entry popover.
By default, converted dates are displayed in your system's current time zone — that's what you usually want for logs and API responses. In the Date & Calculation popover, you can explicitly enter a time zone (UTC, +02:00, etc.) or use "Local". For output formats, the ISO 8601 UTC preset always outputs Zulu time (…Z), while ISO 8601 local uses your system time zone.
UnixTime is a one-time purchase from the Mac App Store at $2.99 USD (€2.99). No subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases.
UnixTime follows a fair one-time pricing model. Pay once, own it forever, get all future updates on macOS 14.6 and later included. No hidden fees, no telemetry, no upsells. If Apple later requires a major macOS update that breaks compatibility, you keep the version you own. See pricing details.