Developer
Encoders, converters & dev utilities
Binary Translator — Text ↔ Binary Code, Both Ways
A binary translator converts text into binary code and binary back into text, in either direction. To encode, each character becomes its UTF-8 byte(s) and each byte becomes 8 bits: "Hi" → 01001000 01101001. To decode, 8-bit groups become bytes and the bytes are read as UTF-8: 01000001 → "A". Non-ASCII characters use multi-byte UTF-8, so the euro sign € (U+20AC) is the three bytes E2 82 AC → 11100010 10000010 10101100 — correct handling that naïve "binary translator" clones miss. This tool works both ways with a step-by-step view, uses TextEncoder / TextDecoder for correct UTF-8, and runs 100% in your browser. Free, no login.
Encode: character → UTF-8 byte(s) → 8-bit binary; Decode: 8-bit groups → bytes → UTF-8 text
- Byte-exact encode: "Hi" → 01001000 01101001 (H=72, i=105)
- Byte-exact decode: 01000001 → 65 → "A"
- Multi-byte UTF-8: "€" (U+20AC) → E2 82 AC → 11100010 10000010 10101100 (naïve clones break here)
- Both directions with TextEncoder/TextDecoder for correct UTF-8; runs 100% client-side
Frequently asked questions
How does a binary translator work?
It maps between characters and their binary byte representation. Encoding turns each character into its UTF-8 byte(s) and writes each byte as 8 bits, so "Hi" becomes 01001000 01101001. Decoding reverses that: it splits the bits into 8-bit groups, turns each into a byte, and decodes the bytes as UTF-8, so 01000001 becomes "A". This tool does both directions with a step-by-step breakdown.
Does this binary translator handle emoji and accents?
Yes. It uses TextEncoder and TextDecoder, which implement UTF-8 correctly, so characters outside ASCII are encoded as their proper multi-byte sequences. The euro sign €, for instance, becomes the three bytes E2 82 AC (11100010 10000010 10101100), and emoji become four-byte sequences — where simpler translators that assume one byte per character silently corrupt the output.
What is the difference between this and a number-base converter?
They solve different problems. A binary translator encodes a whole string of text into its per-character binary bytes (and back). A number-base converter takes a single number and rewrites it in another base (binary, octal, decimal, hex). "text to binary" and "decimal to binary" are different intents: this tool is for text encoding, so if you actually have one number to convert between bases, use the number-base converter instead.