Text to Binary
Convert text to binary bits and binary back to readable text
About Text to Binary
Converts text into the 8-bit binary form of each UTF-8 byte, so Hi becomes 01001000 01101001, and decodes groups of bits back into text. Anything other than 0, 1 and whitespace is flagged as an error. Handy for inspecting bit patterns in protocol or embedded work, building puzzle and CTF challenges, or seeing how many bytes a string really takes.
Category: Encoding.
Frequently asked questions
What is binary encoding?
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Binary encoding represents each byte of data as a sequence of 8 bits (0s and 1s). It is the lowest-level digital representation and is useful for education, debugging, and understanding how computers store text.
Why does each character take 8 bits?
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This tool encodes text as UTF-8 bytes, where standard ASCII characters each fit in one byte (8 bits). Characters outside the basic ASCII range — like accented letters or emoji — may use 2–4 bytes, producing 16–32 bits per character.
Can I decode binary back to text?
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Yes. Paste the bits with a space or line break between bytes and click Binary to Text. An unbroken string such as 0100100001101001 is not split automatically and decodes to the wrong character, so insert a space every 8 bits first.
What encoding standard does this use?
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UTF-8, in both directions. ASCII characters map to a single byte, and when decoding, bytes that don't form valid UTF-8, such as a lone 11111111, are shown as the � replacement character.