What this calculator does
A binary to text converter reads a string of 0s and 1s in 8-bit groups (bytes) and turns each one back into the character it represents, since every letter, digit and symbol on a keyboard has a standard numeric character code that can be written in binary. Text to binary runs the same process the other way.
This calculator converts in both directions: paste in space-separated 8-bit binary groups to get readable text, or type in text to get its binary representation, one 8-bit group per character.
The formula
Each character has a numeric character code from 0 to 255 (for standard, single-byte text). To convert text to binary, that code is written as an 8-bit base-2 number. To convert binary to text, each 8-bit group is read as a base-2 number and converted back to the character with that code.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bit | A single binary digit, either 0 or 1, the smallest unit of digital information. |
| Byte | A group of 8 bits, enough to represent one standard character code from 0 to 255. |
| Character code | The number assigned to a letter, digit or symbol; for example, the capital letter "H" has character code 72, which is 01001000 in binary. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Convert | Choose whether to convert binary to text, or text to binary. |
| Binary (space-separated 8-bit groups) | The binary to convert, as 8-bit groups separated by spaces. Used only when converting binary to text. |
| Text | The text to convert to binary. Used only when converting text to binary. |
When to use it
Decoding a binary message back to text
A string of binary digits, such as from a puzzle, a computer science exercise or an old data dump, converts back to readable text one 8-bit byte at a time.
Working out text to binary for a learning exercise
Converting a word or short phrase to binary is a common way to show how computers represent letters as numbers, and numbers as binary, underneath the text on a screen.
Checking a binary to text converter result by hand
A single letter, such as "A" (binary 01000001), converts quickly enough to check by hand, which is useful for confirming the calculator matches a manual working before trusting it on a longer string.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
Binary to text for a few short binary strings
A handful of short binary strings, each converted to the text they represent.
| Binary | Text | Number of characters |
|---|---|---|
| 01001000 01101001 | Hi | 2 |
| 01001111 01001011 | OK | 2 |
| 01011001 01100101 01110011 | Yes | 3 |
| 00110001 00110010 00110011 | 123 | 3 |
Text to binary for common short words
A handful of short words, each converted to their binary representation.
| Text | Binary | Number of bits |
|---|---|---|
| Hi | 01001000 01101001 | 16 |
| OK | 01001111 01001011 | 16 |
| Yes | 01011001 01100101 01110011 | 24 |
| ABC | 01000001 01000010 01000011 | 24 |
Questions
How do I convert binary to text?
Split the binary into 8-bit groups, read each group as a base-2 number to get a character code from 0 to 255, then look up the character with that code. This calculator does that automatically for any binary string entered.
How do I convert text to binary?
Look up the character code of each character (0 to 255), then write that number as an 8-bit binary number. "A" has character code 65, which is 01000001 in binary.
Why does binary to text need groups of exactly 8 bits?
Standard single-byte text uses one byte, 8 bits, per character, since 8 bits can represent 256 distinct values (0 to 255), enough for the full set of standard letters, digits and symbols.
Can this handle emoji or accented characters?
It supports standard single-byte character codes from 0 to 255, which covers plain English text and many accented Latin characters. Characters outside that range, such as most emoji, need more than one byte and are not supported.
For converting a number between binary, decimal, hex and other number bases, see the number base converter. For converting a colour between hex and RGB, see the hex to RGB converter.