Text to Binary Converter
Type any text and watch it become 8-bit binary bytes, in UTF-8 or strict ASCII.
Going the other way? Use the binary to text translator.
To convert text to binary, replace each character with its code number written as an 8-bit byte. Capital H has code 72, so it becomes 01001000. The converter above does this for every character as you type, and UTF-8 mode handles emoji and accented letters correctly.
How it works
Every character you can type has an agreed code number. Capital H is 72, lowercase i is 105, and even the space bar has one. The converter looks up each code and writes it in base 2, padded to eight digits so each character takes exactly one byte.
Take the word "Hi". The H becomes 01001000: reading the byte's place values, the switched-on positions are worth 64 + 8, which adds up to 72. The i becomes 01101001, which works out to 105. Put the two bytes together and you get:
01001000 01101001
That string is genuinely what sits in your computer's memory when it stores the word. Decoding runs the same machine backwards: split into bytes, convert each byte to its number, look each number up.
The encoding select matters once you leave plain English. ASCII is the original 128-character table, and anything outside it (an é, a hanzi, an emoji) simply has no ASCII code, so ASCII mode tells you exactly which character broke instead of producing wrong bytes. UTF-8 is the modern default that covers every character by using one byte for the original 128 and two to four bytes for everything else. If you are not sure which you need, leave it on UTF-8; for plain English the output is identical either way.
The grouping select only changes how the output is displayed. Spaces between bytes are easiest to read, dashes survive being pasted into URLs, and the continuous form matches what you see in some textbooks. The bits themselves never change.
Common characters as bytes
| Character | Decimal | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| H | 72 | 01001000 |
| i | 105 | 01101001 |
| A | 65 | 01000001 |
| a | 97 | 01100001 |
| 0 | 48 | 00110000 |
| space | 32 | 00100000 |
Note how A and a differ by exactly one bit. Their codes are 32 apart, a single binary place, so flipping one switch changes a letter's case.
FAQ
How do I convert text to binary?
Take each character's code number and write it in base 2, padded to eight digits. Capital H has code 72, so it becomes the byte 01001000. Do that for every character in order and join the bytes with spaces. The converter above runs those exact steps as you type.
What is the difference between UTF-8 and ASCII mode?
For plain English text they produce identical bytes. ASCII only defines 128 characters, so accented letters and emoji have no code there, and ASCII mode reports an error instead of guessing. UTF-8 covers every character by spending two to four bytes on anything beyond those first 128.
Why is every binary group 8 digits long?
Computers store text in bytes, and a byte is eight bits. Common characters have codes under 128, which would fit in seven digits, but they keep a leading zero so every character lines up evenly. That is why "Hi" comes out as sixteen digits: 01001000 01101001.