Binary ↔ Text

Convert UTF-8 text to 8-bit binary, or parse a binary string back to text.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does this tool encode?

Text is encoded as UTF-8 bytes, then each byte is shown as 8 binary digits (bits). The letter 'A' (decimal 65) becomes 01000001. Groups are space-separated for readability. Spaces are stripped when decoding — paste binary with or without spaces.

Why must the binary string be a multiple of 8 bits?

A byte is exactly 8 bits. If the input length isn't divisible by 8 there's no valid byte boundary to decode from — the tool returns an error. This usually means a stray character or missing leading zero (e.g. writing 1000001 instead of 01000001 for 'A').

Can I use this for non-ASCII text?

Yes — text is encoded as UTF-8 before converting to binary, so any Unicode character works. However, non-ASCII characters produce more than 8 bits: '€' (U+20AC) produces 24 bits (3 UTF-8 bytes). Decoding back requires the full correct bit sequence.