DiffCheck

Text to Binary / Octal / Hex

Convert text to binary, octal, or hexadecimal byte encoding and back. Supports full Unicode via UTF-8.

Plain Text0 chars

What Is Text to Binary / Octal / Hex Conversion?

This tool converts text strings to their byte-level representation in binary (base 2), octal (base 8), or hexadecimal (base 16) notation. The conversion works by first encoding the input text as UTF-8 bytes, then expressing each byte in the chosen numeric base as a space-separated value. The reverse operation (decode) parses space-separated tokens and reconstructs the original text via UTF-8 decoding.

Binary, octal, and hex representations are widely used in low-level programming, network protocols, file format analysis, and debugging. Hexadecimal in particular is the standard notation for memory addresses, color codes, and cryptographic hashes.

How to Use the Text Binary Converter

  1. Select Encode (text → numbers) or Decode (numbers → text).
  2. Choose the base: Binary (base 2), Octal (base 8), or Hexadecimal (base 16).
  3. Paste or type your input. The output updates instantly.
  4. Use Swap to flip direction, or Copy to copy the result.

Decode format: values must be space-separated. Example hex input: 48 65 6C 6C 6F → Hello

Features

  • Convert text to binary, octal, or hexadecimal (UTF-8 byte encoding)
  • Decode binary, octal, or hex back to plain text
  • Supports full Unicode including emoji and multi-byte characters
  • Space-separated output for readability
  • Switch base without clearing input
  • Swap output back to input for chained conversions
  • Runs entirely in your browser — no data uploaded

FAQ

How does text-to-binary conversion work?

Text is first encoded as UTF-8 bytes, then each byte is represented in the target base. For binary, each byte becomes an 8-bit string (e.g. the letter A is 01000001). For hex, each byte becomes a two-digit value (e.g. A is 41). Values are separated by spaces.

What is the difference between binary, octal, and hexadecimal?

Binary (base 2) uses digits 0–1 and needs 8 digits per byte. Octal (base 8) uses digits 0–7 and needs 3 digits per byte. Hexadecimal (base 16) uses digits 0–9 and A–F and needs only 2 digits per byte. All three represent the same byte values.

Why does the binary output look different for non-ASCII characters?

Non-ASCII characters require multiple UTF-8 bytes. For example, the euro sign € (U+20AC) encodes to three bytes: E2 82 AC in hex. The number of space-separated groups reflects the byte count, not the character count.

Can I convert hex back to text?

Yes. Select Decode mode, choose Hexadecimal, and paste your space-separated hex bytes (e.g. 48 65 6C 6C 6F). The tool decodes the bytes back to the original text.