About the Base64 to Binary Converter
Four Base64 characters stand for three bytes, and each of those bytes is eight bits. This converter walks that chain all the way down and prints the bits, which is the view you need when a protocol packs flags into individual positions or when a coursework question asks you to show the working.
The output is grouped one byte per token so the boundaries stay obvious. You can separate the groups with a space, a comma or nothing at all, and break the stream after four, eight or sixteen bytes per line. Sixteen bytes per line lines up with the layout of most hex editors, which makes a side by side comparison easy. Leading zeros are always kept, so every group is exactly eight characters wide and columns stay aligned no matter what the values are.
Because the conversion works on raw bytes rather than characters, it is equally happy with text, a compressed blob or an image. A data: prefix is removed first, whitespace inside the Base64 is ignored, and the URL-safe alphabet is accepted. The status line gives the byte and bit totals, and the bit total should always be exactly eight times the byte total.
To go back the other way use Binary to Base64. If you only need the bits of a piece of writing rather than of an encoded blob, Text to Binary skips a step.
How to use
- Paste the Base64 string you want to expand into bits.
- Set Between bytes and Bytes per line to match the layout you are comparing against.
- Check the bit total in the status line, then copy the result.
Common questions
- Why is every group exactly eight characters?
- Leading zeros are preserved so the byte boundaries line up. The value 5 prints as 00000101 rather than 101.
- Can I convert an image that is stored as Base64?
- Yes, though a small icon already runs to tens of thousands of bits, so the output gets long quickly.
- Is the bit order most significant first?
- Yes. Each byte is written from bit 7 down to bit 0, which is the usual convention in specifications and hex editors.
- Does the separator affect the data?
- No, it is purely a display choice. The reverse tool ignores spaces, commas and line breaks when it reads the bits back.