Hex ↔ String Converter
Convert between hexadecimal and text strings with multiple format options
What is Hex ↔ String Converter?
Hex-String Converter is a free online tool that converts between hexadecimal values and text strings with multiple format options. It supports various separator styles including space, colon, none, 0x prefix, and backslash-x prefix. This tool is essential for developers working with binary data, network protocols, encoding systems, and low-level programming. Enter text to see its hexadecimal representation, or enter hex values to convert back to readable text. The tool supports UTF-8 encoding for international characters. All processing happens in your browser with no data sent to any server.
How to Use
- Enter the text or hex string to convert.
- Select a separator and click 'String → Hex' or 'Hex → String'.
- Use the 'Copy' button to copy the result.
Tips & Best Practices
- Use colon-separated hex (48:65:6C:6C:6F) for MAC addresses and network debugging.
- Use 0x prefix format for C/C++ and Java hex string literals.
- Use \x prefix format for Python byte strings and escape sequences.
- Remember that each ASCII character is 1 byte (2 hex digits), while Unicode characters may use multiple bytes.
- Use no-separator mode for compact hex representation in URLs or database storage.
Use Cases
Network Debugging
Convert packet data between hex and readable text for protocol analysis.
Programming
Generate hex string literals for embedding binary data in C, Java, or Python code.
Data Inspection
Examine the raw bytes of text data to debug encoding issues.
Hardware Programming
Work with hex values for microcontroller registers and memory addresses.
FAQ
What is hexadecimal?
Hexadecimal (hex) is a base-16 number system using digits 0-9 and letters A-F, commonly used in computing to represent binary data in a human-readable format.
What separators are supported?
Space (48 65), colon (48:65), none (4865), 0x prefix (0x48 0x65), and \x prefix (\x48\x65).
How does hexadecimal conversion work?
Each character is encoded in UTF-8, then each byte is converted to a 2-digit hex value (00-FF). Reverse conversion restores bytes from hex and decodes them as UTF-8.
Is my data collected?
No, all conversion happens in your browser and no data is sent to any server.
Can Korean characters be converted to hexadecimal?
Yes, Korean characters are encoded as 3 bytes in UTF-8, so each character converts to 6 hex digits. Example: '가' = EC 80 80
Where is hexadecimal used in programming?
It is used in memory addresses, color codes (#FF0000), network packet analysis, binary file editing, and many other areas of computing.
What encoding is used?
The tool uses UTF-8 encoding by default, which handles all Unicode characters correctly.
Why do Korean characters produce more hex digits?
Korean characters use 3 bytes in UTF-8 encoding (6 hex digits), while ASCII characters use only 1 byte (2 hex digits).
Can I paste hex from a hex editor?
Yes, the tool accepts various hex formats. Select the matching separator option for your input.
What is the 0x prefix?
The 0x prefix is a common notation in programming (C, Java, JavaScript) to indicate a hexadecimal number.
Can I convert binary data?
This tool converts between text and hex. For binary file conversion, use a hex editor tool.