Does the decoder handle emoji, umlauts and other non-English text?

Yes. The decoded bytes are read as UTF-8, so “R3LDvMOfZQ==” becomes “Grüße” and “8J+Riw==” becomes 👋. If the bytes aren’t valid UTF-8 text, the decoder says so instead of showing garbled characters.

Can it decode URL-safe Base64 and Base64 without padding?

Yes. URL-safe Base64 uses - and _ instead of + and /, and often drops the = padding. Both are detected automatically: the missing padding is added and a note tells you what was changed.

Why do I get an error when decoding?

Base64 only contains A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and / (or - and _), with = at the end. The error names the first invalid character and its position. A length error usually means part of the string was cut off when copying.

What happens if the Base64 contains an image or a PDF?

The decoder recognises PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, SVG, ICO and PDF files by their first bytes. You can download the file with the right extension, or open images in the Base64 to Image tool to preview them.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. Decoding runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you paste is uploaded, logged or stored.

Base64 Decoder

Base64 decode: paste Base64 to get readable text, or detect and download the file it contains.

Decoded: 39 bytes
Content: Text or other data

Base64

SGVsbG8sIHdvcmxkISBHcsO8w59lIGF1cyBNw7xuY2hlbiDwn5GL

Decoded text

Hello, world! Grüße aus München 👋

Hello, world! Grüße aus München 👋

How to decode Base64

Paste the Base64 string on the left — standard, URL-safe or a complete data: URI. Line breaks and spaces are ignored.
The decoded text appears on the right as you type.
If the data is an image or PDF, the bar above shows its type: download it as a file or open it in Base64 to Image.

Base64 to text examples

Base64 to string

SGVsbG8sIHdvcmxkIQ==
→ Hello, world!

UTF-8 text with umlauts

R3LDvMOfZQ==
→ Grüße

URL-safe Base64 without padding

SGk_Pg
→ Hi?>   (standard Base64: SGk/Pg==)

Understanding decoding errors

Invalid character: Base64 only uses A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and / (or - and _). The error shows the first character that doesn't belong and where it is — often a stray quote or a %3D left over from URL encoding.
Wrong length: Base64 comes in groups of four characters. If one character is missing or extra, part of the string was probably lost when copying.
Padding in the middle: = may only appear at the end. Two Base64 strings joined together cause this.
Not text: the Base64 is valid but contains a file or binary data. The decoder tells you which file type it found and offers a download.

Other Base64 tools

Encode text with the Base64 encoder, or preview an encoded picture with Base64 to image. JSON Web Tokens are three Base64url parts — the JWT decoder decodes and explains all of them. If the decoded text is JSON, tidy it up with the JSON formatter. Base64 taken from a URL may contain %2B or %3D — decode those with the URL decoder first.

Frequently asked questions

Does the decoder handle emoji, umlauts and other non-English text?: Yes. The decoded bytes are read as UTF-8, so “R3LDvMOfZQ==” becomes “Grüße” and “8J+Riw==” becomes 👋. If the bytes aren’t valid UTF-8 text, the decoder says so instead of showing garbled characters.
Can it decode URL-safe Base64 and Base64 without padding?: Yes. URL-safe Base64 uses - and _ instead of + and /, and often drops the = padding. Both are detected automatically: the missing padding is added and a note tells you what was changed.
Why do I get an error when decoding?: Base64 only contains A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and / (or - and _), with = at the end. The error names the first invalid character and its position. A length error usually means part of the string was cut off when copying.
What happens if the Base64 contains an image or a PDF?: The decoder recognises PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, SVG, ICO and PDF files by their first bytes. You can download the file with the right extension, or open images in the Base64 to Image tool to preview them.
Is my data sent to a server?: No. Decoding runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you paste is uploaded, logged or stored.