How do I get the current Unix timestamp in Java?

Instant.now().getEpochSecond() for seconds, or System.currentTimeMillis() for milliseconds.

How do I convert a timestamp to a date in Java?

Instant.ofEpochSecond(ts).atZone(ZoneOffset.UTC) gives a zoned date-time in UTC.

Unix Timestamp in Java

Modern Java uses java.time: Instant.now().getEpochSecond() for the current second, and Instant.ofEpochSecond(ts) to rebuild an instant. System.currentTimeMillis() remains for milliseconds.

Get & convert epoch time in Java

import java.time.Instant;
Instant t = Instant.ofEpochSecond(1700000000L); // 2023-11-14T22:13:20.000Z
long now = Instant.now().getEpochSecond();

Gotcha: Avoid the legacy java.util.Date; java.time.Instant is immutable, unambiguous (UTC), and far less error-prone.

Try it — paste a value

Frequently asked questions

How do I get the current Unix timestamp in Java?: Instant.now().getEpochSecond() for seconds, or System.currentTimeMillis() for milliseconds.
How do I convert a timestamp to a date in Java?: Instant.ofEpochSecond(ts).atZone(ZoneOffset.UTC) gives a zoned date-time in UTC.

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