ASCII to Unicode Converter

What is ASCII to Unicode Converter?

Paste \uXXXX (or \u{XXXXX}) escape sequences, the ASCII-safe format many serialization formats and config files use to represent characters that aren't in the plain 0-127 ASCII range, and get the decoded Unicode text instantly. Handy for reading a `.properties` file, a JSON string with escaped characters, or any log line that was written out in escaped form instead of raw Unicode. Both escape styles are recognized: the standard 4-digit \uXXXX form and the \u{XXXXX} form used for characters beyond the Basic Multilingual Plane (most emoji, for instance). Decoding happens live as you type, entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent to a server. If no valid escape sequences are found, the field is flagged instead of silently returning nothing.

Common Character to \uXXXX Escape Chart

How to Use the ASCII to Unicode Converter

1. 1

   Paste the Escaped Text: Enter text containing \uXXXX or \u{XXXXX} escape sequences, such as from a .properties file or escaped JSON string.

2. 2

   Read the Decoded Text Instantly: The original Unicode text appears automatically as you type, with plain characters passed through unchanged.

3. 3

   Copy the Result: Use the copy button to copy the decoded text for use elsewhere.

How \uXXXX Escapes Encode a Character

The four hex digits after \u are just a character's Unicode code point written in hexadecimal instead of decimal: \u0041 and decimal code point 65 both mean the exact same character, capital 'A'. The 4-digit form covers the Basic Multilingual Plane (code points up to \uFFFF, which includes essentially every character in active daily use across every script); the \u{XXXXX} form with braces exists for code points above that range, which is where most emoji live.

How to Decode a \uXXXX Escape

Take the four hex digits, convert that hex value to decimal, then look up the character at that code point. \u0048 → hex 48 → decimal 72 → the character 'H'. A full word is just each character's escape placed back to back: "Hello" is written as \u0048\u0065\u006c\u006c\u006f.

Examples

\u0048\u0065\u006c\u006c\u006f → Hello
\u0063\u0061\u0066\u00e9 → café (the é needs an escape, the plain ASCII letters don't strictly need one but are commonly escaped the same way for consistency)
\u0041 → A