Hex to Binary Converter

Q: How many binary digits are in one hex digit?

Exactly 4. Hexadecimal is base-16, and 2 to the 4th power equals 16, so every hex digit maps to a unique 4-bit binary pattern. One byte (8 bits) is therefore always written as 2 hex characters.

Convert hexadecimal values to binary, byte by byte. Paste hex like 48 65 6C 6C 6F and see the underlying bits immediately.

Quick examples

Try a hex value.

Click any example to load it into the converter above — the binary appears instantly.

How it works

From hex digits to bits.

Hex is just a compact way to write binary — each hex digit is exactly 4 bits.

Split hex digits

Break the hex string into individual digits (0–9, A–F). Spaces or separators are ignored.

Each digit = 4 bits

Replace every hex digit with its 4-bit binary equivalent — for example F → 1111.

Pad to bytes

Group the resulting bits into 8-bit bytes for readability, padding the leftmost group if needed.

Reference table

Every hex digit and its 4 bits.

This is the only lookup table you need to convert hex to binary by hand.

Hex	Binary
0	0000
1	0001
2	0010
3	0011
4	0100
5	0101
6	0110
7	0111
8	1000
9	1001
A	1010
B	1011
C	1100
D	1101
E	1110
F	1111

Where this comes up

Common uses for a hex to binary converter.

Web color codes — CSS colors like #39FF8D are three hex byte-pairs; see the bits behind each channel.
Memory addresses — pointers and offsets in hex form become bit patterns for masking and alignment.
MAC addresses — each pair of hex digits is one byte of the network interface identifier.
Byte-level debugging — hex dumps from debuggers and hex editors expand cleanly to bits.

FAQ

Hex to binary, explained.

How many binary digits are in one hex digit?

Exactly 4. Hexadecimal is base-16, and 2⁴ = 16, so every hex digit maps to a unique 4-bit binary pattern. One byte (8 bits) is therefore always written as 2 hex characters.

How do I convert hex to binary by hand?

Split the hex string into individual digits, then write the 4-bit binary value for each digit using the lookup table (0=0000, 1=0001, …, F=1111). Concatenate the groups and add a space every 8 bits to mark byte boundaries.

What about hex letters A-F?

The letters A through F represent the decimal values 10 through 15. In binary they are A=1010, B=1011, C=1100, D=1101, E=1110 and F=1111. Uppercase and lowercase are treated identically.

How do I convert in the reverse direction (binary to hex)?

Group the binary digits into chunks of 4 (padding the leftmost group with zeros if needed), then replace each 4-bit group with its hex digit. This converter can also swap direction with the swap button, or use Binary to Hex.

Hex to Binary Converter

Try a hex value.

From hex digits to bits.

Split hex digits

Each digit = 4 bits

Pad to bytes

Every hex digit and its 4 bits.

Common uses for a hex to binary converter.

Go one level deeper.

Binary to Hex

Hex Translator

Binary Translator

ASCII Table

Hex to binary, explained.