Is Base64 a form of encryption?

No, and treating it as one is a real security mistake. It is a reversible encoding with no key — anyone can decode it in one step. Its purpose is to carry binary data through channels that only accept text, not to hide anything.

Why do I sometimes see = at the end?

Padding. Base64 works in three-byte groups; when the input does not divide evenly, one or two = characters pad the final group. Some implementations omit the padding, which is why a string can fail to decode in one tool and work in another.

Does it handle emoji and non-English text?

Yes. The text is converted to UTF-8 bytes before encoding, so emoji and any script round-trip correctly. The naive btoa() call that most snippets use throws on exactly this input.

Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to text, with full UTF-8 support so accented and non-Latin characters survive the round trip. Runs in your browser. Remember that Base64 is an encoding, not encryption — anyone can decode it.

Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded

Questions

Is Base64 a form of encryption?: No, and treating it as one is a real security mistake. It is a reversible encoding with no key — anyone can decode it in one step. Its purpose is to carry binary data through channels that only accept text, not to hide anything.
Why do I sometimes see = at the end?: Padding. Base64 works in three-byte groups; when the input does not divide evenly, one or two = characters pad the final group. Some implementations omit the padding, which is why a string can fail to decode in one tool and work in another.
Does it handle emoji and non-English text?: Yes. The text is converted to UTF-8 bytes before encoding, so emoji and any script round-trip correctly. The naive btoa() call that most snippets use throws on exactly this input.

Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Questions

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