Bytes Converter - Convert Bytes to KB, MB, GB, TB
Convert bytes to kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes and more. Free online bytes converter tool for data storage calculations.
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Bytes Converter
Bytes
Convert To
Common Byte Examples
1 bytes
1 character (ASCII)
8 bytes
1 bit
1024 bytes
1 kilobyte
1048576 bytes
1 megabyte
1073741824 bytes
1 gigabyte
1099511627776 bytes
1 terabyte
Bytes (B) – Definition, History, Current Uses, and Practical Examples
Definition
A byte is the smallest addressable chunk of memory on most systems and equals 8 bits. This calculator converts bytes into KB, MB, GB, and beyond using binary units by default so results match what you see in Windows, macOS, and Linux file explorers.
Origin or history
The byte evolved with early computer architectures where 8-bit groupings aligned with character encodings like ASCII. As storage grew, the community adopted binary prefixes (KiB, MiB, GiB) to distinguish 1024-based units from SI decimal units. Most operating systems still present file sizes using the 1024 base.
Current use
- File size planning: images, PDFs, and backups are budgeted from bytes up to gigabytes.
- APIs and databases: payload and row sizes are measured in bytes for cost and performance tuning.
- Memory limits: browser localStorage quotas and IoT firmware caps are often described in bytes.
Examples
- How many bytes are in 2 KB? 2 × 1024 = 2048 bytes.
- Convert 500,000 bytes to MB: 500,000 ÷ (1024 × 1024) ≈ 0.477 MB.
- What is 5 GB in bytes? 5 × 1024 × 1024 × 1024 = 5,368,709,120 bytes.