Hex to Binary Converter

What is Hex to Binary Conversion?

Hexadecimal to binary conversion turns a base-16 number (using the digits 0-9 and letters A-F) into its base-2 equivalent. It's one of the simplest number-base conversions because hexadecimal was designed around binary: every hex digit maps to exactly four binary bits, so no long division is needed.

For example, hex AC equals binary 10101100. Enter any hexadecimal number above to convert it and see the digit-by-digit breakdown. Want to learn how to convert hexadecimal to binary manually? See how to convert hex to binary for the full 4-bit mapping method, table, and worked examples. For arithmetic on the resulting binary value, see the Binary Calculator. For the relationship between the two number systems, see binary vs hexadecimal.

The 4-Bit Mapping

Hexadecimal is base 16, and 16 is 2⁴ — so each of the 16 possible hex digit values (0-15) maps to a unique 4-bit binary pattern (0000-1111). To convert, replace every hex digit with its 4-bit binary equivalent and concatenate the results in order. Leading zeros in the very first group of the final result can be dropped without changing the value.

Worked example: convert AC to binary

A → 1010
C → 1100

AC₁₆ = 1010 1100 = 10101100₂

Hex ↔ binary reference table

For the reverse operation, use the Binary to Hex Converter, or regroup that binary result into 3-bit chunks with the Binary to Octal Converter.

Common Hex to Binary Conversions

A quick reference for frequently seen hexadecimal numbers and their binary and decimal equivalents:

Where Hex to Binary Conversion Is Used

Converting hex to binary comes up whenever a compact hex value needs to be inspected at the bit level:

• Programming and debugging: expanding hex memory dumps, register values, and stack traces into their underlying bit patterns.
• Bitmasks: checking which individual bits a hex flag or permission mask (e.g. 0xAC) actually sets or clears.
• Memory addresses and data representation: reading pointers and raw byte data, which hardware and debuggers report in hex but ultimately store in binary.
• Digital systems: interpreting hardware register and signal states documented in hex back into their binary form.
• Computer science education: demonstrating how hexadecimal serves as a compact shorthand for binary.

Need decimal instead of binary? Try the Hex to Decimal Converter.

Related Converters

Frequently Asked Questions