Frequently asked questions
Is Base64 a form of encryption?
No — it's an encoding scheme, not encryption. Anyone can decode Base64 text instantly with a basic tool like this one; it provides no security or confidentiality, only a way to safely represent binary data as text.
Why does Base64 text end with one or two equals signs sometimes?
Base64 processes data in groups of 3 bytes at a time. When the input isn't a clean multiple of 3 bytes, padding characters (=) fill out the last group so the output length stays a multiple of 4 characters.