Convert Bytes to Bits
Convert Bytes to Bits instantly. 1 Byte (B) equals 8 Bits (bit).
Bytes to Bits conversion table
| Bytes (B) | Bits (bit) |
|---|---|
| 1 B | 8 bit |
| 2 B | 16 bit |
| 3 B | 24 bit |
| 5 B | 40 bit |
| 10 B | 80 bit |
| 20 B | 160 bit |
| 50 B | 400 bit |
| 100 B | 800 bit |
| 500 B | 4,000 bit |
| 1,000 B | 8,000 bit |
1 Byte = 8 Bits · multiply Bytes by 8
About converting Bytes to Bits
Bytes (B) and Bits (bit) are both units of digital storage, so converting between them is a single multiplication: multiply your Bytes figure by 8. Ten Bytes comes to 80 Bits, and a hundred works out at 800 Bits.
Rule of thumb: going from Bytes to Bits multiplies, so the figure always grows — one Byte is already 8 Bits. If your answer came out smaller, you have the conversion the wrong way round.
What is a Byte?
The byte is the unit computers actually store things in, and it has not always been eight bits. Werner Buchholz coined the word at IBM in 1956, when a byte meant however many bits a particular machine needed to hold one character — six, seven and nine-bit bytes all existed. Eight bits became the standard with the IBM System/360, and the industry never looked back. Because that old ambiguity was real, networking standards still say "octet" when they want to be unmistakable about meaning exactly eight bits.
What is a Bit?
A bit is a single binary digit — one yes or no, the smallest thing a computer can distinguish. The name is a contraction of "binary digit", credited to John Tukey and made famous by Claude Shannon’s 1948 paper founding information theory. The practical thing to know is that bits and bytes live in different places: connection and network speeds are quoted in bits per second, while file sizes are in bytes. That is why a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12.5 MB/s and people assume they have been cheated. Nobody has — the two figures are counting different things.
To put both in perspective: a byte holds a single letter of plain text, while a bit is a single yes-or-no.
The converter above updates as you type, and the table lists common values for quick reference. Need the opposite direction? Use the Bits to Bytes converter, or browse all Digital Storage converters.
Frequently asked questions
How many Bits are in one Byte?
There are 8 Bits in one Byte.
How do I convert Bytes to Bits?
Multiply the number of Bytes by 8. For example, 10 Bytes = 80 Bits.
What is 100 Bytes in Bits?
100 Bytes is equal to 800 Bits.
How do I convert Bits to Bytes?
Multiply the Bits value by 0.125 (or divide by 8).
Is this Bytes to Bits conversion exact?
Yes, exactly. Both units are fixed against the same base by definition, and 1 Byte = 8 Bits is the complete value — nothing is rounded away.
What is a Byte?
The byte is the unit computers actually store things in, and it has not always been eight bits. Werner Buchholz coined the word at IBM in 1956, when a byte meant however many bits a particular machine needed to hold one character — six, seven and nine-bit bytes all existed. Eight bits became the standard with the IBM System/360, and the industry never looked back. Because that old ambiguity was real, networking standards still say "octet" when they want to be unmistakable about meaning exactly eight bits.
What is a Bit?
A bit is a single binary digit — one yes or no, the smallest thing a computer can distinguish. The name is a contraction of "binary digit", credited to John Tukey and made famous by Claude Shannon’s 1948 paper founding information theory. The practical thing to know is that bits and bytes live in different places: connection and network speeds are quoted in bits per second, while file sizes are in bytes. That is why a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12.5 MB/s and people assume they have been cheated. Nobody has — the two figures are counting different things.