Decoding a Base64 string back into an image
Paste a Base64-encoded image string - with or without the data:image/...;base64, prefix - and
this tool decodes it and displays the resulting image, with a download link. Everything happens locally in
your browser; the string you paste is never sent anywhere.
How this differs from this site's Image to Base64 tool
This tool performs the reverse operation of the Image to Base64 converter - that one takes a real image file and encodes it into a Base64 text string, while this one takes a Base64 text string and decodes it back into a viewable, downloadable image. Together they cover both directions of the same conversion.
Why the data: prefix matters for correct decoding
The data:image/png;base64, (or similar) prefix tells the browser what image format the
following data represents - without it, the browser has to guess, which is why this tool defaults to
assuming PNG when no prefix is present. If your actual image is a JPEG or another format, adding the correct
prefix yourself ensures it decodes and displays correctly.
Why this is commonly needed when working with APIs and databases
Many APIs, databases, and data-exchange formats embed images as Base64 text rather than binary files, since text-based formats like JSON can't natively carry binary data - being able to quickly decode a Base64 string pulled from an API response or database field, without writing a script, is a common practical need for anyone debugging or inspecting that kind of data.