File Hex Viewer

Open any file as a hex dump in your browser. View offsets, hex pairs, ASCII column. Identify magic bytes, debug binaries, verify file integrity privately.

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About File Hex Viewer

File Hex Viewer lets you inspect the raw bytes of any file directly in your browser. Quickly review offsets, hexadecimal pairs, and ASCII representations without uploading sensitive data to a server. Ideal for verifying file integrity, spotting hidden headers, or debugging binary formats.

Why preview only part of the file?

Most magic bytes, headers, and embedded metadata live near the start of a file. The viewer loads the first few kilobytes so you get instant insight while keeping large files fast and responsive.

Can I adjust the bytes per row?

Yes. Choose between 8, 16, or 24 bytes per line to match your preferred hex layout. Wider rows give more context, narrow rows make individual values easier to scan.

Does the file leave my device?

No. All parsing happens in your browser. The tool uses FileReader to inspect bytes locally so private documents, archives, or executables never leave your machine.

What do the dots in the ASCII column mean?

Non-printable bytes, such as control characters or binary data, are shown as dots. Printable characters (letters, numbers, punctuation) are displayed directly so you can spot readable strings.

File Hex Viewer — Open any file as a hex dump in your browser. View offsets, hex pairs, ASCII column. Identify magic bytes, debug binaries — **File Hex Viewer**

How do I identify a file format from the first bytes (magic numbers)?

Each format starts with a unique signature. PDF: 25 50 44 46 (%PDF). PNG: 89 50 4E 47. JPEG: FF D8 FF. ZIP/DOCX/XLSX: 50 4B 03 04. GIF: 47 49 46 38. ELF Linux binary: 7F 45 4C 46. PE Windows EXE: 4D 5A. ID3 MP3: 49 44 33. Open the file here, look at first 4-8 bytes, cross-reference with Wikipedia's "List of file signatures".

Why are some bytes shown as dots in the ASCII column?

Bytes outside the printable ASCII range (0x20 to 0x7E) cannot render as readable characters. The viewer shows them as . to keep alignment. The HEX column always shows the true byte value. Non-printable bytes include control characters (newline 0x0A, tab 0x09), encoding markers (UTF-8 BOM EF BB BF), and binary data (image/audio compressed bytes).

Can a hex viewer reveal hidden metadata or steganography?

Sometimes. EXIF data in JPEG/PNG is plainly visible — search for "Adobe", "GPS", "Camera" strings in the hex. Hidden steganographic payloads (LSB modification in image bytes) are NOT visible in hex dump — you need specialized tools like stegseek or zsteg. Office docs (.docx, .xlsx) are ZIPs; rename to .zip and extract to inspect XML metadata.

How does the bytes-per-row setting affect inspection workflow?

16 bytes per row is the historical standard (matches DOS DEBUG, Unix od -A x -t x1z -v). 8 makes small structures (PE headers, ID3v2 frames) easier to follow. 24 fits widescreen monitors and shows more context. Choose 16 unless analyzing a specific format whose record size aligns better (32 for IPv6 addresses, 4 for x86 instructions).