Apply XOR cipher to text or binary data with a repeating key. Visualize bitwise operations step by step.
This tool takes a plaintext (or hex/binary) input and a key, repeats the key to match the input length, and XORs each byte pair, showing the binary of each byte alongside the result as it goes. Because XOR is its own inverse, running the same key over the ciphertext output reproduces the original input. The most common surprise: the result is rarely printable text, since XOR-ing two ASCII bytes usually lands outside the printable range, so the tool shows it as hex or lets you view raw bytes rather than a garbled string.
A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.
Input
text: "AB" (typed as text, not hex; ASCII bytes 0x41 0x42), key: "A"
Expected output
hex: 00 03
The key "A" (0x41) repeats for each input byte: 'A' (0x41) XOR 'A' (0x41) = 0x00, and 'B' (0x42) XOR 'A' (0x41) = 0x03.
The key is repeated (not padded with zeros) until it matches the length of the input, then each input byte is XORed with the corresponding key byte at the same offset, wrapping the key index with modulo. Feeding a key longer than the input just uses its leading bytes once.
For each byte pair, the tool lists both operands in 8-bit binary, aligns them, and XORs bit by bit, so a 1 appears in the result only where the two input bits differ. This is meant to make the mechanics visible, not to speed up processing large inputs.
Only if the tool's input mode accepts hex or base64 for both the data and the key fields - check which input formats are offered before assuming raw file bytes are supported. If it only takes typed text, you'd need to convert file bytes to hex first.
No. A one-time pad requires a truly random key at least as long as the message, used exactly once. A repeating key is shorter than the message and reused, which reintroduces the plaintext's statistical patterns into the ciphertext and makes it crackable.
The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.
Generate strong, random passwords with customizable length, character sets, and complexity requirements.
Analyze password strength with entropy scoring, crack-time estimates, and improvement suggestions.
Create cryptographically random strings for API keys, tokens, salts, and unique identifiers.
Create QR codes for URLs, text, Wi-Fi credentials, vCards, and more with customizable size and colors.
Scan and decode QR codes from uploaded images or your device camera to extract embedded data.
Compute MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 checksums to verify file integrity and detect tampering.