What is Base64 encoding used for?
Base64 converts binary data, such as images or files, into plain ASCII text so it can be safely embedded in places that only support text, like JSON, URLs, or email.
Is Base64 encoding the same as encryption?
No. Base64 only changes how data is represented and can be reversed by anyone; it provides no security or confidentiality, unlike encryption.
Why does Base64 output end with one or two equal signs?
The equal signs are padding characters added when the input length isn't a multiple of three bytes, ensuring the encoded output forms complete four-character groups.
Why is the encoded text longer than the original?
Base64 represents every 3 bytes of input as 4 characters of output, so encoded data is roughly 33% larger than the original.
Why does decoding my Base64 text fail with an error?
Decoding fails when the text contains characters outside the Base64 alphabet (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, =) or has an invalid length, often due to copy-paste errors or missing padding.