# Date Formats settings

> **TL;DR**
> `File | Settings | Appearance and Behavior | System Settings | Date Formats` for Windows and Linux
>
>
>
> `IntelliJ IDEA | Settings | Appearance and Behavior | System Settings | Date Formats` for macOS
>
>
>
> `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS)) ![the Settings icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.settings.svg)

Configure how IntelliJ IDEA should format the date and time stamps in various places of the UI, for example, in the Git tool window log.

![The Date Formats settings page](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/settings_date_formats.png)

Override system date and time format
: Specify the format for date and time stamps manually. By default, IntelliJ IDEA uses the system settings. Set the Date format according to the [date and time pattern syntax](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/text/SimpleDateFormat.html). Select whether you want to display the time in the 24-hour format or in the 12-hour format.

Use pretty formatting
: For recent dates, replace absolute numeric date and time stamps with relative ones, such as 10 minutes ago, Today, and Yesterday.