refactor(ui): remove retired time format bootstrap (#116097)

src/gateway/control-ui-contract.ts

@@ -166,8 +166,6 @@ export type ControlUiBootstrapConfig = {
   embedSandbox?: ControlUiEmbedSandboxMode;
   allowExternalEmbedUrls?: boolean;
   seamColor?: string;
-  /** Resolved `agents.defaults.timeFormat`; "auto" keeps the browser locale default. */
-  timeFormat?: "auto" | "12" | "24";
   /**
    * Whether the operator terminal surface is enabled (`gateway.terminal.enabled`).
    * The Control UI hides the terminal entirely when false so a disabled kill

src/gateway/control-ui.http.test.ts

@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ describe("handleControlUiHttpRequest", () => {
       devGitBranch?: string;
       localMediaPreviewRoots?: string[];
       seamColor?: string;
-      timeFormat?: "auto" | "12" | "24";
       terminalEnabled: boolean;
       pluginFrameGrants?: ControlUiPluginFrameGrantAck[];
     };
@@ -1303,7 +1302,6 @@ describe("handleControlUiHttpRequest", () => {
         expect(parsed.assistantAvatarReason).toBe("missing");
         expect(parsed.assistantAgentId).toBe("roboclaw");
         expect(parsed.seamColor).toBe("#1A2b3C");
-        expect(parsed.timeFormat).toBe("auto");
         expect(parsed.terminalEnabled).toBe(true);
         expect(parsed.devGitBranch).toBeUndefined();
         expect(Array.isArray(parsed.localMediaPreviewRoots)).toBe(true);

src/gateway/control-ui.ts

@@ -1097,7 +1097,6 @@ export async function handleControlUiHttpRequest(
             : "scripts",
       allowExternalEmbedUrls: config?.gateway?.controlUi?.allowExternalEmbedUrls === true,
       seamColor: config?.ui?.seamColor,
-      timeFormat: "auto",
       terminalEnabled,
       pluginFrameGrants: pluginFrameGrants.map(({ pluginId, path: grantPath, match }) => ({
         pluginId,

ui/src/app/config.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import {
   type ControlUiPluginFrameGrantAck,
 } from "../../../src/gateway/control-ui-contract.js";
 import { normalizeAssistantIdentity } from "../lib/assistant-identity.ts";
-import { setUiTimeFormatPreference } from "../lib/format.ts";
 import { resolveControlUiAuthCandidates } from "./control-ui-auth.ts";
 
 type ApplicationConfigAuthSource = {
@@ -213,7 +212,6 @@ async function loadApplicationConfig(params: {
       return null;
     }
     const parsed = (await res.json()) as ControlUiBootstrapConfig;
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference(parsed.timeFormat);
     applyControlUiSeamColor(parsed.seamColor);
     return normalizeApplicationConfig(parsed);
   } catch {

ui/src/lib/format.test.ts

@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import {
   formatTokens,
   formatUnknownText,
   parseSessionKeyParts,
-  setUiTimeFormatPreference,
   truncateText,
 } from "./format.ts";
 import { stripThinkingTags } from "./strip-thinking-tags.ts";
@@ -107,44 +106,6 @@ describe("date/time millisecond formatters", () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe("agents.defaults.timeFormat preference", () => {
-  // 19:30 UTC: 24-hour renders "19:30", 12-hour renders "7:30 PM".
-  const ts = Date.UTC(2026, 0, 15, 19, 30);
-  const opts: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions = {
-    hour: "2-digit",
-    minute: "2-digit",
-    timeZone: "UTC",
-  };
-
-  afterEach(() => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("auto");
-  });
-
-  it("forces a 24-hour clock when preference is 24", () => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("24");
-    expect(formatTimeMs(ts, opts, "")).toBe("19:30");
-  });
-
-  it("forces a 12-hour clock when preference is 12", () => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("12");
-    const formatted = formatTimeMs(ts, opts, "");
-    expect(formatted).toContain("7:30");
-    expect(formatted).toMatch(/PM/i);
-  });
-
-  it("lets the caller override the resolved hour cycle", () => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("24");
-    expect(formatTimeMs(ts, { ...opts, hour12: true }, "")).toMatch(/PM/i);
-  });
-
-  it("leaves rendering to the browser locale default for auto", () => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("auto");
-    const auto = formatDateTimeMs(ts, opts, "");
-    const native = new Date(ts).toLocaleString([], opts);
-    expect(auto).toBe(native);
-  });
-});
-
 describe("stripThinkingTags", () => {
   it("strips <think>…</think> segments", () => {
     const input = ["<think>", "secret", "</think>", "", "Hello"].join("\n");

ui/src/lib/format.ts

@@ -220,33 +220,12 @@ export function formatUnknownText(
   return Object.prototype.toString.call(value);
 }
 
-type UiTimeFormatPreference = "auto" | "12" | "24";
-
-// Resolved `agents.defaults.timeFormat`, threaded in once at bootstrap. "auto"
-// (or unset) keeps the browser locale default so existing deployments render
-// unchanged; only "12"/"24" force an hour cycle across Control UI timestamps.
-let uiTimeFormatPreference: UiTimeFormatPreference = "auto";
-
-export function setUiTimeFormatPreference(value: UiTimeFormatPreference | null | undefined): void {
-  uiTimeFormatPreference = value === "12" || value === "24" ? value : "auto";
-}
-
-export function resolveUiHourCycleOptions(): Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions {
-  if (uiTimeFormatPreference === "12") {
-    return { hour12: true };
-  }
-  if (uiTimeFormatPreference === "24") {
-    return { hour12: false };
-  }
-  return {};
-}
-
 export function formatMs(ms?: number | null): string {
   const timestampMs = asDateTimestampMs(ms);
   if (timestampMs === undefined) {
     return t("common.na");
   }
-  return new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleString(i18n.getLocale(), resolveUiHourCycleOptions());
+  return new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleString(i18n.getLocale());
 }
 
 export function formatDateMs(
@@ -268,10 +247,7 @@ export function formatTimeMs(
   const timestampMs = asDateTimestampMs(ms);
   return timestampMs === undefined
     ? fallback
-    : new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleTimeString(i18n.getLocale(), {
-        ...resolveUiHourCycleOptions(),
-        ...options,
-      });
+    : new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleTimeString(i18n.getLocale(), options);
 }
 
 export function formatDateTimeMs(
@@ -282,10 +258,7 @@ export function formatDateTimeMs(
   const timestampMs = asDateTimestampMs(ms);
   return timestampMs === undefined
     ? fallback
-    : new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleString(i18n.getLocale(), {
-        ...resolveUiHourCycleOptions(),
-        ...options,
-      });
+    : new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleString(i18n.getLocale(), options);
 }
 
 export function formatList(values?: Array<string | null | undefined>): string {

ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-message-timestamp.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 import { html } from "lit";
 import { t } from "../../../i18n/index.ts";
 import type { MessageGroup } from "../../../lib/chat/chat-types.ts";
-import {
-  formatCompactTokenCount,
-  formatTimeAgo,
-  resolveUiHourCycleOptions,
-} from "../../../lib/format.ts";
+import { formatCompactTokenCount, formatTimeAgo } from "../../../lib/format.ts";
 
 type ChatTimestampDisplay = {
   label: string;
@@ -23,10 +19,8 @@ function formatChatTimestampForDisplay(timestamp: number): ChatTimestampDisplay
     };
   }
 
-  const hourCycle = resolveUiHourCycleOptions();
   return {
     label: date.toLocaleString([], {
-      ...hourCycle,
       month: "short",
       day: "numeric",
       year: "numeric",
@@ -35,7 +29,6 @@ function formatChatTimestampForDisplay(timestamp: number): ChatTimestampDisplay
       timeZoneName: "short",
     }),
     title: date.toLocaleString([], {
-      ...hourCycle,
       weekday: "long",
       month: "long",
       day: "numeric",

ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-message.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import { html, render } from "lit";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import * as markdown from "../../../components/markdown.ts";
 import type { MessageGroup } from "../../../lib/chat/chat-types.ts";
-import { setUiTimeFormatPreference } from "../../../lib/format.ts";
 import { setAvatarGatewayOrigin } from "../../../lib/identity-avatar.ts";
 import * as localStorageModule from "../../../local-storage.ts";
 import * as chatAvatar from "../chat-avatar.ts";
@@ -606,7 +605,6 @@ afterEach(() => {
     element.remove();
   });
   clearDeleteConfirmSkip();
-  setUiTimeFormatPreference("auto");
   setAvatarGatewayOrigin(null);
   vi.useRealTimers();
   vi.unstubAllGlobals();
@@ -1507,25 +1505,26 @@ describe("grouped chat rendering", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it.each([
-    { preference: "12" as const, expected: /AM|PM/i },
-    { preference: "24" as const, expected: /^(?!.*(?:AM|PM))/i },
-  ])(
-    "honors the $preference-hour clock preference in timestamp tooltips",
-    ({ preference, expected }) => {
-      setUiTimeFormatPreference(preference);
-      const container = document.createElement("div");
-      renderAssistantMessage(container, {
-        role: "assistant",
-        content: "Done",
-        timestamp: Date.UTC(2026, 0, 15, 19, 30),
-      });
+  it("uses the browser locale for timestamp tooltips", () => {
+    const timestamp = Date.UTC(2026, 0, 15, 19, 30);
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+    renderAssistantMessage(container, {
+      role: "assistant",
+      content: "Done",
+      timestamp,
+    });
 
-      expect(container.querySelector("openclaw-tooltip")?.getAttribute("content")).toMatch(
-        expected,
-      );
-    },
-  );
+    expect(container.querySelector("openclaw-tooltip")?.getAttribute("content")).toBe(
+      new Date(timestamp).toLocaleString([], {
+        month: "short",
+        day: "numeric",
+        year: "numeric",
+        hour: "numeric",
+        minute: "2-digit",
+        timeZoneName: "short",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
 
   it("omits streaming bubble class for completed stream segments", () => {
     const container = document.createElement("div");

ui/src/pages/plugin/logbook-view.test.ts

@@ -1,16 +1,11 @@
 import { render } from "lit";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { setUiTimeFormatPreference } from "../../lib/format.ts";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { i18n } from "../../i18n/index.ts";
 import { getLogbookState } from "./logbook-controller.ts";
 import { renderLogbook } from "./logbook-view.ts";
 
 describe("Logbook view", () => {
-  afterEach(() => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("auto");
-  });
-
   it("renders timeline clocks in the capture host timezone", () => {
-    setUiTimeFormatPreference("24");
     const host = {};
     const state = getLogbookState(host);
     state.day = "2026-01-01";
@@ -48,7 +43,15 @@ describe("Logbook view", () => {
     const container = document.createElement("div");
     render(renderLogbook({ host, client: null, connected: false }), container);
 
-    expect(container.querySelector(".logbook-card__time")?.textContent?.trim()).toBe("16:30–17:30");
+    const timeOptions = {
+      hour: "2-digit",
+      minute: "2-digit",
+      timeZone: "America/Los_Angeles",
+    } satisfies Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions;
+    const expectedTime = [Date.UTC(2026, 0, 2, 0, 30), Date.UTC(2026, 0, 2, 1, 30)]
+      .map((ms) => new Date(ms).toLocaleTimeString(i18n.getLocale(), timeOptions))
+      .join("–");
+    expect(container.querySelector(".logbook-card__time")?.textContent?.trim()).toBe(expectedTime);
     expect(container.querySelector(".logbook-card__duration")?.textContent?.trim()).toBe("1h");
   });
 });