useRelativeTime()

The useRelativeTime() hook formats a date as a relative time string (e.g., "5 minutes ago", "in 2 days").

Note: This hook does not automatically update. If you need automatic updates, use the <FormatRelativeTime> component or implement your own update mechanism.

The hook accepts the following parameters:

• date: (required) a Date object or an ISO formatted date string
• options: (optional) an object with:
  • locale: (optional) override the current locale
  • options: (optional) Intl.RelativeTimeFormatOptions

Examples

// e.g., "5 minutes ago", "in 2 days"
const formattedTime = useRelativeTime(myDate);

Works with both Date objects and ISO formatted date strings:

const dateObject = new Date("2024-03-04T10:23:11.408Z");
const dateString = "2024-03-04T10:23:11.408Z";

// returns same result
useRelativeTime(dateObject);
useRelativeTime(dateString);

Locale

Just like <FormatRelativeTime>, useRelativeTime() follows current bifrost locale (default english).

Use <Bifrost locale={nbNO}> in your app to use norwegian formatting.

Norwegian

<Bifrost locale={nbNO}>
  <MyComponent />
</Bifrost>

Swedish

<Bifrost locale={svSE}>
  <MyComponent />
</Bifrost>