# formatted(_:) Generates a locale-aware string representation of a date using the specified date format style. ``` func formatted(_ format: F) -> F.FormatOutput where F : FormatStyle, F.FormatInput == Date ``` ## Parameters `format` The date format style to apply to the date. ## Return Value A string, formatted according to the specified style. ## Discussion For full customization of the string representation of a date, use the [`formatted(_:)`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/formatted(_:)) instance method of [`Date`](/documentation/Foundation/Date) and provide a [`Date.FormatStyle`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/FormatStyle) object. You can achieve any customization of date and time representation your app requires by appying a series of convenience modifiers to your format style. This example applies a series of modifiers to the format style to precisely define the formatting of the year, month, day, hour, minute, and timezone components of the resulting string. ```swift // Call the .formatted method on an instance of Date passing in an instance of Date.FormatStyle. let birthday = Date() birthday.formatted( Date.FormatStyle() .year(.defaultDigits) .month(.abbreviated) .day(.twoDigits) .hour(.defaultDigits(amPM: .abbreviated)) .minute(.twoDigits) .timeZone(.identifier(.long)) .era(.wide) .dayOfYear(.defaultDigits) .weekday(.abbreviated) .week(.defaultDigits) ) // Sun, Jan 17, 2021 Anno Domini (week: 4), 11:18 AM America/Chicago ``` For the default date formatting, use the [`formatted()`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/formatted()) method. For basic customization of the formatted date string, use the [`formatted(date:time:)`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/formatted(date:time:)) and include a date and time style. For more information about formatting dates, see [`Date.FormatStyle`](/documentation/Foundation/Date/FormatStyle). --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)