diff --git a/android/src/ui/chat.rs b/android/src/ui/chat.rs
index b65f1c4..93ee012 100644
--- a/android/src/ui/chat.rs
+++ b/android/src/ui/chat.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ use crate::clipboard;
 use crate::state::{AppState, ComposeAttach, NickTabComplete, ReplyTarget};
 use crate::ui::search::{message_search_panel, SearchAction};
 use crate::ui::widgets::{
-    avatar_circle, empty_state, message_bubble, react_picker_overlay, MessageBubbleAction,
+    avatar_circle, date_separator, empty_state, format_day_separator, message_bubble,
+    react_picker_overlay, MessageBubbleAction,
 };
 
 pub enum ChatAction {
@@ -668,7 +669,16 @@ pub fn chat_screen(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, state: &mut AppState, channel:
                 let mut target_in_view = false;
                 let msg_by_id: std::collections::HashMap<&str, &crate::state::ChatMessage> =
                     messages.iter().map(|m| (m.id.as_str(), m)).collect();
+                let mut prev_day: Option<chrono::NaiveDate> = None;
                 for msg in &messages {
+                    let day = msg.timestamp.date_naive();
+                    if prev_day != Some(day) {
+                        let label = format_day_separator(msg.timestamp);
+                        ui.push_id(("day_sep", day), |ui| {
+                            date_separator(ui, th, &label);
+                        });
+                        prev_day = Some(day);
+                    }
                     let highlighted = highlight_id.as_ref().is_some_and(|id| id == &msg.id);
                     let picker_open = state
                         .react_picker_msg
diff --git a/android/src/ui/mod.rs b/android/src/ui/mod.rs
index 2efd248..0031adc 100644
--- a/android/src/ui/mod.rs
+++ b/android/src/ui/mod.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ pub use settings::{settings_tab, SettingsAction};
 // Widget helpers are used from screens via `widgets::` or direct calls as needed.
 #[allow(unused_imports)]
 pub use widgets::{
-    avatar_circle, card, conversation_row, image_lightbox_overlay, message_bubble,
-    react_picker_overlay, section_label, MessageBubbleAction,
+    avatar_circle, card, conversation_row, date_separator, format_day_separator,
+    image_lightbox_overlay, message_bubble, react_picker_overlay, section_label,
+    MessageBubbleAction,
 };
diff --git a/android/src/ui/widgets.rs b/android/src/ui/widgets.rs
index ac2864b..ac96151 100644
--- a/android/src/ui/widgets.rs
+++ b/android/src/ui/widgets.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,57 @@ pub fn section_label(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, text: &str) {
     );
 }
 
+/// Local-calendar day label for chat stream separators (freeq-android `formatDate`).
+pub fn format_day_separator(ts: chrono::DateTime<chrono::Local>) -> String {
+    let today = chrono::Local::now().date_naive();
+    let day = ts.date_naive();
+    if day == today {
+        "Today".into()
+    } else if day + chrono::Duration::days(1) == today {
+        "Yesterday".into()
+    } else {
+        ts.format("%B %-d, %Y").to_string()
+    }
+}
+
+/// Centered day divider between messages when the calendar day changes.
+pub fn date_separator(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, label: &str) {
+    let sp = &th.spacing;
+    let p = &th.palette;
+    ui.add_space(sp.md);
+    let full = ui.available_width();
+    let (rect, _) = ui.allocate_exact_size(
+        egui::vec2(full, th.type_scale.caption + sp.sm),
+        Sense::hover(),
+    );
+    let galley = ui.painter().layout_no_wrap(
+        label.to_owned(),
+        FontId::proportional(th.type_scale.caption),
+        p.text_secondary.gamma_multiply(0.85),
+    );
+    let text_w = galley.size().x;
+    let gap = sp.md;
+    let line_y = rect.center().y;
+    let mid = rect.center().x;
+    let left_end = (mid - text_w * 0.5 - gap).max(rect.left());
+    let right_start = (mid + text_w * 0.5 + gap).min(rect.right());
+    let stroke = Stroke::new(1.0_f32, p.border_soft.gamma_multiply(0.7));
+    if left_end > rect.left() + 1.0 {
+        ui.painter()
+            .hline(rect.left()..=left_end, line_y, stroke);
+    }
+    if right_start + 1.0 < rect.right() {
+        ui.painter()
+            .hline(right_start..=rect.right(), line_y, stroke);
+    }
+    ui.painter().galley(
+        egui::pos2(mid - text_w * 0.5, rect.center().y - galley.size().y * 0.5),
+        galley,
+        p.text_secondary,
+    );
+    ui.add_space(sp.sm);
+}
+
 /// Colored initial circle (freeq-style avatar stand-in).
 pub fn avatar_circle(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, name: &str, size: f32) {
     let letter = name
@@ -2647,3 +2698,28 @@ mod embed_image_tests {
         assert!((a.x / a.y - b.x / b.y).abs() < 0.001);
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod day_separator_tests {
+    use super::format_day_separator;
+    use chrono::{Duration, Local, TimeZone};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn today_and_yesterday_labels() {
+        let now = Local::now();
+        assert_eq!(format_day_separator(now), "Today");
+        assert_eq!(format_day_separator(now - Duration::days(1)), "Yesterday");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn older_day_uses_month_day_year() {
+        let ts = Local
+            .with_ymd_and_hms(2024, 3, 5, 14, 30, 0)
+            .single()
+            .expect("valid local datetime");
+        let label = format_day_separator(ts);
+        assert_eq!(label, "March 5, 2024");
+        assert!(!label.contains("Today"));
+        assert!(!label.contains("Yesterday"));
+    }
+}