From 3d4ea22e730073ff6d344b2335cdfcf84f630b4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Vladimir <hello@0xdeafbeef.dev>
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2026 19:07:14 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] notifications: refresh relative times on the lock screen, in
 NotificationsTab and in history (#3965)

port 2.0
---
 quickshell/Modules/DDash/NotificationsTab.qml |  5 +++++
 .../Center/HistoryNotificationCard.qml        |  2 +-
 quickshell/Services/NotificationService.qml   | 21 +++++++++++++------
 3 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/quickshell/Modules/DDash/NotificationsTab.qml b/quickshell/Modules/DDash/NotificationsTab.qml
index 7d67f79e1..940d2abff 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modules/DDash/NotificationsTab.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modules/DDash/NotificationsTab.qml
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ FocusScope {
     LayoutMirroring.enabled: I18n.isRtl
     LayoutMirroring.childrenInherit: true
 
+    Ref {
+        service: NotificationService
+        active: root.live
+    }
+
     onLiveChanged: {
         if (!live) {
             keyboard.reset();
diff --git a/quickshell/Modules/Notifications/Center/HistoryNotificationCard.qml b/quickshell/Modules/Notifications/Center/HistoryNotificationCard.qml
index acd0fe8f6..2b0297daf 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modules/Notifications/Center/HistoryNotificationCard.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modules/Notifications/Center/HistoryNotificationCard.qml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Notifications.NotificationCard {
     onDismissRequested: NotificationService.removeFromHistory(historyItem.id)
 
     function formatHistoryTime(timestamp) {
-        NotificationService.timeUpdateTick;
+        NotificationService.relativeTimeNow;
         NotificationService.clockFormatChanged;
         const now = new Date();
         const date = new Date(timestamp);
diff --git a/quickshell/Services/NotificationService.qml b/quickshell/Services/NotificationService.qml
index 6c11a1226..a25c70126 100644
--- a/quickshell/Services/NotificationService.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Services/NotificationService.qml
@@ -610,12 +610,22 @@ Singleton {
     SystemClock {
         id: minuteClock
         precision: SystemClock.Minutes
-        enabled: root.overlayOpen || SettingsData.hasTimedNotificationRules
+        enabled: root.relativeTimesShown || SettingsData.hasTimedNotificationRules
     }
 
-    // Current time in ms for rule-expiry bindings. Reads 0 while the clock is
-    // off, which is safe: the clock is off exactly when no rule carries an
-    // expiry, so no binding can depend on the value moving.
+    // Views that show relative times without calling onOverlayOpen(), such
+    // as NotificationsTab, hold a Ref while visible.
+    property int refCount: 0
+
+    readonly property bool relativeTimesShown: overlayOpen || IdleService.isShellLocked || refCount > 0
+
+    // Relative-time bindings read this to refresh every minute while
+    // relativeTimesShown. It stays null otherwise, so clock ticks for timed
+    // rules do not re-evaluate them.
+    readonly property var relativeTimeNow: relativeTimesShown ? minuteClock.date : null
+
+    // Current time in ms for rule-expiry bindings. Reads 0 while no rule
+    // carries an expiry, so no binding can depend on the value moving.
     readonly property double notificationRuleNowMs: SettingsData.hasTimedNotificationRules ? minuteClock.date.getTime() : 0
 
     // Formatted remaining time for a rule's expiresAt, driven by the ticking
@@ -915,8 +925,7 @@ Singleton {
 
         readonly property date time: new Date()
         readonly property string timeStr: {
-            if (root.overlayOpen)
-                minuteClock.date;
+            root.relativeTimeNow;
             root.clockFormatChanged;
 
             const now = new Date();