diff --git a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/TrackList.java b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/TrackList.java
index 30ff06b94..7cab45364 100644
--- a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/TrackList.java
+++ b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/TrackList.java
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ public class TrackList extends ListActivity
         TextView textView = (TextView) view;
         if (columnIndex == startTimeIdx) {
           long time = cursor.getLong(startTimeIdx);
-          textView.setText(String.format("%tc", time));
+          textView.setText(StringUtils.formatDateTime(time));
         } else if (columnIndex == totalDistanceIdx) {
           double length = cursor.getDouble(totalDistanceIdx);
           String lengthUnit = null;
diff --git a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/WaypointsList.java b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/WaypointsList.java
index ede45afee..799131d33 100644
--- a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/WaypointsList.java
+++ b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/WaypointsList.java
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ public class WaypointsList extends ListActivity
           if (time == 0) {
             textView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
           } else {         
-            textView.setText(String.format("%tc", time));
+            textView.setText(StringUtils.formatDateTime(time));
             textView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
           }
         } else if (columnIndex == typeIdx) {
diff --git a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/backup/BackupActivityHelper.java b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/backup/BackupActivityHelper.java
index 0ad12be0b..03d5a71e4 100644
--- a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/backup/BackupActivityHelper.java
+++ b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/backup/BackupActivityHelper.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package com.google.android.apps.mytracks.io.backup;
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.Constants;
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.MyTracks;
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.util.FileUtils;
+import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.util.StringUtils;
 import com.google.android.maps.mytracks.R;
 
 import android.app.Activity;
@@ -32,7 +33,6 @@ import android.util.Log;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Date;
@@ -46,10 +46,6 @@ import java.util.Date;
  */
 public class BackupActivityHelper {
 
-  // Since the user sees this format, we use the local timezone
-  private static final DateFormat DISPLAY_BACKUP_FORMAT = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(
-      DateFormat.SHORT, DateFormat.SHORT);
-
   private static final Comparator<Date> REVERSE_DATE_ORDER =
       new Comparator<Date>() {
         @Override
@@ -160,7 +156,7 @@ public class BackupActivityHelper {
     // Make a user-visible version of the backup filenames
     final String backupDateStrs[] = new String[backupDates.length];
     for (int i = 0; i < backupDates.length; i++) {
-      backupDateStrs[i] = DISPLAY_BACKUP_FORMAT.format(backupDates[i]);
+      backupDateStrs[i] = StringUtils.formatDateTime(backupDates[i].getTime());
     }
 
     // Show a dialog for the user to pick which backup to restore
diff --git a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper.java b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper.java
index fb90a2280..f072dc78c 100644
--- a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper.java
+++ b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper.java
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.net.URLConnection;
-import java.text.DateFormat;
-import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 /**
@@ -290,7 +288,7 @@ public class DocsHelper {
     DocsTagBuilder tagBuilder = new DocsTagBuilder(metricUnits)
         .append("name", track.getName())
         .append("description", track.getDescription())
-        .append("date", getDisplayDate(stats.getStartTime()))
+        .append("date", StringUtils.formatDateTime(stats.getStartTime()))
         .append("totaltime", StringUtils.formatTimeAlwaysShowingHours(
             stats.getTotalTime()))
         .append("movingtime", StringUtils.formatTimeAlwaysShowingHours(
@@ -330,19 +328,6 @@ public class DocsHelper {
     Log.i(Constants.TAG, "Post finished.");
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Gets the display string for a time.
-   *
-   * @param time the time
-   * @return the display string of the time
-   */
-  private String getDisplayDate(long time) {
-    DateFormat format = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, DateFormat.SHORT);
-    Date startTime = new Date(time);
-    String dateString = format.format(startTime);
-    return dateString;
-  }
-
   /**
    * Writes spreadsheet row data to the indicated worksheet.
    *
diff --git a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactory.java b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactory.java
index 3519fa12c..adbb91d2e 100644
--- a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactory.java
+++ b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactory.java
@@ -16,14 +16,12 @@
 package com.google.android.apps.mytracks.services;
 
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.Constants;
+import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.util.StringUtils;
 import com.google.android.maps.mytracks.R;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 
-import java.text.DateFormat;
-import java.util.Date;
-
 /**
  * Creates a default track name based on the current default track name policy.
  * 
@@ -46,8 +44,7 @@ class DefaultTrackNameFactory {
    */
   String newTrackName(long trackId, long startTime) {
     if (useTimestampTrackName()) {
-      DateFormat formatter = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, DateFormat.SHORT);
-      return formatter.format(new Date(startTime));
+      return StringUtils.formatDateTime(startTime);
     } else {
       return String.format(context.getString(R.string.track_name_format), trackId);
     }
diff --git a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/util/StringUtils.java b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/util/StringUtils.java
index cbbbd0ad7..5f6b6819d 100644
--- a/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/util/StringUtils.java
+++ b/MyTracks/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/util/StringUtils.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import com.google.android.maps.mytracks.R;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 
+import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.text.NumberFormat;
 import java.text.ParsePosition;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
@@ -44,6 +45,16 @@ public class StringUtils implements DescriptionGenerator {
 
   private final Context context;
 
+  /**
+   * Formats the time based on user locale.
+   * 
+   * @param time time
+   */
+  public static String formatDateTime(long time) {
+    DateFormat formatter = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, DateFormat.SHORT);
+    return formatter.format(new Date(time));    
+  }
+  
   /**
    * Formats a number of milliseconds as a string.
    *
@@ -303,7 +314,7 @@ public class StringUtils implements DescriptionGenerator {
         + "%s: %d %s (%d %s)<br>"
         + "%s: %d %%<br>"
         + "%s: %d %%<br>"
-        + "%s: %tc<br>"
+        + "%s: %s<br>"
         + "%s: %s<br>"
         + "<img border=\"0\" src=\"%s\"/>",
 
@@ -349,7 +360,7 @@ public class StringUtils implements DescriptionGenerator {
 
         // Line 11
         context.getString(R.string.send_google_recorded),
-        new Date(trackStats.getStartTime()),
+        StringUtils.formatDateTime(trackStats.getStartTime()),
 
         // Line 12
         context.getString(R.string.track_detail_activity_type_hint), category,
diff --git a/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper_AddTrackRowTest.java b/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper_AddTrackRowTest.java
index 60e4dc33b..af9631828 100644
--- a/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper_AddTrackRowTest.java
+++ b/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/io/docs/DocsHelper_AddTrackRowTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package com.google.android.apps.mytracks.io.docs;
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.content.Track;
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.io.AuthManager;
 import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.stats.TripStatistics;
+import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.util.StringUtils;
 import com.google.android.maps.mytracks.R;
 import com.google.android.testing.mocking.AndroidMock;
 import com.google.android.testing.mocking.UsesMocks;
@@ -28,8 +29,6 @@ import android.test.mock.MockContext;
 import android.test.mock.MockResources;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.text.DateFormat;
-import java.util.Date;
 
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
@@ -40,9 +39,7 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
  */
 public class DocsHelper_AddTrackRowTest extends TestCase {
   private static final long TIME = 1288721514000L;
-  private static final DateFormat DATE_FORMAT = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(
-      DateFormat.SHORT, DateFormat.SHORT); 
-  
+
   private static class StringWritingDocsHelper extends DocsHelper {
     String writtenSheetUri = null;
     String writtenData = null;
@@ -64,7 +61,7 @@ public class DocsHelper_AddTrackRowTest extends TestCase {
       + "xmlns:gsx='http://schemas.google.com/spreadsheets/2006/extended'>"
       + "<gsx:name><![CDATA[trackName]]></gsx:name>"
       + "<gsx:description><![CDATA[trackDescription]]></gsx:description>"
-      + "<gsx:date><![CDATA[" + DATE_FORMAT.format(new Date(TIME)) + "]]></gsx:date>"
+      + "<gsx:date><![CDATA[" + StringUtils.formatDateTime(TIME) + "]]></gsx:date>"
       + "<gsx:totaltime><![CDATA[0:00:05]]></gsx:totaltime>"
       + "<gsx:movingtime><![CDATA[0:00:04]]></gsx:movingtime>"
       + "<gsx:distance><![CDATA[12.43]]></gsx:distance>"
diff --git a/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactoryTest.java b/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactoryTest.java
index 9c5fbfc26..a7bbf41cf 100644
--- a/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactoryTest.java
+++ b/MyTracksTest/src/com/google/android/apps/mytracks/services/DefaultTrackNameFactoryTest.java
@@ -15,12 +15,11 @@
  */
 package com.google.android.apps.mytracks.services;
 
+import com.google.android.apps.mytracks.util.StringUtils;
+
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.test.AndroidTestCase;
 
-import java.text.DateFormat;
-import java.util.Date;
-
 /**
  * Tests {@link DefaultTrackNameFactory}
  * 
@@ -52,9 +51,7 @@ public class DefaultTrackNameFactoryTest extends AndroidTestCase {
     DefaultTrackNameFactory factory =
         new MockDefaultTrackNameFactory(getContext(), true);
     
-    DateFormat formatter = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, DateFormat.SHORT);
-    assertEquals(formatter.format(new Date(TIMESTAMP)),
-        factory.newTrackName(1, TIMESTAMP));
+    assertEquals(StringUtils.formatDateTime(TIMESTAMP), factory.newTrackName(1, TIMESTAMP));
   }
 
   public void testIncrementingTrackName() {