id	summary	reporter	owner	description	type	status	component	version	severity	resolution	keywords	cc	stage	has_patch	needs_docs	needs_tests	needs_better_patch	easy	ui_ux
37083	Add opt-in HTML5 date/time input types for form widgets	Denny Biasiolli		"
== Summary

Django's `DateInput`, `TimeInput`, and `DateTimeInput` widgets currently render `<input type=""text"">` unconditionally.
Modern browsers provide native date and time pickers via `<input type=""date"">`, `<input type=""time"">`, which offer a significantly better user experience—especially on mobile devices—without requiring any JavaScript.

The Django admin's `vDateField` and `vTimeField` rely on custom JavaScript (`DateTimeShortcuts.js`) to provide calendar and clock popups. While functional, these are less accessible and less consistent across platforms than the native browser pickers.

My idea is to add a new global setting, `USE_HTML5_DATE_INPUT`, that when set to `True`, switches these widgets to their HTML5 counterparts on an opt-in basis.

The end goal it to go back on this ticket (https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/29822) after (if) the current one gets approved/merged.

== Motivation

- **Better mobile UX**: Native pickers are touch-friendly and consistent with OS conventions. The current JS-based popups are difficult to use on small screens.
- **Accessibility**: Browser-native pickers are built with accessibility in mind (keyboard navigation, screen reader support) out of the box.
- **Reduced JS overhead**: When native pickers are used, the admin's `calendar.js` and `DateTimeShortcuts.js` become unnecessary for date/time fields.
- **Gradual rollout**: Defaulting to `False` ensures zero breaking changes. Projects can opt in when ready and validate behavior before committing."	Cleanup/optimization	new	Forms	6.0	Normal		datetime, date, time, inputs, admin, forms	Denny Biasiolli	Unreviewed	0	0	0	0	0	1