JDK Locale Format Retirement and the Enable ICU Locale Formats Salesforce Release Update

While Salesforce recommends that you test and Adopt The ICU Locale Formats release update, we don’t plan to enforce it at this time. This update was first made available in Winter ’20. Orgs that haven’t already switched to the International Components for Unicode (ICU) locale formats are encouraged to manually update. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1) How can I check if International Components for Unicode (ICU) locale formats have been enabled in my org?

Visit Salesforce Help to Determine Whether Your Org Uses ICU or JDK Locale Formats.

2) My org has Apex Classes, Apex Triggers and Visualforce Pages that use API versions below 45.0. If I manually enable the ICU locale format on my org, but don’t update these components to version 45.0 or later, what’s the impact on my org?
If you update the API version of a component, it will start to use ICU instead of Oracle's Java Development Kit (JDK) once the ICU locale formats are enabled in the org.  If you don't update the API version of other classes or custom UI components, then they will continue to use the JDK. This could result in an inconsistent user experience whereby the custom UI is displaying JDK formats based on the user's locale and the standard UI components are displaying ICU formats based on the user's locale.

3) What’s the impact of my org remaining on Oracle's Java Development Kit (JDK}?

While no immediate changes or issues are anticipated, we're analyzing the long-term implications for orgs that continue to use JDK locale formats. To mitigate potential disruptions that could arise from changes in JDK support, ensure that your code utilizes locale-neutral methods. To learn more, see Custom Code and Locale Format Changes in Salesforce Help.

4) The scheduled enforcement date says Summer '26 on the Release Update tile. Why?

The enforcement date will be removed from the release update tile with the Spring ‘26 release.

5) My org is using JDK. What action should I take?
Visit Salesforce Help and follow the steps to Adopt the ICU Locale Formats. The content provides considerations and instructions to help you determine how the new locales affect you.

As with all major changes, we recommend testing the new ICU locale formats in a sandbox. Salesforce Help also provides guidance on updating and testing the new formats.

6) Can I defer this change?
Salesforce does not enable this Release Update at this time. When you’re ready, enable ICU locale formats manually. Refer to What’s the impact of my org remaining on JDK? section to understand the impact of deferral. 

7) When are ICU locale formats going to be enabled on my org?
Salesforce won’t automatically enable ICU locale formats in your org. When you’re ready, manually complete the release update. Learn how to enable ICU locale formats manually in Salesforce Help.

8) How do I adopt the ICU locale formats?
Visit Salesforce Help to learn how to enable ICU locale formats

9) Does enabling the ‘multicurrency’ feature override locale specific formats for negative currency amounts?

Yes. The Negative Values Displayed In A Currency Field Salesforce Help article explains how the locale specific formats for negative currencies outlined here can be overridden when multiple currencies are enabled.

10) Does a workaround exist for Excel not recognizing the datetime field as a Date Field and limiting sort/filter functionality?

When using one of the English locales, such as English (United States) en_US, there is a comma between date and time. Example: 1/28/2008 4:30PM with JDK will be 1/28/2008, 4:30PM with the ICU locale formats. In the Salesforce Reports app, when you click on the Date column, it sorts the field as date. However, after you export the report to Excel, it is considered as a text field. As a result, it sorts using "String" comparison, instead of “Date” comparison. By removing commas (e.g. Replace All in Excel), fields can be sorted as date.

11) How do I disable ICU locale formats? 

Navigate to Setup, and enter User Interface in the Quick Find box. Scroll down the list of User Interface options, and then select the User Interface option located at the bottom of the menu. Deselect Enable ICU formats for en_CA checkbox. Next, in the Quick Find box, enter Release Updates, and then select Release Updates. For the Enable ICU Locale Formats release update, click Get Started or View Update. Click Disable Test Run.

Join the conversation in the ICU Locale Formats Adoption Trailblazer Community group.

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