diff --git a/src/components/whats-new-dialog.test.tsx b/src/components/whats-new-dialog.test.tsx
index d71e6ea..a32c521 100644
--- a/src/components/whats-new-dialog.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/whats-new-dialog.test.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ import { LATEST_RELEASE } from "@/lib/release-notes";
 
 const SEEN_KEY = "wfdash-whats-new-seen";
 
+/**
+ * Any date that could reach the popup: the ISO shape ("2026-11-01"), the
+ * "1 Nov 2026" shape, and the "November 1, 2026" shape.
+ */
+const DATE_PATTERN =
+  /\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}|\d{1,2}\s+(Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec)\s+\d{4}|(Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec)[a-z]*\s+\d{1,2},?\s+\d{4}/i;
+
 describe("WhatsNewButton", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     window.localStorage.clear();
@@ -25,11 +32,13 @@ describe("WhatsNewButton", () => {
     // onOpenChange would leave the badge lit forever.
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "What's New" }));
 
-    expect(window.localStorage.getItem(SEEN_KEY)).toBe(LATEST_RELEASE.version);
+    expect(window.localStorage.getItem(SEEN_KEY)).toBe(
+      String(LATEST_RELEASE.release)
+    );
   });
 
   it("does not flag a release the operator has already read", () => {
-    window.localStorage.setItem(SEEN_KEY, LATEST_RELEASE.version);
+    window.localStorage.setItem(SEEN_KEY, String(LATEST_RELEASE.release));
     render(<WhatsNewButton />);
 
     expect(screen.queryByTestId("whats-new-badge")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
@@ -42,4 +51,28 @@ describe("WhatsNewButton", () => {
 
     expect(await screen.findByText(LATEST_RELEASE.title)).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it("identifies the release by number and commit", async () => {
+    render(<WhatsNewButton />);
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "What's New" }));
+
+    expect(
+      await screen.findByText(`Release ${LATEST_RELEASE.release}`)
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText(LATEST_RELEASE.commit)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("never shows a date in the popup", async () => {
+    render(<WhatsNewButton />);
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "What's New" }));
+
+    await screen.findByText(LATEST_RELEASE.title);
+
+    // The whole component is on the page here — the button and the
+    // portalled dialog — so this covers every string the popup can put
+    // on screen.
+    expect(document.body.textContent ?? "").not.toMatch(DATE_PATTERN);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/whats-new-dialog.tsx b/src/components/whats-new-dialog.tsx
index 2c224fc..8b8bd80 100644
--- a/src/components/whats-new-dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/whats-new-dialog.tsx
@@ -17,22 +17,24 @@ import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
  * What's New — a button in the sidebar that opens a popup of the
  * releases that have landed since the operator last looked.
  *
- * "Seen" is tracked in localStorage against the latest version string.
- * Bump the version in src/lib/release-notes.ts and the button lights up
+ * Each release is identified by its number and by the commit it went out
+ * with. Nothing in here carries a date: the date formatter that used to
+ * sit next to the release label is gone, so a date cannot reach the
+ * screen even by accident.
+ *
+ * "Seen" is tracked in localStorage against the latest release number.
+ * Add a new entry in src/lib/release-notes.ts and the button lights up
  * again for everyone — no server round-trip, no account state.
  */
 
 const SEEN_KEY = "wfdash-whats-new-seen";
 
-function formatDate(iso: string): string {
-  const d = new Date(`${iso}T00:00:00`);
-  if (Number.isNaN(d.getTime())) return iso;
-  return d.toLocaleDateString("en-ZA", {
-    day: "numeric",
-    month: "short",
-    year: "numeric",
-  });
-}
+/**
+ * The "seen" marker for the newest release. It is the release number, so
+ * adding a new entry in src/lib/release-notes.ts is what re-notifies every
+ * operator.
+ */
+const LATEST_MARKER = String(LATEST_RELEASE.release);
 
 export function WhatsNewButton({ className }: { className?: string }) {
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
@@ -57,14 +59,14 @@ export function WhatsNewButton({ className }: { className?: string }) {
 
   const markSeen = useCallback(() => {
     try {
-      window.localStorage.setItem(SEEN_KEY, LATEST_RELEASE.version);
+      window.localStorage.setItem(SEEN_KEY, LATEST_MARKER);
     } catch {
       /* ignore */
     }
-    setState((s) => ({ ...s, seen: LATEST_RELEASE.version }));
+    setState((s) => ({ ...s, seen: LATEST_MARKER }));
   }, []);
 
-  const isNew = state.mounted && state.seen !== LATEST_RELEASE.version;
+  const isNew = state.mounted && state.seen !== LATEST_MARKER;
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ export function WhatsNewButton({ className }: { className?: string }) {
           <div className="overflow-y-auto px-6 py-4">
             <ol className="space-y-5">
               {RELEASE_NOTES.map((release, i) => (
-                <li key={release.version} className="space-y-2">
+                <li key={release.release} className="space-y-2">
                   <div className="flex items-baseline gap-2">
                     <span
                       className={cn(
@@ -121,10 +123,10 @@ export function WhatsNewButton({ className }: { className?: string }) {
                           : "bg-muted text-muted-foreground"
                       )}
                     >
-                      {release.version}
+                      Release {release.release}
                     </span>
-                    <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                      {formatDate(release.date)}
+                    <span className="font-mono text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+                      {release.commit}
                     </span>
                   </div>
                   <p className="text-sm font-medium">{release.title}</p>
diff --git a/src/lib/release-notes.ts b/src/lib/release-notes.ts
index 078408a..b2cc70b 100644
--- a/src/lib/release-notes.ts
+++ b/src/lib/release-notes.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * What's New — the release-note registry behind the Settings page popup.
+ * What's New — the release-note registry behind the sidebar popup.
  *
  * A plain data file, newest first. There's no changelog table and no
  * fetch: the notes are written by hand when a release goes out, and the
@@ -7,18 +7,20 @@
  * client-side (it opens instantly, works offline) and means the copy
  * stays deliberate rather than being generated from commit messages.
  *
- * To publish a release: add an entry at the top of the array. The
- * version string is the "seen" marker — bumping it is what makes the
- * What's New button light up for every operator again.
+ * A release is identified by its number and by the commit it went out
+ * with. There are no dates on screen — `date` is kept here only so the
+ * author can see which window of commits a release covers while writing
+ * it, and it is deliberately never rendered.
+ *
+ * To publish a release:
+ *   1. merge the work, then take the short SHA — `git log --oneline -1`
+ *   2. add an entry at the top of the array with the next release number
+ *   3. the release number is the "seen" marker, so bumping it is what
+ *      makes the What's New button light up for every operator again
  */
 
 export interface ReleaseNote {
-  /** Version marker. Bumped to re-notify operators. */
-  version: string;
-  /**
-   * Release number. 1 = the first release. This replaces the date-shaped
-   * `version` string and becomes the "seen" marker.
-   */
+  /** Release number. 1 = the first release. Also the "seen" marker. */
   release: number;
   /** Short SHA of the commit this release went out with. */
   commit: string;
@@ -35,7 +37,6 @@ export interface ReleaseNote {
 
 export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseNote[] = [
   {
-    version: "2026.11.01",
     release: 5,
     commit: "139ea25",
     date: "2026-11-01",
@@ -49,7 +50,6 @@ export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseNote[] = [
     ],
   },
   {
-    version: "2026.10.30",
     release: 4,
     commit: "83aec14",
     date: "2026-10-30",
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseNote[] = [
     ],
   },
   {
-    version: "2026.10.28",
     release: 3,
     commit: "3eea87e",
     date: "2026-10-28",
@@ -73,7 +72,6 @@ export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseNote[] = [
     ],
   },
   {
-    version: "2026.10.26",
     release: 2,
     commit: "b212d0f",
     date: "2026-10-26",
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseNote[] = [
     ],
   },
   {
-    version: "2026.10.24",
     release: 1,
     commit: "55cc7fa",
     date: "2026-10-24",