diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/Message.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/Message.tsx
index 53046c75c..6a5657f08 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/Message.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/Message.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import MessageToggleIcon from 'components/common/Icons/MessageToggleIcon';
 import IconButtonWrapper from 'components/common/Icons/IconButtonWrapper';
 import { Dropdown, DropdownItem } from 'components/common/Dropdown';
 import { ActionDropdownItem } from 'components/common/ActionComponent';
-import { formatTimestamp } from 'lib/dateTimeHelpers';
+import { formatTimestamp, timeAgo } from 'lib/dateTimeHelpers';
 import { JSONPath } from 'jsonpath-plus';
 import Ellipsis from 'components/common/Ellipsis/Ellipsis';
 import WarningRedIcon from 'components/common/Icons/WarningRedIcon';
@@ -130,13 +130,14 @@ const Message: React.FC<Props> = ({
         <td>{offset}</td>
         <td>{partition}</td>
         <td>
-          <div>
-            {formatTimestamp({
+          <Tooltip
+            value={timeAgo(timestamp)}
+            content={formatTimestamp({
               timestamp,
               timezone: currentTimezone.value,
               withMilliseconds: true,
             })}
-          </div>
+          />
         </td>
         <S.DataCell title={key}>
           <Ellipsis text={renderFilteredJson(key, keyFilters)}>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/__test__/Message.spec.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/__test__/Message.spec.tsx
index b9fd58b51..6d5763a08 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/__test__/Message.spec.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Topics/Topic/Messages/__test__/Message.spec.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { render } from 'lib/testHelpers';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import useAppParams from 'lib/hooks/useAppParams';
 import { TopicActionsProvider } from 'components/contexts/TopicActionsContext';
-import { formatTimestamp } from 'lib/dateTimeHelpers';
+import { timeAgo } from 'lib/dateTimeHelpers';
 import { getDefaultActionMessage } from 'components/common/ActionComponent/ActionComponent';
 import { UserInfoRolesAccessContext } from 'components/contexts/UserInfoRolesAccessContext';
 import { RolesType } from 'lib/permissions';
@@ -78,12 +78,7 @@ describe('Message component', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText(mockMessage.value as string)).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText(mockMessage.key as string)).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(
-      screen.getByText(
-        formatTimestamp({
-          timestamp: mockMessage.timestamp,
-          withMilliseconds: true,
-        })
-      )
+      screen.getByText(timeAgo(mockMessage.timestamp))
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText(mockMessage.offset.toString())).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/__test__/dateTimeHelpers.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/__test__/dateTimeHelpers.spec.ts
index c34371452..cda843681 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/__test__/dateTimeHelpers.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/__test__/dateTimeHelpers.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {
   passedTime,
   calculateTimer,
   formatMilliseconds,
+  timeAgo,
 } from 'lib/dateTimeHelpers';
 
 const startedAt = 1664891890889;
@@ -49,3 +50,60 @@ describe('calculate timer', () => {
     expect(calculateTimer(1664891890889199)).toBe('00:00');
   });
 });
+
+describe('timeAgo', () => {
+  it('returns empty string for undefined timestamp', () => {
+    expect(timeAgo(undefined)).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  it('returns empty string for invalid date', () => {
+    expect(timeAgo('invalid-date')).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  it('returns "just now" for timestamps within 1 second', () => {
+    const now = new Date();
+    expect(timeAgo(now)).toBe('just now');
+  });
+
+  it('returns seconds ago for timestamps within a minute', () => {
+    const thirtySecondsAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 30 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(thirtySecondsAgo)).toBe('30 seconds ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns "1 minute ago" for timestamps around 1 minute old', () => {
+    const oneMinuteAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 60 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(oneMinuteAgo)).toBe('1 minute ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns minutes ago for timestamps within an hour', () => {
+    const twentyMinutesAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 20 * 60 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(twentyMinutesAgo)).toBe('20 minutes ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns "1 hour ago" for timestamps around 1 hour old', () => {
+    const oneHourAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(oneHourAgo)).toBe('1 hour ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns hours ago for timestamps within a day', () => {
+    const threeHoursAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 3 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(threeHoursAgo)).toBe('3 hours ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns "1 day ago" for timestamps around 1 day old', () => {
+    const oneDayAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(oneDayAgo)).toBe('1 day ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns days ago for timestamps within 30 days', () => {
+    const fiveDaysAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 5 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    expect(timeAgo(fiveDaysAgo)).toBe('5 days ago');
+  });
+
+  it('returns formatted date for timestamps older than 30 days', () => {
+    const sixtyDaysAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 60 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    const result = timeAgo(sixtyDaysAgo);
+    // Should return a locale date string, not "X days ago"
+    expect(result).not.toContain('days ago');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/dateTimeHelpers.ts b/frontend/src/lib/dateTimeHelpers.ts
index 52caa08ba..141ab4a7d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/dateTimeHelpers.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/dateTimeHelpers.ts
@@ -77,3 +77,43 @@ export const calculateTimer = (startedAt: number) => {
 
   return `${passedTime(minutes)}:${passedTime(seconds)}`;
 };
+
+export const timeAgo = (
+  timestamp: number | string | Date | undefined
+): string => {
+  if (!timestamp) {
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  const date = new Date(timestamp);
+  if (Number.isNaN(date.getTime())) {
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  const now = new Date();
+  const diffMs = now.getTime() - date.getTime();
+  const diffSeconds = Math.floor(diffMs / 1000);
+  const diffMinutes = Math.floor(diffSeconds / 60);
+  const diffHours = Math.floor(diffMinutes / 60);
+  const diffDays = Math.floor(diffHours / 24);
+
+  if (diffSeconds < 60) {
+    return diffSeconds <= 1 ? 'just now' : `${diffSeconds} seconds ago`;
+  }
+
+  if (diffMinutes < 60) {
+    return diffMinutes === 1 ? '1 minute ago' : `${diffMinutes} minutes ago`;
+  }
+
+  if (diffHours < 24) {
+    return diffHours === 1 ? '1 hour ago' : `${diffHours} hours ago`;
+  }
+
+  if (diffDays < 30) {
+    return diffDays === 1 ? '1 day ago' : `${diffDays} days ago`;
+  }
+
+  // Fall back to formatted date for older timestamps
+  const language = navigator.language || navigator.languages[0];
+  return date.toLocaleDateString(language);
+};