Number Duration Input

[trasbd]

Describe the enhancement

The input for entities with a number domain and device_class: duration should support a structured time format (HH:MM:SS or similar) instead of requiring a single decimal value.

Possible interfaces could be

• Segmented inputs (hours / minutes / seconds), or
• A single formatted field that parses time input (e.g., 1:20, 00:01:20)

There should be an option or setting (similar in concept to the existing precision attribute and possible integrated using the number's mode attribute) that allows the user or integration to control how the value is entered and displayed. Either this new proposed segemented interface or the current decimal based.

Use cases

This improvement is important for both accuracy and usability:

Precision:

• Time is effectively base-60, but decimal input is base-10. Many time values result in repeating decimals, which introduces rounding errors and loss of precision.

User experience:

• Users naturally think in hours, minutes, and seconds—not decimal minutes. Entering values like 1.3333333 is unintuitive and error-prone.

Data consistency & analytics:

• Structured input avoids rounding discrepancies and improves reliability when calculating averages, totals, or statistics over time.

Visual examples

Displayed is the current UI with the accuracy issue. Currently some integration's workaround is to use the time entity. time visually has the desired format but only if a 24-hour clock is used. The non 24-hour time used as duration is also pictured below.

Anything else?

I think the parsing of the input for a segmented duration is already in the frontend, but I could be reading it wrong.
https://github.com/home-assistant/frontend/blob/dev/src/components/ha-duration-input.ts

Honestly I'm thinking it should be like entering a cook time on a microwave.

[karwosts]

Possibly duplicate or closely related to https://github.com/orgs/home-assistant/discussions/804

[trasbd]

Related, I am talking strickly about user interface. Not a helper.