diff --git a/core/java/android/text/format/DateUtils.java b/core/java/android/text/format/DateUtils.java
index 1060bd84d1f6c..bcce61dc00aab 100644
--- a/core/java/android/text/format/DateUtils.java
+++ b/core/java/android/text/format/DateUtils.java
@@ -606,6 +606,30 @@ public class DateUtils
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return given duration in a human-friendly format. For example, "4
+     * minutes" or "1 second". Returns only largest meaningful unit of time,
+     * from seconds up to hours.
+     *
+     * @hide
+     */
+    public static CharSequence formatDuration(long millis) {
+        final Resources res = Resources.getSystem();
+        if (millis >= HOUR_IN_MILLIS) {
+            final int hours = (int) ((millis + 1800000) / HOUR_IN_MILLIS);
+            return res.getQuantityString(
+                    com.android.internal.R.plurals.duration_hours, hours, hours);
+        } else if (millis >= MINUTE_IN_MILLIS) {
+            final int minutes = (int) ((millis + 30000) / MINUTE_IN_MILLIS);
+            return res.getQuantityString(
+                    com.android.internal.R.plurals.duration_minutes, minutes, minutes);
+        } else {
+            final int seconds = (int) ((millis + 500) / SECOND_IN_MILLIS);
+            return res.getQuantityString(
+                    com.android.internal.R.plurals.duration_seconds, seconds, seconds);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Formats an elapsed time in the form "MM:SS" or "H:MM:SS"
      * for display on the call-in-progress screen.
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/strings.xml b/core/res/res/values/strings.xml
index 57b5e4944efff..d1a7703d7138c 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -2840,6 +2840,21 @@
     <!-- Appened to express the value is this unit of time. -->
     <string name="years">years</string>
 
+    <!-- Phrase describing a time duration using seconds [CHAR LIMIT=16] -->
+    <plurals name="duration_seconds">
+        <item quantity="one">1 second</item>
+        <item quantity="other"><xliff:g id="count">%d</xliff:g> seconds</item>
+    </plurals>
+    <!-- Phrase describing a time duration using minutes [CHAR LIMIT=16] -->
+    <plurals name="duration_minutes">
+        <item quantity="one">1 minute</item>
+        <item quantity="other"><xliff:g id="count">%d</xliff:g> minutes</item>
+    </plurals>
+    <!-- Phrase describing a time duration using hours [CHAR LIMIT=16] -->
+    <plurals name="duration_hours">
+        <item quantity="one">1 hour</item>
+        <item quantity="other"><xliff:g id="count">%d</xliff:g> hours</item>
+    </plurals>
 
     <!-- Title for error alert when a video cannot be played.  it can be used by any app. -->
     <string name="VideoView_error_title">Video problem</string>
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml b/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
index 68587321b2078..1d29d8ce2b359 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
@@ -870,6 +870,9 @@
   <java-symbol type="plurals" name="abbrev_num_hours_ago" />
   <java-symbol type="plurals" name="abbrev_num_minutes_ago" />
   <java-symbol type="plurals" name="abbrev_num_seconds_ago" />
+  <java-symbol type="plurals" name="duration_hours" />
+  <java-symbol type="plurals" name="duration_minutes" />
+  <java-symbol type="plurals" name="duration_seconds" />
   <java-symbol type="plurals" name="in_num_days" />
   <java-symbol type="plurals" name="in_num_hours" />
   <java-symbol type="plurals" name="in_num_minutes" />
diff --git a/core/tests/coretests/src/android/text/format/DateUtilsTest.java b/core/tests/coretests/src/android/text/format/DateUtilsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cf42bb1c003a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tests/coretests/src/android/text/format/DateUtilsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package android.text.format;
+
+import android.test.suitebuilder.annotation.SmallTest;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+public class DateUtilsTest extends TestCase {
+    @SmallTest
+    public void testFormatDurationSeconds() throws Exception {
+        assertEquals("0 seconds", DateUtils.formatDuration(0));
+        assertEquals("0 seconds", DateUtils.formatDuration(1));
+        assertEquals("0 seconds", DateUtils.formatDuration(499));
+        assertEquals("1 second", DateUtils.formatDuration(500));
+        assertEquals("1 second", DateUtils.formatDuration(1000));
+        assertEquals("2 seconds", DateUtils.formatDuration(1500));
+    }
+
+    @SmallTest
+    public void testFormatDurationMinutes() throws Exception {
+        assertEquals("59 seconds", DateUtils.formatDuration(59000));
+        assertEquals("60 seconds", DateUtils.formatDuration(59500));
+        assertEquals("1 minute", DateUtils.formatDuration(60000));
+        assertEquals("2 minutes", DateUtils.formatDuration(120000));
+    }
+
+    @SmallTest
+    public void testFormatDurationHours() throws Exception {
+        assertEquals("59 minutes", DateUtils.formatDuration(3540000));
+        assertEquals("1 hour", DateUtils.formatDuration(3600000));
+        assertEquals("48 hours", DateUtils.formatDuration(172800000));
+    }
+}