Why a tablet needs its own layout
A phone app blown up to tablet size wastes the screen — oversized text, lonely single columns, and controls stranded in corners. Tablets (and large foldables) call for adaptive layouts that reorganize as the screen grows, not just scale.
Google now weights large-screen quality in Play, and reviewers increasingly expect apps to behave well on tablets, foldables, and Chromebooks. A proper tablet experience isn't just polish; it affects how your app is presented and rated on big screens.
- Adaptive layouts that switch to multi-pane views on wide screens (list + detail side by side)
- Support for split-screen and multi-window, so your app shares the screen gracefully
- Foldable awareness — continuity across fold/unfold and hinge-aware layouts
- Keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and stylus support for tablet and Chromebook use
- Correct handling of orientation changes without losing state
How we build for large screens
We design against Android's window size classes (compact, medium, expanded) so one app responds sensibly from phone to tablet to desktop-sized windows. Jetpack Compose makes this adaptive approach considerably cleaner than the old layout system.
We test on real large-screen form factors — tablets, foldables, and Chromebooks — because emulators don't catch everything about how people actually hold and use these devices.
- Window size classes driving list-detail and multi-pane patterns
- Compose-based adaptive UI that reflows instead of stretching
- Real-device testing on tablets, foldables, and Chromebooks
- Larger touch targets and reachable controls tuned for tablet ergonomics
- One codebase serving phone and tablet, so you're not maintaining two apps
More on android apps
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate app for tablets?
No. The right approach is one adaptive app that responds to screen size, not two separate builds. That keeps maintenance simple while giving tablet users a layout that actually fits their screen.
Does tablet support really matter if most of my users are on phones?
It depends on your audience, but even a phone-first app benefits from behaving well in split-screen, on foldables, and on Chromebooks — and Google factors large-screen quality into how your app is surfaced. If tablets are a real part of your market, it matters a lot.
Can you make my existing phone app tablet-friendly?
Usually yes. We assess how your current app is laid out and where adaptive layouts can be introduced. Some apps need modest changes; others benefit from reworking key screens. A consultation will tell us which.