The ten-foot experience
Android TV apps are used from a couch with a remote (d-pad) in hand. There's no touchscreen, so navigation is directional — up, down, left, right, select — and every element the user can land on needs a clear, visible focus state.
Content and readability come first. Text and controls have to be legible from across a room, browsing has to feel effortless with a few button presses, and the layout is built around rows of content the user scans, not the dense grids that work on a phone.
- D-pad-first navigation with obvious focus and predictable movement
- Leanback-style content rows and browse layouts for easy scanning
- Large, high-contrast typography readable at ten feet
- Content discovery on the Android TV home screen (channels and recommendations)
- Support for TV remotes, game controllers, and voice search
What we build for TV
For media apps, playback quality is the product: reliable streaming, correct video/audio handling, resume-where-you-left-off, and integration with the platform's content rows so your titles show up on the home screen. We build these with Android's media and TV libraries rather than reinventing the player.
TV apps also go through their own Play review track with TV-specific requirements — d-pad operability, banner assets, and no reliance on touch. We prepare the app and listing to meet those so it's eligible on the Play Store for TV.
- Robust video/audio playback with resume, captions, and quality selection
- Home-screen channels and recommendations to surface your content
- TV-specific Play Store assets and d-pad operability for review
- Focus-driven UI built with Compose for TV or the Leanback library
- Voice search and controller support where it fits the app
More on android apps
Frequently asked questions
Can my phone app run on Android TV as-is?
No. TV apps must be fully operable with a d-pad remote and designed for a large, distant screen. They can share your backend and content, but the TV interface is built specifically for the ten-foot experience.
Is Android TV the same as Google TV and Chromecast?
They're closely related — Google TV is Google's interface layered on the Android TV platform, and newer Chromecast devices run it. An app built for Android TV targets that ecosystem. We'll confirm the exact devices you want to reach during scoping.
Do I need a media/streaming app to bother with TV?
Media is the most common fit, but TV also suits games, fitness, and content-browsing apps. If your value works on a big screen with a remote, it's worth considering. Tell us your idea and we'll give you a candid opinion.