1page.title=Tablet App Quality
2page.metaDescription=Tablets are a fast-growing part of the Android installed base that offers new opportunities for your apps.
3page.image=/distribute/images/tablet-guidelines-color.jpg
4Xnonavpage=true
5
6@jd:body
7<div id="qv-wrapper"><div id="qv">
8<h2>Checklist</h2>
9<ol>
10<li><a href="#core-app-quality">1. Test for Basic Tablet App Quality</a></li>
11<li><a href="#optimize-layouts">2. Optimize Layouts</a></li>
12<li><a href="#use-extra-space">3. Use Extra Screen Area</a></li>
13<li><a href="#use-tablet-icons">4. Use Assets Designed for Tablets</a></li>
14<li><a href="#adjust-font-sizes">5. Adjust Fonts and Touch Targets</a></li>
15<li><a href="#adjust-widgets">6. Adjust Homescreen Widgets</a></li>
16<li><a href="#offer-full-feature-set">7. Offer Full Feature Set</a></li>
17<li><a href="#android-versions">8. Target Android Versions Properly</a></li>
18<li><a href="#hardware-requirements">9. Declare Dependencies Properly</a></li>
19<li><a href="#support-screens">10. Declare Support for Tablet Screens</a></li>
20<li><a href="#google-play">11. Showcase Your Tablet UI</a></li>
21<li><a href="#google-play-best-practices">12. Follow Best Practices for Publishing in Google Play</a></li>
22
23</ol>
24<h2>Testing</h2>
25<ol>
26<li><a href="#test-environment">Setting Up a Test Environment</a></li>
27</ol>
28</div></div>
29
30<div class="todp-right-float" style="padding-right:0;margin-bottom:1em;">
31  <img src="{@docRoot}distribute/images/tablet-guidelines-color.jpg" style="width:480px;">
32</div>
33
34<p>
35  Tablets are a growing part of the Android installed base and offer new
36  opportunities for <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/stories/tablets.html">user
37  engagement and monetization</a>. The guidelines in this document will help
38  you meet the expectations of tablet users through compelling features and an
39  intuitive, well-designed UI.
40</p>
41
42<p>
43  Although the guidelines are numbered, you can approach them in any order. You
44  should address each guideline’s recommendations to the extent that they’re
45  appropriate for your app, but &mdash; in the interest of delivering the best
46  product to your customers &mdash; follow them to the greatest extent
47  possible.
48</p>
49
50<p>
51  Through the document you'll find links to resources that can
52  help you address each recommendation included.
53</p>
54
55<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="core-app-quality">1. Test for Basic Tablet App Quality</h2></div>
56
57<p>The first step in delivering a great tablet app experience is making sure
58that it meets the <em>core app quality criteria</em> for all of the devices
59and form factors that the app is targeting. For complete information, see the <a
60href="{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/core.html">Core App Quality Guidelines</a>.
61</p>
62
63<p>
64Before publishing, also ensure that your app passes the basic technical checks and launch criteria, such as:
65</p>
66
67<ul>
68  <li><a href="#android-versions">Targets appropriate Android versions</a></li>
69  <li><a href="#hardware-requirements">Specifies any hardware dependencies properly</a></li>
70  <li><a href="#support-screens">Declares support for appropriate screens</a></li>
71  <li><a href="#use-extra-space">Uses all of the available screen space</a></li>
72  <li><a href="#google-play">Screenshots are uploaded to Google Play</a></li>
73</ul>
74
75<p>If your app is already uploaded to the Google Play Developer Console, you
76  can see how it is doing against these checks
77  by visiting the <a href="#google-play-optimization-tips">Optimization
78  Tips page</a>.</p>
79
80
81<div class="headerLine">
82<h2 id="optimize-layouts">2. Optimize Layouts for Larger Screens</h2></div>
83
84<p>
85  Android makes it easy to develop an app that runs well on a wide range of
86  device screen sizes and form factors. This broad compatibility works in your
87  favor, since it helps you design a single app that you can distribute widely
88  to all of your targeted devices. However, to give your users the best
89  possible experience on each screen configuration &mdash; in particular on
90  tablets &mdash; you need to optimize your layouts and other UI components for
91  each targeted screen configuration. On tablets, optimizing your UI lets you
92  take full advantage of the additional screen available, such as to offer new
93  features, present new content, or enhance the experience in other ways to
94  deepen user engagement.
95</p>
96
97<p>
98  If you developed your app for handsets and now want to distribute it to
99  tablets, you can start by making minor adjustments to your layouts, fonts,
100  and spacing. In some cases &mdash; such as for 7-inch tablets or for a game
101  with large canvas &mdash; these adjustments may be all you need to make your
102  app look great. In other cases, such as for larger tablets, you can redesign
103  parts of your UI to replace "stretched UI" with an efficient multipane UI,
104  easier navigation, and additional content.
105</p>
106
107
108<div style="width:500px;margin:1.5em;margin-top:-16px;">
109<img src="{@docRoot}images/training/app-navigation-multiple-sizes-multipane-bad.png"
110style="padding:4px;margin-bottom:0em;">
111<p class="img-caption"><span
112style="font-weight:500;">Get rid of "stretched" UI</span>: On tablets, single-pane
113layouts lead to awkward whitespace and excessive line lengths. Use padding to
114reduce the width of UI elements and consider using multi-pane layouts.</p>
115</div>
116
117<p>Here are some suggestions:</p>
118
119
120<ul>
121  <li>Provide custom layouts as needed for <code>large</code> and
122  <code>xlarge</code> screens. You can also provide layouts that are loaded
123  based on the screen's <a href=
124  "{@docRoot}guide/practices/screens_support.html#NewQualifiers">shortest
125  dimension</a> or the <a href=
126  "{@docRoot}guide/practices/screens_support.html#NewQualifiers">minimum
127  available width and height</a>.
128  </li>
129
130  <li>At a minimum, customize dimensions such as font sizes, margins, spacing
131  for larger screens, to improve use of space and content legibility.
132  </li>
133
134  <li>Adjust positioning of UI controls so that they are easily accessible to
135  users when holding a tablet, such as toward the sides when in landscape
136  orientation.
137  </li>
138
139  <li>Padding of UI elements should normally be larger on tablets than on
140  handsets. A <a href="{@docRoot}design/style/metrics-grids.html#48dp-rhythm">
141    48dp rhythm</a> (and a 16dp grid) is recommended.
142  </li>
143
144  <li>Adequately pad text content so that it is not aligned directly along
145  screen edges. Use a minimum <code>16dp</code> padding around content near
146  screen edges.
147  </li>
148</ul>
149
150<p>In particular, make sure that your layouts do not appear "stretched"
151across the screen:</p>
152
153<ul>
154<li>Lines of text should not be excessively long &mdash; optimize for a maximum
155100 characters per line, with best results between 50 and 75.</li>
156<li>ListViews and menus should not use the full screen width.</li>
157<li>Use padding to manage the widths of onscreen elements or switch to a
158multi-pane UI for tablets (see next section).</li>
159</ul>
160
161<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
162
163<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
164  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/optimize"
165  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
166  data-cardSizes="6x3"
167  data-maxResults="6"></div>
168
169
170<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="use-extra-space">3. Take Advantage of Extra Screen Area</h2></div>
171
172<div style="width:340px;float:right;margin:1.5em;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;">
173<img src="{@docRoot}images/training/app-navigation-multiple-sizes-multipane-good.png"
174style="padding:4px;margin-bottom:0em;">
175<p class="img-caption"><span
176style="font-weight:500;">Multi-pane layouts</span> result in a better visual
177balance on tablet screens, while offering more utility and legibility.</p>
178</div>
179
180<p>Tablet screens provide significantly more screen real estate to your app,
181especially when in landscape orientation. In particular, 10-inch tablets offer a
182greatly expanded  area, but even 7-inch tablets give you more space for
183displaying content and engaging users. </p>
184
185<p>As you consider the UI of your app when running on tablets, make sure that it
186is taking full advantage of extra screen area available on tablets. Here are
187some suggestions:</p>
188
189<ul>
190<li>Look for opportunities to include additional content or use an alternative
191treatment of existing content.</li>
192<li>Use <a href="{@docRoot}design/patterns/multi-pane-layouts.html">multi-pane
193layouts</a> on tablet screens to combine single views into a compound view. This
194lets you use the additional screen area more efficiently and makes it easier for
195users to navigate your app. </li>
196<li>Plan how you want the panels of your compound views to reorganize when
197screen orientation changes.</li>
198
199<div style="width:490px;margin:1.5em auto 1.5em 0;">
200<div style="">
201<img src="{@docRoot}images/ui-ex-single-panes.png"
202style="width:490px;padding:4px;margin-bottom:0em;" align="middle">
203<img src="{@docRoot}images/ui-ex-multi-pane.png" style="width:490px;padding:4px;margin-bottom:0em;">
204<p class="image-caption" style="padding:.5em"><span
205style="font-weight:500;">Compound views</span> combine several single views from a
206handset UI <em>(above)</em> into a richer, more efficient UI for tablets
207<em>(below)</em>. </p>
208</div>
209</div>
210
211<li>While a single screen is implemented as an {@link android.app.Activity}
212subclass, consider implementing individual content panels as {@link
213android.app.Fragment} subclasses. This lets you
214maximize code reuse across different form factors and across screens that
215share content.</li>
216<li>Decide on which screen sizes you'll use a multi-pane UI, then provide the
217different layouts in the appropriate screen size buckets (such as
218<code>large</code>/<code>xlarge</code>) or minimum screen widths (such as
219<code>sw600dp</code>/<code>sw720</code>).</li>
220</ul>
221
222<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
223
224<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
225  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/extrascreen"
226  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
227  data-cardSizes="6x3,6x3,6x3"
228  data-maxResults="6"></div>
229
230<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="use-tablet-icons">4. Use Assets Designed for Tablet Screens</h2></div>
231
232<div><img src="{@docRoot}design/media/devices_displays_density@2x.png"></div>
233
234<p>To ensure your app looks its best, provide icons and other bitmap
235assets for each density in the range commonly supported by tablets. Specifically, you should
236design your icons for the action bar, notifications, and launcher according to the
237<a href="{@docRoot}design/style/iconography.html">Iconography</a> guidelines and
238provide them in multiple densities, so they appear at the appropriate size on all screens
239without blurring or other scaling artifacts.</p>
240
241<p class="table-caption"><strong>Table 1</strong>. Raw asset sizes for icon types.<table>
242<tr>
243<th>Density</th>
244<th>Launcher</th>
245<th>Action Bar</th>
246<th>Small/Contextual</th>
247<th>Notification</th>
248</tr>
249<tr>
250<td><code>mdpi</code></td>
251<td>48x48 px</td>
252<td>32x32 px</td>
253<td>16x16 px</td>
254<td>24x24 px</td>
255</tr>
256<tr>
257<td><code>hdpi</code></td>
258<td>72x72 px</td>
259<td>48x48 px</td>
260<td>24x24 px</td>
261<td>36x36 px</td>
262</tr>
263<tr>
264<td><code>tvdpi</code></td>
265<td><em>(use hdpi)</em></td>
266<td><em>(use hdpi)</em></td>
267<td><em>(use hdpi)</em></td>
268<td><em>(use hdpi)</em></td>
269</tr>
270<tr>
271<td><code>xhdpi</code></td>
272<td>96x96 px</td>
273<td>64x64 px</td>
274<td>32x32 px</td>
275<td>48x48 px</td>
276</tr>
277<tr>
278<td><code>xxhdpi</code></td>
279<td>144x144 px</td>
280<td>96x96 px</td>
281<td>48x48 px</td>
282<td>72x72 px</td>
283</tr>
284
285</table>
286
287<p>
288  As a minimum, supply a version of each icon and bitmap asset that's optimized
289  for <strong>at least one</strong> the following common tablet screen
290  densities:
291</p>
292<ul>
293  <li><code>hdpi</code></li>
294  <li><code>xhdpi</code></li>
295  <li><code>xxhdpi</code></li>
296</ul>
297
298<p>Other tips:</p>
299
300<ul>
301<li>Use vector shapes when designing icons, so they scale without loss of either detail or edge crispness.</li>
302<li>Use density-specific <a
303href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/providing-resources.html#AlternativeResources">
304resource qualifiers</a> to ensure that the proper icons are loaded for each screen density.</li>
305<li>Tablets and other large screen devices often request a launcher icon that is one density
306size larger than the device's actual density, so you should provide your launcher
307icon at the highest density possible. For example, if a tablet has an {@code xhdpi} screen,
308it will request the {@code xxhdpi} version of the launcher icon.</li>
309</ul>
310
311<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
312
313<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
314  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/assets"
315  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
316  data-cardSizes="9x3"
317  data-maxResults="6"></div>
318
319<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="adjust-font-sizes">5.
320Adjust Font Sizes and Touch Targets</h2></div>
321
322<p>To make sure your app is easy to use on tablets, take some time to adjust the
323font sizes and touch targets in your tablet UI, for all of the screen
324configurations you are targeting. You can adjust font sizes through <a
325href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/themes.html">styleable attributes</a> or <a
326href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/more-resources.html#Dimension">dimension
327resources</a>, and you can adjust touch targets through layouts and bitmap
328drawables, as discussed above. </p>
329
330<p>Here are some considerations:</p>
331<ul>
332<li>Text should not be excessively large or small on tablet screen sizes and
333densities. Make sure that labels are sized appropriately for the UI elements they
334correspond to, and ensure that there are no improper line breaks in labels,
335titles, and other elements.</li>
336<li>The recommended touch-target size for onscreen elements is 48dp (32dp
337minimum) &mdash; some adjustments may be needed in your tablet UI. Read <a
338href="{@docRoot}design/style/metrics-grids.html">Metrics and
339Grids
340</a> to learn about implementation strategies to help most of your users. To
341meet the accessibility needs of certain users, it may be appropriate to use
342larger touch targets. </li>
343<li>When possible, for smaller icons, expand the touchable area to more than
34448dp using {@link android.view.TouchDelegate}
345or just centering the icon within the transparent button.</li>
346</ul>
347
348<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
349
350<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
351  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/fonts"
352  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
353  data-cardSizes="9x3,9x3,6x3,6x3,6x3"
354  data-maxResults="6"></div>
355
356<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="adjust-widgets">6. Adjust Sizes of Home Screen Widgets</h2></div>
357
358<p>If your app includes a home screen widget, here are a few points to consider
359to ensure a great user experience on tablet screens: </p>
360
361<ul>
362<li>Set the widget's default height and width appropriately
363for tablet screens, as well as the minimum and maximum resize height and width.
364</li>
365<li>The widget should be resizable to 420dp or more, to span 5 or more home
366screen rows (if this is a vertical or square widget) or columns (if this is a
367horizontal or square widget). </li>
368<li>Make sure that 9-patch images render correctly.</li>
369<li>Use default system margins.</li>
370<li>Set the app's <code>targetSdkVersion</code> to 14 or higher, if
371possible.</li>
372</ul>
373
374<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
375
376<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
377  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/widgets"
378  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
379  data-cardSizes="6x3"
380  data-maxResults="6"></div>
381
382
383<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="offer-full-feature-set">7. Full Feature Set for Tablet Users</h2></div>
384
385<div class="centered-full-image" style="width:600px;margin:1.5em"><img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-tablets-full-feature-set.png" alt="Tablet feature sets"></div>
386
387<p>Let your tablet users experience the best features of your app. Here are
388some recommendations:</p>
389
390<ul>
391  <li>Design your app to offer at least the same set of features on tablets as
392  it does on phones.
393  </li>
394
395  <li>In exceptional cases, your app might omit or replace certain features on
396  tablets if they are not supported by the hardware or use-case of most
397  tablets. For example:
398    <ul>
399      <li>If the handset uses telephony features but telephony is not available
400      on the current tablet, you can omit or replace the related functionality.
401      </li>
402
403      <li>Many tablets have a GPS sensor, but most users would not normally
404      carry their tablets while running. If your phone app provides
405      functionality to let the user record a GPS track of their runs while
406      carrying their phones, the app would not need to provide that
407      functionality on tablets because the use-case is not compelling.
408      </li>
409    </ul>
410  </li>
411
412  <li>If you will omit a feature or capability from your tablet UI, make sure
413  that it is not accessible to users or that it offers “graceful degradation”
414  to a replacement feature (also see the section below on hardware features).
415  </li>
416</ul>
417
418<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="android-versions">8. Target Android Versions Properly</h2></div>
419
420<p>
421  To ensure the broadest possible distribution to tablets, make sure that your
422  app properly targets the Android versions that support tablets. Initial
423  support for tablets was added in <a href=
424  "{@docRoot}about/versions/android-3.0.html">Android 3.0</a> (API level 11).
425  Unified UI framework support for tablets, phones, and other devices was
426  introduced in <a href="{@docRoot}about/versions/android-4.0.html">Android
427  4.0</a>
428</p>
429
430<p>
431  You can set the app's range of targeted Android versions in the manifest
432  file, in the <a href=
433  "{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><code>&lt;uses-sdk&gt;</code></a>
434  element. In most cases, you can target Android versions properly by setting
435  the element's <code>targetSdkVersion</code> attribute to the highest API
436  level available.
437</p>
438
439<p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
440  At a minimum, check the <a href=
441  "{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><code>&lt;uses-sdk&gt;</code></a>
442  element to make sure that:
443</p>
444
445<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha;margin-top:0em;">
446  <li>
447    <code>targetSdkVersion</code> is declared with value 11 or higher (14 or
448    higher is recommended), OR
449  </li>
450
451  <li>
452    <code>minSdkVersion</code> is declared with value 11 or higher.
453  </li>
454
455  <li>If a <code>maxSdkVersion</code> attribute is declared, it must have a
456  value of 11 or higher. Note that, in general, the use of
457  <code>maxSdkVersion</code> is <em>not recommended</em>.
458  </li>
459</ol>
460
461<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
462
463<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
464  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/versions"
465  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
466  data-cardSizes="6x3"
467  data-maxResults="6"></div>
468
469<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="hardware-requirements">9. Declare Hardware Feature Dependencies Properly</h2></div>
470
471<p>
472  Handsets and tablets typically offer slightly different hardware support for
473  sensors, camera, telephony, and other features. For example, many tablets are
474  available in a "Wi-Fi" configuration that does not include telephony support.
475</p>
476
477<p>
478  So that you can distribute a single APK broadly across your full customer
479  base of phones and tablets, make sure that your app doesn't declare
480  requirements for hardware features that aren't commonly available on tablets.
481  Instead, properly declare the hardware features as <em>not required</em> in the app
482  manifest, as described below.
483</p>
484
485<ul>
486<li>In your app manifest, locate any <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html"><code>&lt;uses-feature&gt;</code></a>
487elements. In particular, look for hardware features that might not be
488available on some tablets, such as:
489
490<ul>
491<li><code>android.hardware.telephony</code></li>
492<li><code>android.hardware.camera</code> (refers to back camera), or</li>
493<li><code>android.hardware.camera.front</code></li>
494</ul></li>
495
496<li>Declare the <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html"><code>&lt;uses-feature&gt;</code></a>
497elements as <em>not required</em> by including the <code>android:required=”false”</code>
498attribute.
499
500<p>
501  For example, here's the proper way to declare a dependency on
502  <code>android.hardware.telephony</code>, such that you can still
503  distribute the app broadly, even to devices that don't offer telephony:
504</p>
505
506<pre>&lt;uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.telephony" android:required="false" /&gt;</pre></li>
507
508<li>Similarly, check the manifest for <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/permission-element.html"><code>&lt;permission&gt;</code></a> elements that
509<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html#permissions">imply hardware
510feature requirements</a> that not be appropriate for tablets. If you find such
511permissions, make sure to explicitly declare a corresponding
512<code>&lt;uses-feature&gt;</code> element for the features and includes the
513<code>android:required=”false”</code> attribute.</li>
514</ul>
515
516
517<p>
518  After declaring hardware features as <em>not required</em>, make sure to test
519  your app on a variety of devices. The app should function normally when the
520  hardware features it uses are not available, and it should offer "graceful
521  degradation" and alternative functionality where appropriate.
522</p>
523
524<p>
525  For example, if an app normally uses GPS to set the location but GPS is not
526  supported on the device, the app could let the user set the location manually
527  instead. The app can check for device hardware capabilities at runtime and handle
528  as needed.
529</p>
530
531<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
532
533<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
534  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/hardware"
535  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
536  data-cardSizes="9x3"
537  data-maxResults="6"></div>
538
539<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="support-screens">10. Declare Support for Tablet Screens</h2></div>
540
541<p>To ensure that you can distribute your app to a broad range of tablets, your app should
542declare support for tablet screen sizes in its manifest file, as follows:</p>
543
544<ul>
545  <li>A
546  <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><code>&lt;supports-screens&gt;</code></a>
547  element, if declared, must not specify <code>android:largeScreens="false"</code>
548  or <code>android:xlargeScreens="false"</code>.</li>
549  <li>For apps targeting <code>minSdkVersion</code> value less than 13, a
550  <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><code>&lt;supports-screens&gt;</code></a>
551  element must be declared with both <code>android:largeScreens="true"</code> and
552  <code>android:xlargeScreens="true"</code>.</li>
553</ul>
554
555<p>If the app declares a
556<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/compatible-screens-element.html"><code>&lt;compatible-screens&gt;</code></a>
557element in the manifest, the element should include attributes that specify
558<em>all of the size and density combinations for tablet screens</em> that the
559app supports. Note that, if possible, you should avoid using the
560<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/compatible-screens-element.html"><code>&lt;compatible-screens&gt;</code></a>
561element in your app.</p>
562
563<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
564
565<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
566  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/tabletscreens"
567  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
568  data-cardSizes="9x3,6x3,6x3"
569  data-maxResults="6"></div>
570
571
572<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="google-play">11. Showcase Your Tablet UI in Google Play</h2></div>
573
574<p>
575  After you've done the work to create an rich, optimized UI for your tablet
576  app, make sure that you let your customers know about it! Here are some key
577  ways to promote your tablet app to users on Google Play.
578</p>
579
580<div><img class="border-img" src="{@docRoot}images/gp-tablet-quality-4.jpg"></div>
581
582
583<h4>
584  Upload screenshots of your tablet UI
585</h4>
586
587<p>
588  Tablet users want to know what your app is like on a tablet device, not on a
589  phone. If you developed a tablet app, make sure to upload screenshots
590  of your tablet UI to the Google Play Developer Console. Here are some guidelines:
591  </p>
592
593<ul style="margin-top:0;">
594  <li>Show the core functionality of your app, not a
595  startup or sign-in page. Wherever users will spend most of their time, that's
596  what you should show in your screenshots.
597  </li>
598
599  <li>Add screenshots taken on both 7-inch and 10-inch tablets.
600  </li>
601
602  <li>Add screenshots taken in both landscape and
603  portrait orientations, if possible.
604  </li>
605
606  <li>Use screen captures if possible. Avoid showing actual device hardware in your
607  screenshots.</li>
608
609  <li>The recommended resolution of your tablet screenshots is <strong>1280 x 720</strong>
610  or higher in each orientation.
611  </li>
612
613  <li>Upload as many as 8 screenshots of your tablet UI for 7-inch tablets
614  and an additional 8 for 10-inch tablets.
615  </li>
616</ul>
617
618<h4>
619  Update your app description and release notes
620</h4>
621
622<ul>
623  <li>In your app description, make sure to highlight that your app offers
624  tablet-optimized UI and great features for tablet users. Add some
625  detail about how your tablet UI works and why users will like it.
626  </li>
627
628  <li>Include information about tablet support in the app's release notes and
629  update information.
630  </li>
631</ul>
632
633<h4>
634  Update your promotional video
635</h4>
636
637<p>
638  Many users view an app's promotional video to get an idea of what the app is
639  like and whether they'll enjoy it. For tablet users, capitalize on this
640  interest by highlighting your app's tablet UI in your promotional video. Here
641  are some tips and guidelines:
642</p>
643
644<ul>
645  <li>Add one or more shots of your app running on a tablet. To engage with
646  tablet users most effectively, it's recommended that you promote your tablet
647  UI in approximately equal proportion to your phone UI.
648  </li>
649
650  <li>Show your tablet UI as early as possible in the video. Don't assume that
651  tablet users will wait patiently through a feature walkthrough on a phone UI.
652  Ideally, you should engage them immediately by showing the tablet UI within
653  the first 10 seconds, or at the same point that you introduce the phone UI.
654  </li>
655
656  <li>To make it clear that you are showing a tablet UI, include shots of your
657  app running on a hand-held tablet device.
658  </li>
659
660  <li>Highlight your app's tablet UI in the video's narrative or voiceover.
661  </li>
662</ul>
663
664<h4>
665  Feature your tablet UI in your promotional campaigns
666</h4>
667
668<p>
669  Make sure to let tablet users know about your tablet UI in your promotional
670  campaigns, web site, social posts, advertisements, and elsewhere. Here are
671  some suggestions:
672</p>
673
674<ul>
675  <li>Plan a marketing or advertising campaign that highlights the use of your
676  app on tablets.</li>
677
678  <li>Show your tablet app at its best in your promotional campaigns&mdash;use the <a href=
679  "{@docRoot}distribute/tools/promote/device-art.html">Device Art Generator</a> to
680  quickly generate a high-quality promotional image of your app running on a
681  7-inch or 10-inch tablet, in the orientation of your choice, with or without
682  drop-shadow and screen glare. It's as simple as capture, drag, and drop.
683  </li>
684
685  <li>Include a Google Play badge in your online promotions to let users link
686  directly to your app's store listing. You can generate a badge in a variety
687  of languages using the <a href=
688  "{@docRoot}distribute/tools/promote/badges.html">Badge Generator</a>.
689  </li>
690</ul>
691
692<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
693
694<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
695  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/showcase"
696  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
697  data-cardSizes="9x3,9x3,9x3,9x3"
698  data-maxResults="6"></div>
699
700<div class="headerLine">
701  <h2 id="google-play-best-practices">
702    12. Follow Best Practices for Publishing in Google Play
703  </h2>
704
705
706</div>
707
708<p>
709  Here are some best practices for delivering a successful tablet app on Google
710  Play.
711</p>
712
713<div>
714  <img class="border-img" src="{@docRoot}images/gp-tablet-quality-5.jpg" style=
715  "1px solid #ddd">
716</div>
717
718<h4 id="google-play-optimization-tips">
719  Check out your app's Optimization Tips
720</h4>
721
722<p>The Google Play Developer Console now offers an Optimization Tips page that
723lets you quickly check how your app is doing against basic guidelines for tablet app
724distribution and quality. To visit the page, sign into the Developer Console,
725load the app from All Applications, and click Optimization Tips in
726the left navigation.</p>
727
728<div class="sidebox-wrapper">
729<div class="sidebox">
730<h2>How to send feedback</h2>
731
732<p>Please use the link below to send
733feedback or request a manual review of your Optimization Tips.</p>
734
735<p>Make sure to read the relevant sections of the Tablet App Quality
736Guidelines prior to sending feedback.</p>
737
738<p><strong><a href="https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/tabletq"
739target="_googleplay" style="white-space:nowrap">Designed for Tablets Contact Form &raquo;</a></strong></p>
740</div>
741</div>
742
743<p>The Developer Console creates your app's Optimization Tips page
744by running a series of checks to verify basic quality
745criteria. If it finds any issues, it alerts you to them as "To Do"
746items in the Optimization Tips page.</p>
747
748<p>If you've developed a tablet experience for your app, make sure
749to visit the Optimization Tips page to see how your app is doing
750against the basic checks.  If there are any issues listed, we
751recommend addressing them in your app and uploading a new binary for
752distribution, if needed. </p>
753
754<p>If the Optimization Tips page lists "To Do" issues that you feel don't
755apply to your app or affect its quality on tablets, please notify us
756using the <a href="https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/tabletq"
757target="_googleplay" style="white-space:nowrap">Designed for Tablets Contact Form &raquo;</a>. We
758will review your app and update your Optimization Tips page as
759appropriate.</p>
760
761
762<h4>Confirm the app's filtering</h4>
763
764<p>
765  After you've uploaded the app to the <a href=
766  "https://play.google.com/apps/publish/">Developer Console</a>, check the
767  APK's Supported Devices list to make sure that the app is not filtered from
768  tablet devices that you want to target.
769</p>
770
771<h4>Distribute as a single APK</h4>
772
773<p>
774  It's recommended that you publish your app as a single APK for all screen
775  sizes (phones and tablets), with a single Google Play listing. This approach
776  has several important advantages.
777</p>
778
779<ul style="margin-top:.25em;">
780  <li>Easier for users to find your app from search, browsing, or promotions
781  </li>
782
783  <li>Easier for users to restore your app automatically if they get a new
784  device.
785  </li>
786
787  <li>Your ratings and download stats are consolidated across all devices.
788  </li>
789
790  <li>Publishing a tablet app in a second listing can dilute ratings for your
791  brand.
792  </li>
793</ul>
794
795<p>
796  If necessary, you can alternatively choose to deliver your app using <a href=
797  "{@docRoot}google/play/publishing/multiple-apks.html">Multiple APK Support</a>,
798  although in most cases using a single APK to reach all devices is strongly
799  recommended.
800</p>
801
802<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>
803<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
804  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines/googleplay"
805  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
806  data-cardSizes="9x3"
807  data-maxResults="6"></div>
808
809
810<div class="headerLine">
811  <h2 id="test-environment">
812    Setting Up a Test Environment for Tablets
813  </h2>
814
815
816</div>
817
818<p>
819  Assess the quality of your app on tablets — both for core app quality and
820  tablet app quality &mdash; with a suitable hardware or emulator environment
821  for testing.
822</p>
823
824<p>
825  Compared to the <a href=
826  "{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/core.html#test-environment">recommended
827  test environment</a> for testing against the core app quality criteria,
828  include mid-size tablets and tablets with more or fewer hardware/software
829  features.
830</p>
831
832<p class="table-caption"><strong>Table 1</strong>. A typical tablet test environment might
833include one or two devices from each row in the table below, with one of the
834listed platform versions, screen configurations, and hardware feature configurations.</p>
835
836<table>
837<tr>
838<th>Type</th>
839<th>Size</th>
840<th>Density</th>
841<th>Version</th>
842<th>AVD Skin</th>
843</tr>
844
845<tr>
846<td>7-inch tablet</td>
847<td><span style="white-space:nowrap"><code>large</code> or</span><br /><code>-sw600</code></td>
848<td><code>hdpi</code>,<br /><code>tvdpi</code></td>
849<td>Android 4.0+ (API level 14 and higher)</td>
850<td>WXGA800-7in</td>
851</tr>
852<tr>
853<td><span style="white-space:nowrap">10-inch</span> tablet</td>
854<td><span style="white-space:nowrap"><code>xlarge</code> or</span><br /><code>-sw800</code></td>
855<td><code>mdpi</code>,<br /><code>hdpi</code>,<br /><code>xhdpi</code></td>
856<td>Android 3.2+ (API level 13 and higher)</td>
857<td>WXGA800</td>
858</tr>
859</table>
860
861<div class="headerLine"><h2 id="related-resources">Related Resources</h2></div>
862
863<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
864  data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/tabletguidelines"
865  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
866  data-cardSizes="9x3"
867  data-maxResults="6"></div>