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Commit 1b361d90 authored by Joe Fernandez's avatar Joe Fernandez
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docs: Android TV publishing requirements 

Change-Id: If1105cb596934034a7156b573c99905bbe6c4978
parent fc95c477

docs/html/preview/preview_toc.cs

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        Hardware Features</a></li>

      <li><a href="<?cs var:toroot ?>preview/tv/adt-1/index.html">

        ADT-1</a></li>

      <li><a href="<?cs var:toroot ?>preview/tv/publish/index.html">

        Publishing TV Apps</a></li>

    </ul>

  </li>

docs/html/preview/tv/design/index.jd

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  experience. It's important to understand how your app is presented in the main user interface and

  how your app can help users get to the content they want quickly.</p>



<p class="note">

  <strong>Important:</strong> There are specific requirements your app must meet in order to

  qualify as an Android TV app on Google Play. For more information, see the requirements listed

  in <a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/publish/index.html">Publishing TV Apps</a>.

</p>



<h2>Home Screen</h2>

docs/html/preview/tv/games/index.jd

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@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ developers. These areas include its large size, its control scheme, and the fact 
players are viewing it simultaneously.</p>





<h2 id=display>Display</h2>

<h2 id="display">Display</h2>

<p>The two main things to keep in mind when developing games for the TV screen are its nature as a

shared display and the need to design your game for a landscape orientation.</p>

<h3>Shared display</h3>
@@ -105,14 +105,48 @@ Controllers"</a>. Specific information about Bluetooth connections is at <a 
href="http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/bluetooth.html">Bluetooth</a>.</p>



<h2 id="manifest">Manifest</h2>

<p>Games are displayed in a separate row from regular apps in the launcher. Android TV uses the

<code>android:isGame</code> flag to differentiate games from non-game apps. You can assign it a

value of either <code>true</code> or <code>false</code>. For example:</p>

<pre class="fragment">&lt;application&gt;



<p>

  Games are displayed in a separate row from regular apps in the launcher. Android TV uses the

  <code>android:isGame</code> attribute to differentiate games from non-game apps. Set this value

  to <code>true</code> in your game's app manifest, as shown in the following code example:

</p>



<pre class="fragment">

&lt;application&gt;

  ...

&lt; android:isGame=["true" | "false"] &gt;

  &lt; meta-data android:name="isGame" android:value="true" &gt;

  ...

&lt;/application&gt;</pre>

&lt;/application&gt;

</pre>





<h3 id="gamepad">Game Controllers</h3>



<p>

  Games controllers may not be available or active for users of a TV device. In order to properly

  inform users that your game requires (or just supports) a game controller, you must include

  entries in the app manifest. If your game requires a game controller, you must include the

  following entry in your app manifest:

</p>



<pre>

  &lt;uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.gamepad"/&gt;

</pre>



<p>

  If your game uses, but does not require, a game controller, include the following feature

  entry in your app manifest:

</p>



<pre>

  &lt;uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.gamepad" android:required="false"/&gt;

</pre>



<p>For more information about manifest entries, see

  <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-intro.html">App Manifest</a>.

</p>





<h2 id="gpgs">Google Play Game Services</h2>

<p>If your game integrates Google Play Game Services, you should keep in mind a number of

docs/html/preview/tv/publish/index.jd

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page.title=Publishing TV Apps

page.tags="requirements","usability"



@jd:body



<div id="qv-wrapper">

<div id="qv">

  <h2>In this document</h2>

  <ol>

    <li><a href="#requirements">Publishing Requirements for TV Apps</a>

      <ol>

        <li><a href="#requirements-manifest">Manifest Requirements</a></li>

        <li><a href="#requirements-usability">Usability Requirements</a></li>

      </ol>

    </li>

    <li><a href="#faq">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li>

  </ol>

</div>

</div>



<p>

  Apps for TV devices can be published like other Android apps. You must prepare your app for

  release and then you can publish it through <a href=

  "{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/index.html">Google Play</a>. In order for your app to be

  accepted as a TV app in Google Play, it must meet some additional requirements, which are covered

  in this document.

</p>



<p class="note">

  <strong>Note:</strong> You will not be able to publish apps to TV devices through <a href=

  "{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/index.html">Google Play</a> until Android L SDK is released.

</p>





<h2 id="requirements">Publishing Requirements for TV Apps</h2>



<p>

  Your app must provide specific manifest declarations and meet some minimum usability requirements

  before it can qualify as TV app on Google Play. Make sure your app meets these requirements to

  get your app ready for TV devices.

</p>



<p class="caution">

  <strong>Caution:</strong> Your app must meet all of the requirements described in this section in

  order to qualify as a TV app on Google Play. If your app does not meet the usability requirements

  described below, the Google Play team will contact you through the email address specified in main

  <a href="https://play.google.com/apps/publish/">Google Play Developer Console</a> account

  associated with the app.

</p>



<h3 id="requirements-manifest">Manifest Requirements</h3>



<p>

  Developers who want their apps to be considered for publishing on TV devices <em>must</em>

  include a manifest entry that declares an activity which handles the {@code

  android.intent.category.LEANBACK_LAUNCHER} intent filter. For more information about including

  the required manifest entries, see <a href=

  "{@docRoot}preview/tv/start/index.html#tv-activity">Get Started with TV Apps</a>.

</p>



<p class="caution">

  <strong>Caution:</strong> If you do not include the <a href=

  "{@docRoot}preview/tv/start/index.html#tv-activity">required manifest entries</a> for TV devices,

  your app is not considered as a TV app. The app will not be reviewed for the TV app usability

  requirements and will not be able to qualify as a TV app on Google Play.

</p>





<h3 id="requirements-usability">Usability Requirements</h3>



<p>

  Users bring a different set of expectations when watching TV. Apps for Android TV devices have a

  different interaction, look and feel from Android apps on the phone or tablet. How users interact

  with TVs (with a remote control device) and how they view them (sitting about 10 feet away),

  significantly changes the requirements for what makes a good user experience in an app.

</p>



<p>

  The first step toward creating a great experience for users on TV is to review and follow the

  <a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/design/index.html">Design for TV</a> guidelines. These guidelines

  provide general directions for designing a TV app as well as some specific implementation

  instructions.

</p>



<p>

  Apps for TV devices must meet some specific requirements for usability. Only apps that meet the

  following usability criteria will qualify as an TV app on Google Play:

</p>



<ul>

  <li>App functionality must be navigable using 5-way D-pad controls, unless the app requires a

    game controller.

    (<a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/ui/navigation.html#d-pad-navigation">details</a>)

    <ul>

      <li>If the app requires a game controller, all functionality must be navigable using

        standard Android game controller keys.

        (<a href="{@docRoot}training/game-controllers/controller-input.html#button">details</a>)

      </li>

    </ul>

  </li>



  <li>Layouts used on TV devices must be designed for landscape orientation.

    (<a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/ui/layouts.html#structure">details</a>)</li>



  <li>Core text used in TV layouts must be at least 16sp in size and all text must be at least

    12sp.</li>



  <li>Text and functionality should be placed inside an overscan margin of at least 27dp from the

    top and bottom edges and 48dp from the left and right edges of the TV screen.

   (<a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/ui/layouts.html#overscan">details</a>)</li>



  <li>Apps that uses full-screen, non-video ads, must ensure that the ads are immediately

    dismissible by the user with D-pad controls.</li>



  <li>Apps must not depend on having a web browser app on TV devices. Apps can use <a href=

    "http://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebView.html">WebView components</a> to

    show web content where needed.</li>



  <li>Apps that uses clickable, non-full screen, non-video ads must ensure that the ads do not link

    to a web URL. These ads must also not link to an app or game that is not available on TV devices

    and, therefore, not available in the Google Play store for TV.</li>



  <li>Apps must display correctly on the Android TV launcher by doing the following:

    <ul>

      <li>Include in the app manifest an intent filter of type {@code ACTION_MAIN} with an intent

        category {@code CATEGORY_LEANBACK_LAUNCHER}.

        (<a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/start/index.html#tv-activity">details</a>)

      </li>



      <li>Provide a 320x180px banner image resource and declare it in the manifest.</li>



      <li>If the app is a game, it must set the {@code isGame} property to {@code true} in the

        manifest. (<a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/games/index.html#manifest">details</a>)

      </li>

    </ul>

  </li>



  <li>App must not partially obscure other apps. Apps must fill the entire screen and have a

    non-transparent background.

  </li>



  <li>Music and audio apps that continue to play sound after a user has left the app must provide

    a <strong>Now Playing</strong> card on the home screen recommendation row so users can easily

    control playback. Developers should use the {@code android.media.session.MediaSession} API

    to enable this card and link playback to a specific activity.

  </li>



  <li>Media apps that play video or music content must toggle between play and pause of media

    playback when a <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/KeyEvent.html#KEYCODE_MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE">

    play or pause key event</a> is sent during playback.

  </li>



  <li>Games that use a gamepad in order to play must define gamepad use in the app manifest.

    (<a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/games/index.html#gamepad">details</a>)

  </li>



  <li>Games that provide in-game instructions for game controllers must show a generic controller

    layout that does not include any branding. You can download generic controller artwork from

    here: <a href="http://storage.googleapis.com/androiddevelopers/design/android_tv_gamepad_template-2014-10.zip">

    android_tv_gamepad_template_2014-10.zip</a>.

  </li>

</ul>





<h2 id="faq">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



<p>

  <strong>After I submit my app, how will find out if my app does not meet all the requirements for

  TV devices?</strong>

</p>

<p>

  If your app does not meet the usability requirements described on this page, the Play Store team

  will contact you through the email address specified in main <a href=

  "https://play.google.com/apps/publish/">Google Play Developer Console</a> account associated with

  the app.

</p>

<p class="caution">

  <strong>Caution:</strong> Make sure your app includes the <a href=

  "{@docRoot}preview/tv/start/index.html#tv-activity">required manifest entries</a> for TV devices,

  otherwise your app will not be considered a TV app and will not be reviewed for TV usability

  requirements.

</p>





<p>

  <strong>My app targets more than just TV devices. If my app does not meet the TV device

  requirements, will my new or updated app still appear on Google Play for phones and

  tablets?</strong>

</p>

<p>

  Yes. The requirements described above only restrict distribution to the Google Play Store on TV

  devices. Distribution to other device types, such as phones, tablets and other devices, is not

  affected.

</p>





<p>

  <strong>If my app meets the publishing requirements, when will it be available in the Google

    Play Store on TV devices?</strong>

</p>



<p>

  Apps that meet the requirements for TV will appear in the Google Play Store on TV devices

  <em>after</em> the official release of Android L.

</p>
 
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docs/html/preview/tv/start/index.jd

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<p>This guide describes how to prepare your development environment and projects for building

  TV apps, including updating your existing app to run on TV devices.</p>



<p class="note">

  <strong>Important:</strong> There are specific requirements your app must meet in order to

  qualify as an Android TV app on Google Play. For more information, see the requirements listed

  in <a href="{@docRoot}preview/tv/publish/index.html">Publishing TV Apps</a>.

</p>





<h2 id="prerequisites">Prerequisites</h2>