leanback-to-compose-tv-migration

The 10-foot UI

A "10-foot UI" is a design paradigm for televisions that tailors an interface for viewing from approximately 3 meters (10 feet) away. When designing for this experience, account for these key characteristics:

• Viewing distance: Viewers are sitting far from the screen, "leaning back". Screen layouts are uncluttered, with text and UI elements that are large enough to be comfortably readable from a distance, without dense blocks of text.
• Color contrast: To avoid washed out colors on TV displays with low contrast ratios, the design uses high-contrast palettes and distinct visual indicators so focused states remain visible across different TV panels.
• D-pad navigation : Interaction relies on a directional remote control with limited 4-way navigation (Up, Down, Left, Right) with components organized into clear spatial grids and carousels without focus traps.

Core architecture and library selection

When migrating an Android TV application to Jetpack Compose, you must use androidx.tv libraries and follow these 10-foot UI patterns: