Designing Android apps for tablets

Solution 1:

I don't believe that this is a completely automated process. In other words, I think there is someone in Google looking at screen shots from your app making a qualitative judgement (probably an intern). This is my reasoning for arriving at that conclusion:

I have three versions of my app (Irish, UK and USA). They are basically the same with different text. The Irish version was released first and initially I encountered that message. I had implemented the manifest (like yours) and had one or two xml files in layout-sw600dp and layout-sw600dp-land and I couldn't see the cause of the problem. I uploaded a new apk with new screen shots (no xml or manifest changes) and the problem went away. Here is the current status of the Irish app: .

Next I implemented the UK version. It displayed "when you did it" as 12th June, the date the APK was uploaded. So at least there is a semblance of consistency in the review process.

Finally - the US version. To reiterate, this is basically the same app with the same xml as the Irish and UK versions and this is my current message:

Now it is quite possible that Google have written some code to look for xmls for large tablets. But if they had, I think my other APKs would be showing that error as well. Therefore, I think that the review process is partly manual.

So my conclusion - a quantitative approach may help (a few more xmls in sw600dp and sw720dp) but don't neglect the qualitative stuff (choose screen shots that don't display empty space !).

Update: re. the "Designed for Phones" message - December 2013

Since I wrote the above Google have introduced the dreaded "Designed for Phones" tagline and "Design your app for tablets" optimisation tips. This appears to be largely based on an automated scan of the apk when you upload it (probably the xml), so the process now seems to be more automated than was previously the case. Here are some points I have discovered which may help others:

1) I was unhappy that Google had designated one of my apps as "designed for phones" and I emailed them and they then removed this designation.

2) On a different app, I was getting the "design your app for 7" tablets" optimisation tip. I added one fragment to my tablet xml in sw600dp like this:

       <FrameLayout
    android:id="@+id/SideTab1"
    android:name="SideTab1"
    android:layout_width="300dp"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:layout_marginLeft="20dp"
    /> 

and this did not remove the optimisation tip.

3)However when I made the same change to a second xml in sw600dp then the "design your app for 7" tablets" optimisation tip was replaced by "Your layout should make use of the available space on 10-inch tablets". More importantly, the "designed for phones" designation has now disappeared.

4) Obviously my next step is to make similiar changes in sw720dp.

Things seem to have changed again now (e.g. Google seem to now have removed the "designed for phones" designation in the country in which I am currently residing, and they seem to have relaxed some of their "rules" regarding the "design your app for tablets" message). Apparently, I am now doing "pretty well", which is reassuring news !

Solution 2:

Same in my case like @Wytas and @blackdigger, images were problem too. So I generate the images from http://developer.android.com/distribute/promote/device-art.html then warning message gone.

Solution 3:

Replacing folders layout-sw600dp, layout-sw600dp-land, layout-sw720dp and layout-sw720dp-land with layout-xlarge, layout-xlarge-land added a new message: "your apk does not seem to be designed for tablets."

Solved the problem after what's stated here.

Take advantage of extra screen area available on tablets

• Look for opportunities to include additional content or use an alternative treatment of existing content.

• Use multi-pane layouts on tablet screens to combine single views into a compound view. This lets you use the additional screen area more efficiently and makes it easier for users to navigate your app.

The problem was really the white space and had nothing to do with the xmls.

I managed to make the message for 7i tabs go away by rearranging the layouts to cover the screen and not leave too much white space. But not for the 10i tablets as the area is too big and my app has very less content. I must consider additional content.

Solution 4:

I was able to solve it by uploading another screenshot for 10-inch tablet which contains less white space than previous my screenshot.