Android TV Focus Handling: Best Practices and Examples

Android TV apps require a completely different approach to navigation compared to mobile apps. Users rely on the D-pad or remote control, making focus handling critical for usability.

Why Focus Handling Matters on Android TV

Unlike touch screens, Android TV doesn't allow direct tapping. Every UI element must be navigable using directional controls. Poor focus handling can lead to a confusing experience and make your app feel broken.

Basic Focus Handling

Android provides several attributes to control focus behavior: `nextFocusUp`, `nextFocusDown`, `nextFocusLeft`, `nextFocusRight`, and `focusable`. You can define these in XML or programmatically.

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button1"
    android:focusable="true"
    android:nextFocusRight="@id/button2"
    android:text="Button 1" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button2"
    android:focusable="true"
    android:text="Button 2" />

This ensures that pressing the right D-pad from Button 1 moves focus to Button 2.

Custom Focus Search

Sometimes, default focus behavior isn’t enough. You can override `View.onFocusSearch()` to customize navigation between views.

override fun onFocusSearch(focused: View, direction: Int): View? {
    // Example: skip certain buttons
    return if (focused.id == R.id.button3 && direction == View.FOCUS_RIGHT) {
        findViewById(R.id.button5)
    } else {
        super.onFocusSearch(focused, direction)
    }
}

This lets you create non-linear navigation, which is common in media apps where grids and rows may not line up perfectly.

Handling Edge Cases

You must handle edge cases like focus leaving the screen, wrapping rows, or lists dynamically loaded. Use `RecyclerView` with `LinearLayoutManager` or `GridLayoutManager` and enable `android:focusable` on items.

recyclerView.setOnChildAttachStateChangeListener(object: RecyclerView.OnChildAttachStateChangeListener {
    override fun onChildViewAttachedToWindow(view: View) {
        view.isFocusable = true
    }
    override fun onChildViewDetachedFromWindow(view: View) {}
})

This ensures new items in dynamic lists are focusable as they appear on the screen.

Focus Animation and Highlighting

Adding smooth focus animations improves user experience. You can use `ViewPropertyAnimator` or `StateListAnimator` to scale or highlight the focused view.

view.setOnFocusChangeListener { v, hasFocus ->
    if (hasFocus) v.animate().scaleX(1.1f).scaleY(1.1f).duration = 150
    else v.animate().scaleX(1f).scaleY(1f).duration = 150
}

This subtle zoom effect gives clear feedback on which element is currently focused.

Testing Focus Navigation

Always test your app using a real Android TV or emulator with D-pad navigation. Keyboard arrows can simulate the remote, but physical testing ensures a smoother UX.

Focus handling is critical in media apps like Netflix, Prime Video, or YouTube, where users navigate quickly across rows of content.

Best Practices

1. Ensure all interactive elements are focusable. 2. Define next focus attributes explicitly for complex layouts. 3. Use RecyclerView for dynamic lists with focusable items. 4. Add subtle animations to indicate focus. 5. Test on multiple screen sizes and TV devices.

Following these guidelines makes your Android TV app feel professional, intuitive, and polished.