React Native Development Best Practices for TV Applications
Article Summary
Building TV apps with React Native isn't just about scaling up your mobile UI. The 10-foot experience demands a completely different approach to navigation, focus management, and performance.
Callstack breaks down the essential best practices for React Native TV development across platforms like Apple TV, Android TV, and Fire TV. This guide covers the unique challenges of building for the living room, where remote controls replace touch and users sit across the room from massive screens.
Key Takeaways
- Focus management requires custom navigation patterns built for D-pad controls
- Code sharing across mobile and TV can reach 70-80% with proper architecture
- Performance optimization differs drastically: 4K rendering demands careful memory management
- Spatial navigation libraries handle directional input that touch gestures can't replicate
Critical Insight
TV apps need purpose-built navigation, focus states, and performance strategies that mobile patterns simply can't address.
