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Building Dashboards for TV Screens

How Widgets PRO adapts your dashboards for large TV displays with focus navigation and optimized layouts.

Widgets PRO Team··8 min read
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One of the most unique features of Widgets PRO is native TV support. Your dashboards don’t just scale up — they’re reimagined for the big screen.

The TV Challenge

TV interfaces are fundamentally different from web or mobile:

  • No touch, no mouse — users navigate with a remote control
  • Viewing distance — text needs to be larger, contrast needs to be higher
  • Always-on displays — dashboards often run 24/7 on office TVs
  • Focus management — every interactive element needs clear focus states

How Widgets PRO Handles It

When a dashboard renders on tvOS or Android TV, the widget system automatically:

  1. Scales typography — minimum 24px body text, 48px headings
  2. Adds focus rings — every widget gets a visible focus indicator
  3. Enables D-pad navigation — arrow keys move between widgets naturally
  4. Optimizes refresh rates — data updates are batched to reduce screen flicker

Best Practices

When designing dashboards that will run on TVs:

  • Keep information density low — 4-6 widgets max per screen
  • Use high-contrast color schemes
  • Prefer charts over tables — they’re easier to read from a distance
  • Set up auto-rotation between multiple dashboard pages

Getting Started

Enable TV output for any dashboard in Settings. Your existing dashboards will automatically adapt, but you can also create TV-specific layouts for full control.

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