Components

Component Patterns (tvOS)

CRITICAL — Dark-First, Muted Colors, Content Is King

tvOS defaults to dark appearance. Design for a 10-foot viewing distance on large screens.

Color rules for tvOS:

• Avoid heavily saturated colors — saturation looks overwhelming on large TV screens
• Use muted, desaturated palette colors that complement content without competing
• Color should enhance content, never draw attention away from it
• AppTheme palette for tvOS should use lower saturation versions of brand colors
• Focus is indicated through scale, elevation, and shadow — not color changes
• Use system background colors (.background / .secondarySystemBackground) when possible

"Show, don't tell":

• Minimize text, maximize imagery and animation
• Cards should be image-heavy with minimal text labels
• Content thumbnails and artwork are the primary visual element

Button Styles

CARD BUTTON (primary tvOS pattern):

Button {
    select(item)
} label: {
    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: AppTheme.Spacing.sm) {
        Image(item.thumbnail)
            .resizable()
            .aspectRatio(16/9, contentMode: .fill)
            .frame(width: 300, height: 170)
            .clipped()
            .clipShape(.rect(cornerRadius: AppTheme.Style.cornerRadius))

        Text(item.title)
            .font(AppTheme.Fonts.callout)
            .lineLimit(2)
    }
}
.buttonStyle(.card)

PLAIN BUTTON:

Button("Play", systemImage: "play.fill") {
    play()
}
.buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)

BUTTON HIERARCHY:

Focus States

tvOS highlights focused elements with a lift/shadow effect. Focus is the primary interaction model:

struct FocusableCard: View {
    @Environment(\.isFocused) var isFocused

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Image(item.image)
                .resizable()
                .aspectRatio(16/9, contentMode: .fill)
            Text(item.title)
                .font(AppTheme.Fonts.callout)
        }
        .scaleEffect(isFocused ? 1.05 : 1.0)
        .animation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.2), value: isFocused)
    }
}

For custom focus effects:

.focusable()
.onFocusChange { focused in
    withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.15)) {
        isFocused = focused
    }
}

Spacing — Generous for 10-Foot Distance

tvOS requires generous spacing since users sit far from the screen:

Text Entry

tvOS uses a system keyboard — text input is limited:

@State private var searchText = ""

TextField("Search", text: $searchText)
    .textFieldStyle(.plain)

Prefer selection over free-text input:

Picker("Category", selection: $category) {
    ForEach(categories) { cat in
        Text(cat.name).tag(cat)
    }
}

Progress / Loading

// Indeterminate
ProgressView("Loading...")

// Overlay loading
ZStack {
    ContentView()
    if isLoading {
        ProgressView()
            .scaleEffect(1.5)
    }
}

Lists

List {
    Section("Settings") {
        NavigationLink("Account") {
            AccountView()
        }
        Toggle("Notifications", isOn: $notifications)
        Picker("Quality", selection: $quality) {
            Text("Auto").tag(Quality.auto)
            Text("High").tag(Quality.high)
            Text("Low").tag(Quality.low)
        }
    }
}

Empty States

ContentUnavailableView(
    "No Results",
    systemImage: "magnifyingglass",
    description: Text("Try a different search term")
)

NOT Available on tvOS

• No .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder) — tvOS text fields are plain
• No swipe actions on list rows
• No .contextMenu — use focused button actions
• No .popover
• No drag-and-drop or reordering
• No date picker (no touch input for calendars)

Rules

1. Use .buttonStyle(.card) for browsable media content
2. Use muted, desaturated colors — saturation is overwhelming on large screens
3. Focus is shown through scale and shadow, not color — do not color-code focus state
4. Content imagery is the primary visual element — minimize text, maximize images
5. All interactive elements MUST be focusable and show clear focus indication
6. Prefer Picker/Toggle over TextField — keyboard input is cumbersome on TV
7. Cards should use 16:9 aspect ratio for media thumbnails
8. ONE .borderedProminent per visible screen area
9. Use @Environment(\.isFocused) for custom focus effects
10. Minimum element size: 150x100pt for comfortable remote navigation