Opening the Android TV UI on a tablet

I pulled the APK from my Shield TV and installed it on a Samsung Galaxy View, the problem I am running into is that I primarily use the tablet as a portable TV and by default it will launch into the regular Android UI with the button on the bottom. By doing so using a remote to navigate the UI is a bit difficult.

  • Cannot switch tabs easily
  • Highlighted UI elements are hard to differentiate
  • Guide can only be navigated from what is actually on the UI

The app assumes touch mode when running on tablets and phones. Using a tablet as a TV is not a use-case we considered.