A tablet app should not simply stretch a phone screen. A phone is often used briefly with one hand; a tablet may sit on a counter, accompany an inspection or share information with a customer. Those working postures change what information belongs together. Plan around the available space and input method while keeping the same business concepts and outcomes across devices.
Use space to preserve context
At a showroom, a consultant might compare a product list and detailed specifications side by side on a tablet. On a phone, the same information can appear as a list followed by a detail screen. Android's adaptive quality guidance covers different screen sizes, window modes and external inputs. The practical lesson is to define how the task rearranges, rather than assuming one fixed device width. More space should reveal useful relationships, not encourage adding unrelated dashboards or shrinking controls to display everything at once.
Account for how the device is held
A warehouse tablet in a mount has different reach requirements from one carried around a site. Place frequent controls where they can be used comfortably in the intended position. Test landscape and portrait where supported, as well as an on-screen keyboard taking up a large part of the display. If a consultant hands the tablet to a customer, create a clear handover screen that hides internal notes and shows only the intended information. Avoid relying on the staff member remembering to navigate away from confidential details first.
Check transitions as well as layouts
Resize the app, rotate the device and move between supported window arrangements during a partially completed task. The selected customer, entered values and current position should remain understandable. Try keyboard navigation if a physical keyboard is part of the workflow. Check that a tablet screenshot in the store reflects the experience customers will actually receive. A smaller first release may support a defined phone workflow well and add tablet-specific improvements later, provided limitations are clear. What matters is intentional behaviour at each supported size, including awkward sizes between familiar device categories.
- Which related information should remain visible together on a larger display?
- Will the device be carried, mounted, shared or used with a keyboard?
- What customer information should disappear before a tablet is handed over?
- Does work survive rotation and resizing without losing the current task?