Product2 min read
Designing for the big screen: what FastTube VPN taught us about Apple TV
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No pointer, no typing, three meters of distance: how VPN apps arrived on Apple TV with tvOS 17 and the design rules we follow for FastTube VPN and VPN Russia on the big screen.
Apple TV is the platform most developers forget. For a long time it also could not run VPN apps at all: support for third-party VPNs arrived only with tvOS 17. When it did, we built FastTube VPN specifically for the big screen and added Apple TV to VPN Russia. Here is what we learned designing for a screen three meters away.
There is no pointer, only focus
On Apple TV you never tap a button. The remote moves focus from one element to the next, and the focused element grows and lifts slightly so you can see where you are. That changes how screens are built:
- every interactive element must be reachable by moving up, down, left or right — nothing can hide in a corner;
- the most likely action should already be focused when the screen opens;
- lists need clear groups, because scrolling through fifty items with a remote is tiring.
In FastTube, the connect button is focused the moment the app opens. One click and you are connected.
Typing is the enemy
The on-screen keyboard is slow, so anything that needs typing loses people. VPN Russia needs no registration at all, and FastTube is built around a one-click connection rather than forms. Server lists replace search, and the fastest location is chosen for you: locations are sorted by real ping, so the best option is always at the top.
Ten feet changes everything
People look at a TV from the sofa, often in the evening, sometimes in a bright living room. We use large type, high contrast and few elements per screen, and we show only what matters right now: connection status, speed and ping. Settings that phone apps put on the main screen move one level deeper.
The platform is smaller
tvOS shares a lot with iOS, but not everything. There is no web view, so every screen is native, including help and legal texts. Storage and background work are more limited, which pushes you to keep the app light and the logic on the server.
| Phone habit | What works on Apple TV |
|---|---|
| Tap anywhere | Focus moves in four directions; the main action is pre-focused |
| Sign-up forms | No account, or sign in from the phone |
| Search fields | Sorted lists and sensible defaults |
| Dense screens | Large type, few elements, one task per screen |
| Web views for help | Native screens only |
Speed you can see
On a TV, a VPN is mostly used for streaming, so speed is the feature. FastTube shows live speed and ping for every location, includes a built-in speed test, and offers two VPN engines: if one struggles on your network, switching takes one click. Our article about VPN protocols and engines explains why that helps.
Tip
Building for Apple TV? Test with the real remote from the sofa, not with arrow keys in the simulator — distances and fatigue feel very different.
FastTube VPN is on the App Store for Apple TV.