How To Create Tabs On a Free Android App – App Tabs Guide
Congratulations to you if you have succeeded in creating your free Android App. But, it doesn’t stop at that. You may need to make some adjustments in the process of updating your app. You might encounter some challenges at this phase.
You may want to include a feature that’s a bit or entirely different from what you have just created. However, you are confused about your choice of template. The good news is, it’s possible to create a tab using one or more templates. This article will acquire more knowledge: you will learn about the importance of tabs on your free Android app and how to add tabs to your app.
So, let’s dive in.
What Exactly Are Apps Tabs?
So, what exactly are apps tabs? When you hear the word “tabs,” you should imagine it as chapters of a book, but in place of a book, they are primarily chapters right in your app. Tabs enable you to navigate through your app, amongst several styles of content.
In a nutshell, tabs modify an app’s UI and provide quick access to navigate all app sections. For instance, if you’d like to build a picture manager app. It would require at least three activities: searching for a picture, adding and deleting a picture. With tabs, you’ll be able to navigate through all these sections of the app.
Tabs are essentially one of the most frequently used components of mobile UIs. If created correctly, it enhances the usability of your navigation experience with your app.
You name the tabs all by yourself, and usually, it can be found by your app user in the lower section of the app. This allows the user to scroll around the tabs, looking for the page and content of their interest.
A Tab is made up of the following:
1. Tab Indicator: This is a label or a label in addition to an icon. You can set the tab indicator with the TabHost.TabSpec. Also, the TabHost.TabSpec class equally provides the TabSpec.setIndicator() style that enables you to set the appropriate title for the tab.
2. Tab Content: This is the content that will be displayed for the tab. The content must be specific; you can use the TabSpec.setContent() method.
3. Tag: This is the text displayed for the tab. To activate the tabs in your activity, you will have to extend the activity from Tabactivity that is in the android.app package.
What Is The Importance Of Tabs?
To start with, tabs make your content more organized. If you can implement it properly, you will have a good app at your disposal.
After creating your free Android app, and you desire to provide the app user a detailed content, without making the user confused, simply with the ability to move from one page to the other, without the need to leave the content of the app, will leave a good impression on the user.
The positive and pleasant user experience that you provide motivates your user to use the app again and navigate through the app for a longer period, moving from one page to page or perhaps tab to tab.
Always remember that the more a user is active in your app, the more revenue you are likely to earn.
How To Add Tab To Your Android App?
I’m sure you are reading this article because you’d like to know how to add a tab to your app.
It’s not an impossible or difficult task. All you need is to follow the instructions below to be able to add tabs to an existing or maybe a new app.
- Create an app
Before adding your first mobile tab, you need to create an Android app on appsgeyser.com. You can choose one of the 35 free templates for business, education, fun.
- Edit the app
If you have completely created the skeleton of your app, you can now click on Edit tab in your app Dashboard.
- Click on Tabs
For this third step, you click on tabs to add tabs to your free android app.
- Choose a Template
Here, after clicking the add tab, you need to pick the style of format that you would like for your new tab. Pick a template for your extra tab. Fill the required forms in the template and submit the changes.
- Change a Position
If you’d like to change the tab’s positioning, all you need to do is to use the arrow keys position of tabs on your Android app. You can create multilple tabs for your app.
- Rebuild the app
Finally, you should rebuild your free Android app to complete your update.
Tabs Usability Guidelines
1. Tabs Should be Placed At The Top
Ensure that the rows of tabs must be on the top when viewing, not at the bottom or sideways. That way, people can easily scan through pages from the top to the bottom. The option to adjust the content depending on your interest must also be located at the top of the screen.
2. Arrange Tabs
The tab labels should be arranged, making it very easy for users to navigate through the tabs.
3. Text Labels Must Be Meaningful
Try as much as possible to avoid long labels. Avoid jargons as well. The text labels must be short and have relevant definitions to the tabs when users tap on an element. They should also be what they see.
4. Don’t Mix Icons And Text
This is important. It’s either you are using all icons or all text. Don’t mix them. If you will be sticking to icons, it essential that your users have an understanding of the meaning. It’s not easy to come up with descriptive icons; it’s best to use text.
5. Avoid Using Multiple Rows and Nested Tabs
You should only use one row of tabs. And, Using nested tabs makes it difficult for users to track tab content relationships (to know the tabs they have visited in the past)
6. Tabs Must Be Big And Bold
The tabs should be bold enough for it to be easily tapped. If you’d like to know the width of each tab, divide the width of the view by the number of actions. Also, you can ensure that all the tabs have the width is the largest tab.
7. Add The Swipe Feature
Tapping the tabs is great. But swiping through them is very amazing. Try supporting the swipe gesture to ensure that your users will not have to reach the top of the UI.
Conclusion
Tabs are amazing tools if implemented properly. It’s a basic UI component; however, it’s pretty easy to get it all wrong. Use the guidelines in this article, and you’ll enjoy your app.
A good app is one that enables the users to accomplish the goals most effectively.
You’d agree with me that it’s pretty easy to add tabs on your android apps. If you are a new developer or you have been in the field for a while, I’m convinced this article will be of huge help and benefit for you, as you bring on your creativity to work.