Make sure your app does not exclude xxhdpi screens

One of the awesome features you’ll find in the recently announced Sony Xperia Z is its 5” screen, which boasts a display density of 440 dpi, and falls into a new class of screen called xxhdpi. With more and more xxhdpi devices coming out, it’s important to make sure you have configured your app’s Android manifest not to exclude such high density screens. Otherwise you might find that your app isn’t showing up on Google Play when searched from these devices. Read on to learn what to do, and what not to do, to support xxhdpi screens.
With the release of xxhdpi devices, we heard from some developers that their apps are not showing up on Google Play when searched from these devices. This is most likely because app has the Android manifest configured to exclude xxhdpi screens, which usually happens if you’re using the element in your manifest, but have not mentioned xxhdpi as a supported screen. So if you are experiencing this issue with your app, you need to modify the manifest.
Don’t use the tag
Most apps on Google Play don’t specify a compatible screens element – – in their manifest, so these apps will show up on xxhdpi devices such as Xperia Z without any modifications necessary. Problems occur in the apps which have specified the tag in their manifest, but is missing xxhdpi as a supported screen.
This means that if you are using this element, it may dramatically reduce the potential user base for your app, by not allowing users to install your app if they have a device with a screen configuration that you have not listed. It’s only if you really want to exclude certain device densities or screen sizes, that you should use only as a last resort, or when the app absolutely does not work with a specific screen configuration.
Use the tag
Therefore, it’s highly recommended NOT to use the tag in the manifest unless there is definite reason or proof that your app doesn’t work on specific density devices or screen sizes. Instead, use the tag, which will help specify compatibility in a manner that only excludes sizes that don’t work, rather than where you include devices which do work.
To include the element, add the following to the manifest:
 android:smallScreens=["true" | "false"]
 android:normalScreens=["true" | "false"]
 android:largeScreens=["true" | "false"]
 android:xlargeScreens=["true" | "false"]
 android:anyDensity=["true" | "false"]
 android:requiresSmallestWidthDp="integer"
 android:compatibleWidthLimitDp="integer"
 android:largestWidthLimitDp="integer"/>
Also, see the Filters on Google Play document for more information about how Google Play filters applications using this and other manifest elements.
***
If you have any questions on xxhdpi or the element, please drop us a note in the Comments field below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.