Create an OEM App for Smart TV

This topic describes how to create, configure, and launch an OEM app for smart TV on the Tuya Developer Platform.

Build an OEM app

Create an app

1. Log in to the Tuya Developer Platform and go to the App Creation page.

2. Click Create App. In the Select OEM App Type dialog box, click Create for the Smart TV category.

3. In the dialog box that appears, enter the app information, and carefully read and accept terms in OEM App Service and Software License Agreement.

   Option	Description	Example
   App Name	The app name will be displayed on the user’s smart TV desktop. We recommend that you enter a name within six characters in Chinese or 12 characters in English. If the specified maximum length is exceeded, app users cannot view the full name.	XXX TV
   Package Name for Android	The unique identifier used for launching apps in app stores. Try to include the organization’s domain name to ensure a unique package name or bundle ID. If the package name or bundle ID already exists in an app store, the app cannot be launched in that app store. Recommend letters and numbers. Three sections are recommended and they are separated with periods (.). Each section starts with a letter. The characters such as “tuya” cannot be used. For example, if Tuya’s domain name is tuya.com, the package name can be set to com.tuya.smarttv.	com.tuya.smarttv
   Channel ID	Optional. If not specified, the channel ID is automatically generated based on the package name or bundle ID. The channel ID cannot be modified after it is confirmed. It is mainly used to evoke this app on the smart TV and is also related to the link of the QR code to print.	-

   

4. Click OK.

Customize the UI style

The user interface (UI) configuration determines the app icon and appearance.

Set App Icon.

• Only square images in the .png format are supported. Do not upload images with transparent backgrounds. Otherwise, a display error might occur.
• The dimensions must be 284 × 160 pixels.
• The file size cannot exceed 10 MB.

Set the functions

After you configure the UI style, click Next: Set Functions to continue with the settings on the Extended Functions and Third-Party Voice Assistants tabs.

Set Extended Functions:

• About Us: You can enter your official website link that must start with https://. Otherwise, this page cannot be opened in the app. Currently, only the pages in Chinese and English are supported. To navigate to a page in another language, enter the link in the field for the English language.

• Copyright Information: To add the copyright information to the app, tap Me at the bottom of the page, tap the setting icon in the top-right corner of the page, and then tap About. Currently, only Chinese and English are supported.

• User Agreement: Due to the rules of the major app stores, it is enabled by default. After it is enabled, the logged-in user can also view the latest version of the user agreement.

• Smart Scenes: You can choose whether to enable the function.

• Privacy Policy: Due to the rules of the major app stores, it is enabled by default. After it is enabled, the logged-in user can also view the latest version of the user agreement.

  

Configure the app

After you set functions for the app, click Next: Configure App to configure the features that are required for launching in app stores and subscribe to and configure the recommended services. You can complete the configurations as needed. You can also simply click Next: Build App to build and test the app and complete the required configurations later.

• User Agreement: This setting is required. Click Set on this card to navigate to the page for maintaining the user agreement.
• Privacy Policy: This setting is required. Click Set on this card to navigate to the page for maintaining the privacy policy.
• Android Certificate: OS for Android requires that each application to be installed in the system must be digitally signed. A default digital certificate has been automatically generated. This setting is required. Click Set on this card to navigate to the page for maintaining the certificate. You can set the certificate on your terms or use the default settings.

1. Set User Agreement/Privacy Policy

Click Add Version. You need to provide the custom content of the privacy policy and service terms.

Tuya provides Template Reference in multiple languages including Chinese and English. You can download and customize your content. To launch your app, versions in English are required.

2. Set Certificate for Android

To launch your app in the Android app stores, upload the required certificates. To create a certificate, you must register an Android developer account first and configure the app as required by the app stores. For more information, see the documents. If the certificates are not uploaded, the system will not be able to build an installation package, and the app cannot be launched.

• Re-signing for Android: App security can be improved after setting. For more information, see Resignature Configuration.

• App Signing Certificate: You can apply the certificate to specific services. For example, you must provide the certificate to get the token that enables Login with Amazon (LWA).

Build the app

In the step of Build App, after you click Build, the system builds each app package or bundle in the sequence of application time. The estimated build time appears on the page. After the app is built, the system pushes the build result to your account of the Tuya Developer Platform by email or SMS.

• Launch Checklist: When you visit this page for the first time, this page displays the required configuration items for your app to be launched in app stores.

  

  To optimize your tests and experience, you can click Build to build the app for tests in advance.

  

• If the app is built, you can use your mobile phone to scan the QR code to download and install the app for tests.

  

  After the app is built, contact your account manager to configure the download URL. Click the URL to get the .apk file and install the smart TV app for tests.

• In the very rare case that the build fails, an error message is returned to help you troubleshoot the error. You can also submit a ticket to request technical support.

Trial app

The trial app is created and configured on the Tuya Developer Platform through the above process. After the app is built, you can scan the QR code for the trial version to download and install the app on your mobile phone.

• The trial app is valid for 30 days from the date of creation. The trial app cannot be edited or built after expiration, and the installed app on the mobile phone cannot be used as expected.

• The installation package of the trial app cannot be used to launch the app in app stores. You must purchase the OEM App service and complete the required configurations before the app can be launched.

Official app

If you have already purchased the OEM App service, ignore this step and launch the app in app stores.

Purchase the OEM App service

If your app passes the test, you can launch the app in app stores. If the OEM App service is not purchased, you cannot get the installation package for launching. After the trial app expires, you cannot continue to use the app.

1. Click Purchase OEM App and follow the instructions on the page to place an order and complete the payment.

   

   Select the desired application object, country or region, and currency.

   

2. Check and confirm the order information. If all the information is correct, you can click Buy Now.

   • Confirm Order: If your OEM app has been paid offline, provide your order number and contact Tuya’s account manager to bind the payment.

   • Invoice Information: You can choose whether to request an invoice. If you want an invoice, provide the invoice information after the service is completed and contact Tuya’s account manager to get an invoice.

   

3. After you select the payment method and complete the payment, you can return to the studio and continue to configure your app.

App overview

After you subscribe to the OEM App service, enter the app overview page from the OEM app list and update the following information as needed.

• Modify App Name: Currently, the name can be set only in Chinese and English. If the name in Simplified Chinese is not specified, the name in English is displayed.

• History Version: If you have created two or more versions of your app, click History Version to view the configuration information of the historical versions.

• Continue: Click here to enter the last configuration page of the latest version.

• Recommended Value-Added Services: If you want to subscribe to more functions of the app, you can view and subscribe to desired services here.

• App Operations and Data: You can view the app analytics and feedback from the users and check information about the knowledge base for the app.

Launch the app

Method 1: Purchase the app launching service

• When the app test is finished, click Next: Launch App. The system automatically checks the required items. When the app is not fully configured, you will be prompted to configure it. You can click Configure for each item to complete the required configurations.

• If you have not purchased the launching service, click Purchase to navigate to the page for purchasing the OEM TV App Launch service. Follow the instructions on the page to place an order and pay for the order.
• Then, Tuya’s staff will contact you. You can ignore the steps for launching and the Tuya staff will complete the follow-up operations.

Method 2: Launch the app by yourself

1. After the app test is finished, click Next: Launch App. The system automatically checks the required items. When the app is not fully configured, you will be prompted to configure it. You can click Configure for each item to complete the required configurations.

   

   As long as any configuration item is modified, the app must be rebuilt to make the modification take effect. After the configuration is completed, you can rebuild the app. To accelerate the build process, we recommend that you complete all the configurations at once before building.

2. After the app is built, uninstall the previous app version and install the latest version for testing. Check whether the push notifications and map function for Android take effect, and continue to launch the app.

3. You can submit a ticket to consult and troubleshoot problems when you launch the app.

4. After your app has passed the review, click Launched at the bottom of the page to confirm that the app has been launched in app stores.

Common tools

QR code

A QR code can be printed on the outer packaging of the product and can be used properly even if the app is updated later. Make sure that the specified download URL is available. It must be the URL of the app details page that appears in each app store.

Update notification

You can configure the push notification feature. This way, when your app updates are released, push notifications are sent to app users. The users can determine whether to update the app. For more information, see Configure Upgrade Notification Push.

The OEM app can be iterated and updated. After you enable App Update in the OEM App section of Subscriptions, your specified email address will receive notifications of the template updates.

Get a smart TV app account

The service plans and features used in your OEM app for smart TV are associated with your smart TV SaaS account. Therefore, before you create an official OEM app for smart TV, you must first get the smart TV SaaS account for your account of the Tuya Developer Platform.

1. Go to the page for purchasing a smart TV app account.

2. Click Subscribe, place an order, and then pay for the order.

3. Within five workdays, Tuya’s operations staff will help you activate the account and send the account and its initial password to your email address or mobile phone.