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The first step in structuring your media app is determining which content categories you want to appear as top-level navigation options on the app bar.
Car makers take care of implementing the app bar and determining most aspects of its appearance.
Basically, you need to decide the following:
Which top-level content categories you want represented as tabs on the app bar
What icons and labels you will supply for each tab
[null,null,["Last updated 2024-07-23 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eMedia apps should use no more than 4 top-level navigation tabs, each with a label and monochrome icon, to simplify the user experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThese navigation tabs represent browseable media categories from the app's content hierarchy, and developers must provide icons and labels for each.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCar makers have control over the app bar's implementation and appearance, while developers determine the content categories and their respective icons and labels.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTab labels should be kept concise to avoid truncation, and developers should refer to the provided resources for navigation interface examples and content hierarchy building.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Plan navigation tabs\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nThe first step in structuring your media app is determining which content categories you want to appear as top-level navigation options on the app bar.\n\nCar makers take care of implementing the app bar and determining most aspects of its appearance.\n\nBasically, you need to decide the following:\n\n- Which top-level content categories you want represented as tabs on the app bar\n- What icons and labels you will supply for each tab\n\nFor examples of the navigation interface, visit [Navigating media apps](/cars/design/automotive-os/apps/media/interaction-model/navigating).\n| **Note:** Top-level content categories are browseable media items that are the children of the root media item in your content hierarchy. Icons and labels are provided as resources associated with these browseable media items. For details, consult [Build your content hierarchy](https://developer.android.com/training/cars/media/#build_hierarchy).\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nNavigation tab guidelines\n-------------------------\n\n| Requirement level | Guidelines |\n|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| **MUST** | App developers must: - Implement no more than 4 tabs - Provide a label and a monochrome (black or white) vector icon for each tab |\n| **SHOULD** | App developers should: - Keep tab labels as short as possible, to prevent their being truncated |\n\n**Rationale:**\n\n- **Simplify UX:** Support consistent navigation model for media apps.\n- **Accommodate all screens:** Allow car makers to use only labels when both icons and labels won't fit."]]