Material Design not styling alert dialogs

Question

I've added the appCompat material design to my app and it seems that the alert dialogs are not using my primary, primaryDark, or accent colors.

Here is my base style:

<style name="MaterialNavyTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/apptheme_color</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/apptheme_color_dark</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/apptheme_color</item>
    <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/action_bar_gray</item>
</style>

Based on my understanding the dialogs button text should also use these colors. Am I wrong on my understanding or is there something more I need to do?

---

Solution:

The marked answer got me on the right track.

<style name="MaterialNavyTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/apptheme_color</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/apptheme_color_dark</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/apptheme_color</item>
    <item name="android:actionModeBackground">@color/apptheme_color_dark</item>
    <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/action_bar_gray</item>
    <item name="sdlDialogStyle">@style/DialogStyleLight</item>
    <item name="android:seekBarStyle">@style/SeekBarNavyTheme</item>
</style>

<style name="StyledDialog" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.Dialog">
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/apptheme_color</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/apptheme_color_dark</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/apptheme_color</item>
</style>

Nitrite

Answer 1

UPDATED ON Aug 2019 WITH The Material components for android library:

With the new Material components for Android library you can use the new com.google.android.material.dialog.MaterialAlertDialogBuilder class, which extends from the existing androidx.appcompat.AlertDialog.Builder class and provides support for the latest Material Design specifications.

Just use something like this:

new MaterialAlertDialogBuilder(context)
            .setTitle("Dialog")
            .setMessage("Lorem ipsum dolor ....")
            .setPositiveButton("Ok", /* listener = */ null)
            .setNegativeButton("Cancel", /* listener = */ null)
            .show();

You can customize the colors extending the ThemeOverlay.MaterialComponents.MaterialAlertDialog style:

  <style name="CustomMaterialDialog" parent="@style/ThemeOverlay.MaterialComponents.MaterialAlertDialog">
     <!-- Background Color-->
     <item name="android:background">#006db3</item>
     <!-- Text Color for title and message -->
     <item name="colorOnSurface">@color/secondaryColor</item>
     <!-- Text Color for buttons -->
     <item name="colorPrimary">@color/white</item> 
     ....
  </style>  

To apply your custom style just use the constructor:

new MaterialAlertDialogBuilder(context, R.style.CustomMaterialDialog)

To customize the buttons, the title and the body text check this post for more details.

You can also change globally the style in your app theme:

 <!-- Base application theme. -->
 <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.Light">
    ...
    <item name="materialAlertDialogTheme">@style/CustomMaterialDialog</item>
 </style>

---

WITH SUPPORT LIBRARY and APPCOMPAT THEME:

With the new AppCompat v22.1 you can use the new android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog.

Just use a code like this:

import android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog

AlertDialog.Builder builder =
       new AlertDialog.Builder(this, R.style.AppCompatAlertDialogStyle);
builder.setTitle("Dialog");
builder.setMessage("Lorem ipsum dolor ....");
builder.setPositiveButton("OK", null);
builder.setNegativeButton("Cancel", null);
builder.show();

And use a style like this:

<style name="AppCompatAlertDialogStyle" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.Dialog.Alert">
        <item name="colorAccent">#FFCC00</item>
        <item name="android:textColorPrimary">#FFFFFF</item>
        <item name="android:background">#5fa3d0</item>
    </style>

Otherwise you can define in your current theme:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    <!-- your style -->
    <item name="alertDialogTheme">@style/AppCompatAlertDialogStyle</item>
</style>

and then in your code:

 import android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog

    AlertDialog.Builder builder =
           new AlertDialog.Builder(this);

Here the AlertDialog on Kitkat:

Phytogenesis

@AAverin RE Material design guidelines: Dividers are only supposed to be present in certain circumstances. The more common alert dialog usage scenarios won't use them, so right now it assumes the simpler style. If you fall under the less common scenario where you need dividers, you'll have to upgrade to a custom dialog layout instead of the simple dialog builder. Sorry. – Corvese

+1 for superb answer but How can i achieve same UI for Android Version Below Lollypop...because with this in below device UI looks so weird. – Wagram

@PranavPatel using the AppCompat theme you can have the same ui on all devices with API < 21 – Phytogenesis

how can i have rounded corners? – Telic

Using the builder constructor that just takes a Context didn't work for me. I had to use the constructor that takes the style resource too. – Stine

You don't have to specify the style R.style.AppCompatAlertDialogStyle in your AlertDialog.Builder constructor. Just make sure the activity, you are running your dialog from, uses AppTheme as a theme – Uncouth

@MaksimDmitriev It depends if you want a particular style for your dialog – Phytogenesis

The button's text color will not change to yellow for me, it is in light green whatever I do. – Tindall

add import android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog works – Maun

how to add listener in it? – Parallelepiped

Another user mentioned having prepend android: to alertDialogTheme but this has the opposite effect for me. No idea why. Different import for AlertDialog, maybe? Make sure you're using android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog. – Kirsti

However yet in 2021, android themeing and styling it's all a mess. A consolidation is required. – Procyon

Answer 2

when initializing dialog builder, pass second parameter as the theme. It will automatically show material design with API level 21.

AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this, AlertDialog.THEME_DEVICE_DEFAULT_DARK);

or,

AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this, AlertDialog.THEME_DEVICE_DEFAULT_LIGHT);

Shagbark

Answer 3

AppCompat doesn't do that for dialogs (not yet at least)

EDIT: it does now. make sure to use android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog

Fraud

Looks like you can do some modifications to the dialogs styles with AppCompat – Nitrite

my Android Studio by default gave me import app.AlertDialog not the appCompat one. I tried to figure out what is wrong for about 40 minutes before I actually check it... Damn you google! – Thorfinn

Answer 4

Material Design styling alert dialogs: Custom Font, Button, Color & shape,..

 MaterialAlertDialogBuilder(requireContext(),
                R.style.MyAlertDialogTheme
            )
                .setIcon(R.drawable.ic_dialogs_24px)
                .setTitle("Feedback")
                //.setView(R.layout.edit_text)
                .setMessage("Do you have any additional comments?")
                .setPositiveButton("Send") { dialog, _ ->

                    val input =
                        (dialog as AlertDialog).findViewById<TextView>(
                            android.R.id.text1
                        )
                    Toast.makeText(context, input!!.text, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show()

                }
                .setNegativeButton("Cancel") { _, _ ->
                    Toast.makeText(requireContext(), "Clicked cancel", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
                }
                .show()

Style:

  <style name="MyAlertDialogTheme" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight.Dialog.Alert">
  
        <item name="android:textAppearanceSmall">@style/MyTextAppearance</item>
        <item name="android:textAppearanceMedium">@style/MyTextAppearance</item>
        <item name="android:textAppearanceLarge">@style/MyTextAppearance</item>

        <item name="buttonBarPositiveButtonStyle">@style/Alert.Button.Positive</item>
        <item name="buttonBarNegativeButtonStyle">@style/Alert.Button.Neutral</item>
        <item name="buttonBarNeutralButtonStyle">@style/Alert.Button.Neutral</item>

        <item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">true</item>

        <item name="shapeAppearanceOverlay">@style/ShapeAppearanceOverlay.MyApp.Dialog.Rounded
        </item>

    </style>




    <style name="MyTextAppearance" parent="TextAppearance.AppCompat">
        <item name="android:fontFamily">@font/rosarivo</item>
    </style>


        <style name="Alert.Button.Positive" parent="Widget.MaterialComponents.Button.TextButton">
   <!--     <item name="backgroundTint">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>-->
        <item name="backgroundTint">@android:color/transparent</item>
        <item name="rippleColor">@color/colorAccent</item>
        <item name="android:textColor">@color/colorPrimary</item>
       <!-- <item name="android:textColor">@android:color/white</item>-->
        <item name="android:textSize">14sp</item>
        <item name="android:textAllCaps">false</item>
    </style>


    <style name="Alert.Button.Neutral" parent="Widget.MaterialComponents.Button.TextButton">
        <item name="backgroundTint">@android:color/transparent</item>
        <item name="rippleColor">@color/colorAccent</item>
        <item name="android:textColor">@color/colorPrimary</item>
        <!--<item name="android:textColor">@android:color/darker_gray</item>-->
        <item name="android:textSize">14sp</item>
        <item name="android:textAllCaps">false</item>
    </style>


  <style name="ShapeAppearanceOverlay.MyApp.Dialog.Rounded" parent="">
        <item name="cornerFamily">rounded</item>
        <item name="cornerSize">8dp</item>
    </style>

Output:

Underpart

Answer 5

You could use

Material Design Library

Material Design Library made for pretty alert dialogs, buttons, and other things like snack bars. Currently it's heavily developed.

Guide, code, example - https://github.com/navasmdc/MaterialDesignLibrary

Guide how to add library to Android Studio 1.0 - How do I import material design library to Android Studio?

.

Happy coding ;)

Secretin

Answer 6

Edit: This answer is not recommended anymore.

You can consider this project: https://github.com/fengdai/AlertDialogPro

It can provide you material theme alert dialogs almost the same as lollipop's. Compatible with Android 2.1.

Miscreance

Just a note: This answer is older, then the accepted one. – Counterpart

Answer 7

For some reason the android:textColor only seems to update the title color. You can change the message text color by using a

SpannableString.AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(new ContextThemeWrapper(this, R.style.MyDialogTheme));

AlertDialog dialog = builder.create();
                Spannable wordtoSpan = new SpannableString("I know just how to whisper, And I know just how to cry,I know just where to find the answers");
                wordtoSpan.setSpan(new ForegroundColorSpan(Color.BLUE), 15, 30, Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
                dialog.setMessage(wordtoSpan);
                dialog.show();

Nurseryman

Answer 8

Try this library:

https://github.com/avast/android-styled-dialogs

It's based on DialogFragments instead of AlertDialogs (like the one from @afollestad). The main advantage: Dialogs don't dismiss after rotation and callbacks still work.

Deflect

My library is much more capable. And you can always wrap a Dialog with a DialogFragment. 😛 – Materialism