Android transparent status bar and actionbar

Question

I've done a few researches on this topic and I couldn't find a complete solution so, step by step and with some trial and error, I finally find out how can we achieve these results: having a transparent or coloured Actionbar and Statusbar. See my answer bellow.

Icono

Answer 1

I'm developing an app that needs to look similar in all devices with >= API14 when it comes to actionbar and statusbar customization. I've finally found a solution and since it took a bit of my time I'll share it to save some of yours. We start by using an appcompat-21 dependency.

Transparent Actionbar:

values/styles.xml:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
...
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.ActionBar.Transparent" parent="AppTheme">
    <item name="android:windowContentOverlay">@null</item>
    <item name="windowActionBarOverlay">true</item>
    <item name="colorPrimary">@android:color/transparent</item>
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.ActionBar" parent="AppTheme">
    <item name="windowActionBarOverlay">false</item>
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/default_yellow</item>
</style>

**values-v21/styles.xml**:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    ...
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.ActionBar.Transparent" parent="AppTheme">
    <item name="colorPrimary">@android:color/transparent</item>
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.ActionBar" parent="AppTheme">
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/bg_colorPrimaryDark</item>
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/default_yellow</item>
</style>

Now you can use these themes in your AndroidManifest.xml to specify which activities will have a transparent or colored ActionBar:

    <activity
            android:name=".MyTransparentActionbarActivity"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.ActionBar.Transparent"/>

    <activity
            android:name=".MyColoredActionbarActivity"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.ActionBar"/>

Note: in API>=21 to get the Actionbar transparent you need to get the Statusbar transparent too, otherwise will not respect your colour styles and will stay light-grey.

Transparent Statusbar (only works with API>=19):
This one it's pretty simple just use the following code:

protected void setStatusBarTranslucent(boolean makeTranslucent) {
        if (makeTranslucent) {
            getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS);
        } else {
            getWindow().clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS);
        }
    }

But you'll notice a funky result:

This happens because when the Statusbar is transparent the layout will use its height. To prevent this we just need to:

SOLUTION ONE:
Add this line android:fitsSystemWindows="true" in your layout view container of whatever you want to be placed bellow the Actionbar:

    ...
        <LinearLayout
                android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent">
            ...
        </LinearLayout>
    ...

SOLUTION TWO:
Add a few lines to our previous method:

protected void setStatusBarTranslucent(boolean makeTranslucent) {
        View v = findViewById(R.id.bellow_actionbar);
        if (v != null) {
            int paddingTop = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT ? MyScreenUtils.getStatusBarHeight(this) : 0;
            TypedValue tv = new TypedValue();
            getTheme().resolveAttribute(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.attr.actionBarSize, tv, true);
            paddingTop += TypedValue.complexToDimensionPixelSize(tv.data, getResources().getDisplayMetrics());
            v.setPadding(0, makeTranslucent ? paddingTop : 0, 0, 0);
        }
        
        if (makeTranslucent) {
            getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS);
        } else {
            getWindow().clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS);
        }
    }

Where R.id.bellow_actionbar will be the layout container view id of whatever we want to be placed bellow the Actionbar:

...
    <LinearLayout
            android:id="@+id/bellow_actionbar"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent">
        ...
    </LinearLayout>
...

So this is it, it think I'm not forgetting something. In this example I didn't use a Toolbar but I think it'll have the same result. This is how I customize my Actionbar:

@Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        View vg = getActionBarView();
        getWindow().requestFeature(vg != null ? Window.FEATURE_ACTION_BAR : Window.FEATURE_NO_TITLE);
        
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(getContentView());
        
        if (vg != null) {
            getSupportActionBar().setCustomView(vg, new ActionBar.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT));
            getSupportActionBar().setDisplayShowCustomEnabled(true);
            getSupportActionBar().setDisplayShowHomeEnabled(false);
            getSupportActionBar().setDisplayShowTitleEnabled(false);
            getSupportActionBar().setDisplayUseLogoEnabled(false);
        }
        setStatusBarTranslucent(true);
    }

Note: this is an abstract class that extends ActionBarActivity.

Icono

You should really use android:fitsSystemWindows if you want to ensure your View is not underneath the transparent status bar. – Clishmaclaver

That's totally correct, I was reviewing my code and I'm using this too. Don't know I missed it in this example. I'll update it, thanks! – Icono

You are missing MyScreenUtils.getStatusBarHeight(this) here is the answer https://mcmap.net/q/86967/-height-of-status-bar-in-android-duplicate – Juncture

is there a way to make it translucent and not completly transparent? I am on api 23 – Coincident

To get Transparent StatusBar Works I needed to add FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS Flag, putting the code getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS); after that getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS); – Gadmann

I believe this worked before, but in API 23 it doesn't work anymore. The status bar will be just grey instead of transparent – Rehearse

Add FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS here worked as mentioned by @EduardoE.R. – Rehearse

This doesn't work if you're using CoordinatorLayout as your layout Just replace/wrap it with another layout (in my case, I used ConstraintLayout) then it will work. – Anonym

If you use FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS, adjustPan and adjustResize are disabled for soft keyboard. Any workaround for this? – Interjoin

@Interjoin did you find please some solution? – Cassiterite

Answer 2

It supports after KITKAT. Just add following code inside onCreate method of your Activity. No need any modifications to Manifest file.

 if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
                Window w = getWindow(); // in Activity's onCreate() for instance
                w.setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS, WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS);
            }

Ammadas

This makes the navigation bar also transparent – Sclerotic

This breaks scrolling when keyboard is open – Cassiterite

Answer 3

Just add these lines of code to your activity/fragment java file:

getWindow().setFlags(
    WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS,
    WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS
);

Tropical

This breaks scrolling when keyboard is open – Cassiterite