How to make a ListView transparent in Android?

Question

How to make the ListView transparent in android?

The background android screen image should be visible.

Hindgut

Can you please mark the correct answer – Romish

Please mark which answer is correct, as its very useful question.. – Mawkin

The best way you will find it on: nikshits.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/… – Jaredjarek

Answer 1

You should use the more verbose

android:background="@android:color/transparent"
android:cacheColorHint="@android:color/transparent"

Updated with Jacky's response. I originally merely meant to add to his answer, since he was using a plain hex color in the sample.

Taishataisho

This is very late, but for people coming here, check out Jacky's answer below. Without setting android:cacheColorHint property, the result is very ugly. – Marvel

That's because you should not use the "more verbose". Matthias basically ripped off Jacky by stealing his answer and adding a superfluous piece of complexity. Essentially @android:color/transparent == #00000000 , the only difference is that instead of having the static hex value already the compiler has to look up that resource and insert the value itself. – Barolet

Good coding practices suggest you should use the platform setup value. If someone were to come back to it in the future, reading the above version would make more sense and indicate that the intention is clearly transparency. – Linares

Sometimes one of item's background becomes black. – Viewpoint

Answer 2

android:background="@android:color/transparent" android:cacheColorHint="@android:color/transparent"

Dallis

For a more detailed explanation: android-developers.blogspot.com/2009/01/… – Cinquefoil

Why not use @android:color/transparent instead #00000000? – Jandel

Answer 3

• How to make the ListView transparent in android?

As Jacky mentioned, setting attributes for list view will do the job.

android:background="#00000000" 
android:cacheColorHint="#00000000"

• The background android screen image should be visible.

In Android manifest file add following attribute to activity.

android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Dialog"

Zoltai

Why not use @android:color/transparent instead #00000000? – Jandel

Answer 4

This article helps explain the nuances of ListView in conjunction with a custom background - http://developer.android.com/resources/articles/listview-backgrounds.html

tl;dr - put this in the offending ListView's xml somewhere:

android:cacheColorHint="#00000000"

Goosander

Why not use @android:color/transparent instead #00000000? – Jandel

Answer 5

try this:

list.setCacheColorHint(Color.TRANSPARENT);

Jp

Answer 6

Add this to make list items stay transparent when pressed:

android:listSelector="@android:color/transparent"

Tennison

Answer 7

If you want to use partial transparency, this would help you while setting your color codes.

2 hex characters can be appended to any hex color code. The first 2 characters in an 8-digit hex color code represents its opacity in Android.

The 2 hex characters can range from 00 to FF. For example-

• Normal opaque black hex- "#000000"
• Fully transparent black- "#00000000"
• Fully opaque black- "#FF000000"
• 50% transparent black- "#80000000"

This way you can change any color to any level of transparency.

Source- http://zaman91.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/android-how-to-create-transparent-or-opeque-background/

Elvinelvina

Answer 8

You can use these

android:background="@android:color/transparent"
android:listSelector="@android:color/transparent"

Harness

Answer 9

The answers above will work, but there is a chance that when you'll scroll the listView, it will darken, like in this case: android-listview problem with transparent cells

To solve the issue, you can use the cacheColorHint as mentioned above, but if you add the ListView dynamically (from code, not xml), then this will not work. You are forced to declare the ListView in XML, dunno if this is a bug or something else.

Dissertation

Answer 10

try this:

android:cacheColorHint="@null"

Instalment

Answer 11

Check this blog.

[http://aboutyusata.blogspot.in/2013/10/how-to-make-listview-with-transparent.html][1]

or

android:background="@android:color/transparent"

Habitant

I've posted a solution here: #16560948 – Redound