AAPT: error: attribute android:forceDarkAllowed not found

Question

Im trying to use android dark theme. I install android studio 3.5 preview.

compileSdkVersion 28 targetSdkVersion 28

but still getting this error. Is this dark theme bug or Im doing something wrong?

build.gradle{
dependencies {
    // ...
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.1.0-alpha06'
    // ...
  }}

styles.xml

<style name="Theme.MyApp" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight">
    <item name="android:forceDarkAllowed">true</item>
</style>

project link

https://github.com/googlesamples/android-DarkTheme

Smasher

Have you seen this issue? github.com/googlesamples/android-DarkTheme/issues/2 – Holocaine

Answer 1

You need to up your compiledSdkVersion to 29, in you app build.gradle:

android {
    compileSdkVersion 29
    defaultConfig {
        minSdkVersion 21
        targetSdkVersion 29
        ...
}

Then you should be good to go!

Lehet

What if I can't / don't want to use version 29 but stay at 28? – Laughlin

Then you must not use android:forceDarkAllowed because below 29 dark mode is unknown feature. And how you app behaves when installed on 29 and up? Check yourself. – Natural

Answer 2

I was searching for an answer and as @Ruben pointed out)

Changing compiledSdkVersion 28 to compileSdkVersion 'android-Q' should solve the issue. android:forceDarkAllowed attribute was only added in Android Q.

Unrelated to this issue, but it seems like you need to also update 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.1.0-alpha04' to 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.1.0-alpha05' or the theme switching doesn't work properly.

Afra

Yes, this is correct - thanks for pointing it out. If you don't update to appcompat version, it won't switch themes immediately. You have to restart the app to make the switch. – Dahomey

Answer 3

I found the answer in android studio suggestions. for clarification the tag android:forceDarkAllowed is only found in api level 29+ so what we should do is create a folder values-v29 and then write the tag in it like below

in file values/____.xml

<style name="Theme.MyApp" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight">
    //removed from here
</style>

in file values-v29/____.xml

<style name="Theme.MyApp" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight">
    <item name="android:forceDarkAllowed">true</item>
</style>

Biamonte

I guess that this answer is too new to attract people googling for this issue (the question is two years old), however this was the solution I needed. I need compatibility with API level 26 and increasing it to 29 just to fix an issue with Xiaomi phones is just a no go for me. For others looking to apply it, the names of both files where "styles.xml" in my case, and worked like a charm both in Android 8 and the stupid Xiaomi phone that was messing the dark mode. – Distilled

Answer 4

I encountered the same error message when I tried to run my previously untouched Angular based NativeScript "Hello World" android application. (In command prompt: tns create, tns run android --bundle)

For me the solution was: 1. Open SDK Manager in Android Studio 2. Install Android 10.0 (Q) (API Level: 29) SDK Platform.

After these steps I could start running my app without any errors!

Willingham

I have the same setting still getting the error with nativescript 6.2 – Lundquist

I've done all of the above and still get this error. Surely it cant be this hard. What other gotchas do i need to be aware of? – Endsley

Answer 5

See the Nativescript docs.

Remove below line:

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

from file

<project>/app/App_Recoures/Android/src/main/res/values/styles.xml

Isomerize

It is a question about native development and people put the line there with an intention. – Phoneme