How to change ActionMode background color in Android

Question

i am creating an android app in which support level api is 7 so i am using sherlock actionbar. I am using action mode in it. Issue is i want to change the background of action mode. So i have tried

    <item name="android:background">@color/something</item>
    <item name="android:backgroundStacked">@color/something</item>
    <item name="android:backgroundSplit">@color/something</item>

these style solution's available but none of them works.

Podgy

that is a contextual action bar – Jacobean

well @Jacobean i am not using CAB i am creating custom action mode – Podgy

Answer 1

if you want change the color of ActionBar just do this:

 ActionBar bar = getActionBar();
 bar.setBackgroundDrawable(new ColorDrawable("COLOR"));

see the following link for more info

and if you using ActionMode This is the style used for any ActionMode. You'll need to create your own style to customize it

<style name="Widget.ActionMode">
<item name="android:background">?android:attr/actionModeBackground</item>
<item name="android:backgroundSplit">?android:attr/actionModeSplitBackground</item>
<item name="android:height">?android:attr/actionBarSize</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">@android:style/TextAppearance.Widget.ActionMode.Title</item>
<item name="android:subtitleTextStyle">@android:style/TextAppearance.Widget.ActionMode.Subtitle</item>
</style>

more info in this site

see this too

Edit

for pre-Honeycomb see this please

maybe this or this helped you

Printery

thanks for your response now its working fine above api 11 but i need to give support for api 7 also – Podgy

Pre-honeycomb link is 404 – Keef

@TimCooke I've edit my post with new link, thanks to mention, – Printery

titleTextStyle and subtitleTextStyle are not public. – Dizon

Answer 2

In my case i resolved with this. First i created a style to define the actionModeBackground:

<style name="MyTheme.ActionMode" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">
    <item name="android:actionModeBackground">#FFFFFF</item>
</style>

Then i add the style into my base application theme:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="AppBaseTheme">
    <item name="android:actionModeStyle">@style/MyTheme.ActionMode</item>
</style>

Hope it helps!!!

Tonl

For supporting pre and post-lollipop devices, you need to add also: <item name="actionModeBackground">@color/bg_action_bar</item> – Forgather

You can also just set actionModeBackground directly on the Theme as well. Need both the prefixed and unprefixed versions to support 4.x and 5.x respectively. – Lolland

this <item name="android:actionModeBackground">#FFFFFF</item> doesn't work for me. this <item name="actionModeBackground">@color/bg_action_bar</item> does! Thanks Kokusho – Forehanded

Pre-lollipop: also add actionModeStyle (without android: prefix). If using appcompat Toolbar, you need to style background directly; see: https://mcmap.net/q/747220/-unable-to-style-action-mode-when-using-toolbar – Psychotic

Answer 3

If you are using simple Action Bar then try this,

ActionBar abar = getActionBar();
abar.setBackgroundDrawable(new ColorDrawable(0xff123456));

But if you are using Actionbar share lock Lib then try this

getSupportActionBar().setBackgroundDrawable(new ColorDrawable(0xff123456));

ColorDrawable(0xff123456) - should be your color code.

Drawable/styles.xml

 <item name="android:actionModeBackground">@drawable/actionbar_background</item>
 <item name="actionModeBackground">@drawable/actionbar_background</item>

Change Theme as per API level

If you want to change as per the API level then you should go for this

Broadnax

try this& this – Broadnax

hi @chntan i tried this but all of them working for api above 11 nothing for api 7 please help me if you have something for api 7 – Podgy

As i have mention you in answer that , you should use Actionbarshare lock Lib for below 11 API. because ActionBar is not for 11 and higher. – Broadnax

yes i am using actionbarsherlock but i have to change background of action mode in api 7. Now its changing in api 11 and above – Podgy

Okay, got it, mean you want to change in only 7, for 11 it should be different ? is it like this ? – Broadnax

Answer 4

If you want to do it programmatically (supporting AppCompat) you need to look for icon parent view. This code is tested from 2.3.7 to 6.0.1. You need to check on lower API... .

first get your activity decor view

final ViewGroup  decorView = (ViewGroup) getActivity().getWindow().getDecorView();

second set the color in onPrepareActionMode. You can also set the back icon or other elements here

@Override
public boolean onPrepareActionMode(ActionMode actionMode, Menu menu) 
{

     decorView.postDelayed(new Runnable() {

     @Override
     public void run() 
     {
        int buttonId = getResources().getIdentifier("action_mode_close_button", "id", "android");

        View v = decorView.findViewById(buttonId);
        if (v == null)
        {
           buttonId = R.id.action_mode_close_button;
            v = decorView.findViewById(buttonId);   
        }

        if (v != null)
        {                         
           ((View)v.getParent()).setBackgroundColor(Color.red /*your color here*/);
        }               
     }   
     }, 500);}

Fredi

Answer 5

Override this style in your custom theme:

<style name="Base.Widget.AppCompat.ActionMode" parent="">
    <item name="background">?attr/actionModeBackground</item>
    <item name="backgroundSplit">?attr/actionModeSplitBackground</item>
    <item name="height">?attr/actionBarSize</item>
    <item name="titleTextStyle">@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionMode.Title</item>
    <item name="subtitleTextStyle">@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionMode.Subtitle</item>
    <item name="closeItemLayout">@layout/abc_action_mode_close_item_material</item>
</style>

For example:

<style name="LywActionMode" parent="Base.Widget.AppCompat.ActionMode">
    <item name="background">@color/lyw_primary_color</item>
    <item name="backgroundSplit">@color/lyw_primary_color</item>
</style>

<style name="LywCompatTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    ...
    <item name="actionModeStyle">@style/LywActionMode</item>
</style>

Painful

Answer 6

This is the style used for any ActionMode, I pulled it from the SDK. You'll need to create your own style to customize it. It's really easy to do. If you've never done anything like this before, you should read through this post on customizing the ActionBar. It explains everything you'll need to know.

<style name="Widget.ActionMode">
<item name="android:background">?android:attr/actionModeBackground</item>
<item name="android:backgroundSplit">?android:attr/actionModeSplitBackground</item>
<item name="android:height">?android:attr/actionBarSize</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">@android:style/TextAppearance.Widget.ActionMode.Title</item>
<item name="android:subtitleTextStyle">@android:style/TextAppearance.Widget.ActionMode.Subtitle</item>
</style>

Toomin

"Cannot resolve symbol Widget" lol. And what is min API of this? – Submission

Answer 7

For those who still struggle, and none of the existing solutions helps, please make sure that in your layout with toolbar you have this:

app:popupTheme="@style/Theme.ToolBar"
android:popupTheme="@style/Theme.ToolBar"

and you don't have

app:theme="@style/Theme.ToolBar"

Since they will rise a conflict and your customization will not work.

Tightlipped

Answer 8

The simplest way to do it

ActionBarContextView actionBar = getWindow().getDecorView().findViewById(R.id.action_mode_bar);
    actionBar.setBackgroundColor(WhateverColorYouWant);

Captivity

Answer 9

I wanna make more clearer this answer. First create custom background "storage_list_header_shape.xml" in your drawable folder.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:shape="rectangle" >

   <gradient
      android:angle="270"
      android:startColor="@android:color/holo_orange_light"
      android:centerColor="@android:color/holo_orange_dark"
      android:endColor="@android:color/holo_orange_light" />

   <size android:height="3dp" />

 </shape>

Second, create custom style in your style.xml

<style name="customActionModeTheme" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">
    <item name="android:actionModeBackground">@drawable/storage_list_header_shape</item>
</style>

Third, call the style in your manifest.

<activity
     android:name="com.javacafe.activities.Main"
     android:launchMode="singleTop"
     android:screenOrientation="sensorLandscape"
     android:theme="@style/customActionModeTheme" >
</activity>

Cormack