Changing Status Bar Text Color for a White PrimaryDark Theme
Have you ever encountered the issue of your status bar text blending in with your app's dark theme, making it virtually invisible? This often happens when your primary dark theme color (usually colorPrimaryDark) is set to white. The default status bar text color will also be white, making it impossible to read.
The Problem: Status Bar Text Invisibility
Imagine you're designing a stunning dark theme for your app. You've carefully chosen a beautiful white colorPrimaryDark color. However, when you launch the app, you notice that the status bar text, like the time and battery icon, is also white. This creates a frustrating user experience as essential information becomes hidden from view.
The Solution: Dynamically Adapting Status Bar Text Color
The solution lies in dynamically adjusting the status bar text color based on your app's colorPrimaryDark. This can be achieved using the setStatusBarColor method in Android.
import android.graphics.Color;
import android.os.Build;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.Window;
import android.view.WindowManager;
// ... inside your Activity ...
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
// Check if we're on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or higher
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
Window window = getWindow();
window.addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_DRAWS_SYSTEM_BAR_BACKGROUNDS);
// Get the primary dark color from your theme
int primaryDarkColor = getResources().getColor(R.color.colorPrimaryDark, getTheme());
// Check if the primary dark color is white
if (primaryDarkColor == Color.WHITE) {
// Set the status bar text color to black
window.setStatusBarColor(Color.BLACK);
View decorView = window.getDecorView();
int uiOptions = View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LIGHT_STATUS_BAR;
decorView.setSystemUiVisibility(uiOptions);
} else {
// Keep the default status bar text color
window.setStatusBarColor(primaryDarkColor);
}
}
}
This code snippet demonstrates a simple way to handle this scenario. It first checks if the device runs Android Marshmallow (API 23) or higher, as the setStatusBarColor method is only available from this version onwards. Then, it retrieves the colorPrimaryDark color from your theme and checks if it's white. If it is, the code sets the status bar text color to black using setStatusBarColor(Color.BLACK). The code also sets SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LIGHT_STATUS_BAR flag to ensure the status bar icons are displayed in dark color.
Additional Tips
- Color Contrast: Always consider the color contrast between your
colorPrimaryDarkand the status bar text color. Ensure sufficient contrast for optimal readability. - Dark Theme Best Practices: Follow the Android Material Design guidelines for dark themes, including using appropriate colors for text, icons, and other elements.
Conclusion
By dynamically adapting the status bar text color based on your colorPrimaryDark, you can ensure a consistent and visually appealing user experience even with a white colorPrimaryDark. This simple code snippet can prevent the status bar text from disappearing, allowing your users to fully appreciate the beauty of your dark theme.
