How to change background color in android app

Question

I want to be able to change the background color to white in my android app in the simplest way possible.

Ravi Vyas · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-18T12:23:45.847

370

You need to use the android:background property , eg

android:background="@color/white"

Also you need to add a value for white in the strings.xml

<color name="white">#FFFFFF</color>

Edit : 18th Nov 2012

The first two letters of an 8 letter color code provide the alpha value, if you are using the html 6 letter color notation the color is opaque.

Eg :

enter image description here

edited Nov 18 '12 at 12:23

answered May 01 '10 at 05:36

Ravi Vyas

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@Jonny the first two letters provide the alpha value. – Ravi Vyas Nov 18 '12 at 12:18
Thank you, but isn't it easier just to use the hex value? – the_prole Jun 21 '14 at 09:31
it would be very easy, but bad practice :) – Ravi Vyas Jun 23 '14 at 05:28
4

It is even easier to use `android:background="@android:color/white"` which is predefined and doesn't require you to add anything to strings.xml. – Greg Hewgill Jul 01 '14 at 07:09
1

Could you add the location `/res/layout/activity_main.xml` for adding the element `android:background` to the answer? – 030 Jul 17 '14 at 18:30
Just to clarify a bit. Giving the top-level layout element a margin will always show black in the margin. This answer shows how to set the background of the screen itself http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10156816/android-how-to-set-background-color-of-all-screens – Martin Westin Jan 19 '17 at 13:38

score 164 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 22 '14 at 16:46

164

You can also use

android:background="#ffffff"

in your xml layout or /res/layout/activity_main.xml, or you can change the theme in your AndroidManifest.xml by adding

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

to your activity tag.

If you want to change the background dynamically, use

YourView.setBackgroundColor(Color.argb(255, 255, 255, 255));

edited Jul 22 '14 at 16:46

030

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answered May 02 '10 at 15:23

James

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This is the right answer because it has themes, I believe. A one-liner is NOT the simplest way, but a way to spread an entire style to everything is. Styles are how you achieve one-line with even complex changes. Also, styles work on preferences, unlike general attributes. (although still with a few oddities) – Stephen J Mar 24 '17 at 14:39

Paschalis · Answer 3 · 2016-07-20T09:58:00.510

63

Simplest way

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

No need to define anything. It uses predefined colors in android.R.

edited Jul 20 '16 at 09:58

answered Jul 14 '12 at 02:55

Paschalis

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and programmatically: `context.getResources().getColor(android.R.color.white)` – Paschalis Jul 25 '13 at 22:30
1

thanks, that was actually what I was looking for. In my case I have to do it in Java. – Armfoot Aug 30 '14 at 14:16

score 10 · Answer 4 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:34

To change the background color in the simplest way possible programmatically (exclusively - no XML changes):

LinearLayout bgElement = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.container);
bgElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.WHITE);

Only requirement is that your "base" element in the activity_whatever.xml has an id which you can reference in Java (container in this case):

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
              android:id="@+id/container"
              android:layout_width="match_parent"
              android:layout_height="match_parent">
     ...
</LinearLayout>

Paschalis and James, who replied here, kind of lead me to this solution, after checking out the various possibilities in How to set the text color of TextView in code?.

Hope it helps someone!

score 4 · Answer 5 · edited Jul 22 '14 at 16:39

4

The simplest way is to add android:background="#FFFFFF" to the main node in the layout.xml or /res/layout/activity_main.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
       android:layout_width="fill_parent"
       android:layout_height="fill_parent"
       android:padding="10dp"
       android:textSize="20sp" 
       android:background="#FFFFFF">
   </TextView>

edited Jul 22 '14 at 16:39

030

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answered Jan 16 '14 at 16:09

Lo Juego

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This is not a good idea, because it will result in unnecessary GPU overdraw (first, the window background will be drawn and then the TextView's background on top of it). See: http://www.curious-creature.com/docs/android-performance-case-study-1.html – Miloš Černilovský Jun 29 '15 at 06:28

score 4 · Answer 6 · edited Dec 21 '15 at 04:28

This method worked for me:

RelativeLayout relativeLayout = (RelativeLayout) findViewById(R.layout.rootLayout);
relativeLayout.setBackgroundColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.bg_color_2));

Set id in layout xml

xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="@+id/rootLayout"
android:background="@color/background_color"

Add color values/color.xml

<color name="bg_color_2">#ffeef7f0</color>

Najaf Ali · Answer 7 · 2017-08-10T11:33:31.140

4

The best way using background with gradient as it does not increase app size of your app images are poison for android app so try to use it less instead of using one color as a background you can use multiple colors in one background.

edited Aug 10 '17 at 11:33

answered Aug 10 '17 at 11:15

Najaf Ali

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score 3 · Answer 8 · edited Apr 05 '17 at 04:55

3

You can try this in xml sheet:

android:background="@color/background_color"

edited Apr 05 '17 at 04:55

Satan Pandeya

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answered Jul 11 '16 at 05:28

ashwini

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score 2 · Answer 9 · edited Jul 20 '16 at 11:09

2

In Layout,to change background use this.

android:background="@color/your_color"

In Program can be use this. For eg: Texview background color

 TextView tvName = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tvName);
 tvName.setBackgroundColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.your_color));

edited Jul 20 '16 at 11:09

Krishna Mohan

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answered Jul 20 '16 at 10:25

Sarath VK

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score 2 · Answer 10 · edited Apr 05 '17 at 03:42

2

go to Activity_Main.xml
there are design view / and text view .
choose Text view

write this code up:

android:background="@color/colorAccent"

edited Apr 05 '17 at 03:42

Shamas S

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answered Apr 05 '17 at 03:08

Mohamed Seda

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score 2 · Answer 11 · edited Aug 10 '18 at 15:20

2

This code can be useful for you:

android:background="#fff"

edited Aug 10 '18 at 15:20

Hardik Shah

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answered Aug 10 '18 at 13:20

ebnesina

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score 2 · Answer 12 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

I want to be able to change the background color to white in my android app in the simplest way possible.

The question says Simplest Way, so here it is.

Set parentViewStyle in all your parent views. Like most parent view of your activity, fragment and dialogs.

<LinearLayout style="@style/parentViewStyle">

  ... other components inside

</LinearLayout>

Just put this style inside res>values>styles.xml

<style name="parentViewStyle">
    <item name="android:layout_height">match_parent</item>
    <item name="android:layout_width">match_parent</item>
    <item name="android:background">@color/white</item> // set your color here.
    <item name="android:orientation">vertical</item>
</style>

By this way, you don't have to change background color many times in future.

score 1 · Answer 13 · edited Oct 07 '15 at 07:31

1

you can try with this way

android:background="@color/white"

edited Oct 07 '15 at 07:31

Siboo

61
8

answered Aug 06 '15 at 07:11

Kumar

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score 1 · Answer 14 · edited Oct 04 '16 at 06:23

You can use simple color resources, specified usually inside

res/values/colors.xml.

use

<color name="red">#ffff0000</color>

and use this via android:background="@color/red". This color can be used anywhere else too, e.g. as a text color. Reference it in XML the same way, or get it in code via

getResources().getColor(R.color.red).

You can also use any drawable resource as a background, use android:background="@drawable/mydrawable" for this (that means 9patch drawables, normal bitmaps, shape drawables, ..).

score 1 · Answer 15 · answered Dec 16 '16 at 16:07

1

Some times , the text has the same color that background, try with android:background="#CCCCCC" into listview properties and you will can see that.

answered Dec 16 '16 at 16:07

Ingeniería Ceet

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score 1 · Answer 16 · answered Mar 26 '17 at 06:07

android:background="#64B5F6"
You can change the value after '#' according to your own specification or need depending on how you want to use them.
Here is a sample code:

<TextView
        android:text="Abir"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:textSize="24sp"
        android:background="#D4E157"  />

Thank you :)

score 1 · Answer 17 · answered Aug 15 '19 at 17:23

1

For Kotlin and not only, when you write

@color/

you can choose whatever you want, fast and simply:

android:background="@color/md_blue_900"

answered Aug 15 '19 at 17:23

Alessandro Ornano

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score 0 · Answer 18 · answered Feb 23 '16 at 12:47

Another way, go to layout -> your .xml file -> design view .Then go component tree and select layout you want to change color . In below component tree there is properties section .Select background in the properties section (In picture section 1). Then click section 2 in picture . Then Resources window will be open .From that select color menu .Then choose color you want .enter image description here

score 0 · Answer 19 · answered Feb 23 '18 at 14:56

If you would like to add background color to the entire activity

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="#1de9b6"
    tools:context="com.example.abc.myapplication.MainActivity">
 </RelativeLayout>

If you would like to use background for a view

 <TextView
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Andrios"
    android:background="@color/colorAccent" />

Hope this helps!

score 0 · Answer 20 · answered Nov 26 '21 at 13:33

0

change_color.setBackground(getDrawable(R.color.purple_700));

This approach worked for when I tried changing colors on click.

answered Nov 26 '21 at 13:33

RONNIE RAWAT

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How to change background color in android app

20 Answers20

Simplest way

The question says Simplest Way, so here it is.

Linked