Change ActionBar Tabs background color

Question

Is there a way to change the background color of the tab bar in the ActionBar without changing it in the one line version?

To clarify what I want: In portrait mode the ActionBar is split in two lines, the ActionBar itself and the tabs below. In landscape mode the tabs are in the actual ActionBar.

I want to change the background color of the portrait mode. If I change the background in the TabView it'll be changed for both modes. Do I have to create separate styles for those? Which brings up a second question: is there a way to know when it'll be two lines and when not?

Or am I just missing something?

I'm using ActionBarSherlock btw

Maybe this can help: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10064411/change-actionbarsherlock-background-color — 0gravity, Jul 03 '12 at 20:38
No the problem is not the background of the ActionBar, but the background of the Tab bar. — Maria Neumayer, Jul 03 '12 at 20:54

score 45 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 08 '13 at 18:40

I think you are looking for the android:backgroundStacked attribute of the ActionBar style:

<style name="MyTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light">
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBarStyle</item>
</style>

<style name="MyActionBarStyle" parent="@android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.Solid">
    <item name="android:backgroundStacked">@drawable/my_stacked_background</item>
</style>

or (If using ActionBarSherlock):

<style name="MyTheme" parent="@style/Theme.Sherlock.Light">
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBarStyle</item>
    <item name="actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBarStyle</item>
</style>

<style name="MyActionBarStyle" parent="@style/Widget.Sherlock.Light.ActionBar.Solid">
    <item name="android:backgroundStacked">@drawable/my_stacked_background</item>
    <item name="backgroundStacked">@drawable/my_stacked_background</item>
</style>

Can you elaborate on how to make this work with the default holo light theme? What do you name it? What do you call in the manifest? This doesn't work. — , Aug 20 '14 at 14:25
@JesperB why we need to set both "android:backgroundStacked" and "backgroundStacked"? — , May 09 '18 at 13:48

score 23 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 17 '14 at 07:54

23

To Change Actionbar Tab's color, Pls use this code:

//For Example if you want White color as Tabs background, then

getActionBar().setStackedBackgroundDrawable(new ColorDrawable(Color.parseColor("#FFFFFF")));

answered Dec 17 '14 at 07:54

Srikanth P

1,506
14
12

This is the one answer which helped me after day. Styles are too complicated. This is the easiest way. – Nitish Mar 27 '15 at 13:39
Why `mActionBar.setStackedBackgroundDrawable(new ColorDrawable(R.color.action_bar_bg));` does not work? – Braj Oct 01 '15 at 11:08

vasart · Answer 3 · 2012-07-03T21:21:02.503

3

In ActionBarSherlock's values/abs__themes.xml there is

<item name="actionModeSplitBackground">@drawable/abs__cab_background_bottom_holo_dark</item>

You have to create your own theme derived from ABS

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.Sherlock">
    <item name="actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBar</item>
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>

<style name="MyActionBar" parent="Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar">
    <item name="actionModeSplitBackground">@drawable/my_split_background</item>
</style>

Hope this helps you.

edited Jul 03 '12 at 21:21

answered Jul 03 '12 at 20:39

vasart

6,692
38
39

That's what I thought it might be, but it doesn't change anything. – Maria Neumayer Jul 03 '12 at 20:59
Have you applied this theme to your application in AndroidManifest.xml? – vasart Jul 03 '12 at 21:15
Yes. But it's the wrong value. If you look at the actual asset (abs__cab_background_bottom_holo_dark) the blue bar that's being used to show that it's selected is on top, not on bottom. Also there are no different modes for selected/unselected etc – Maria Neumayer Jul 03 '12 at 21:18
Ok, there is also `@drawable/abs__ab_bottom_transparent_dark_holo` in `values/abs__styles.xml`. I don't remember the exact item name, but you have to look in that direction – vasart Jul 03 '12 at 21:23
3

It's backgroundStacked! Thanks for guiding me into the right direction. – Maria Neumayer Jul 03 '12 at 21:33

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 01 '15 at 20:08

1

ColorDrawable colorDrawable = new ColorDrawable(Color.White);
actionBar.SetStackedBackgroundDrawable(colorDrawable);

for xamarin folks.

answered Jul 01 '15 at 20:08

megaKertz

484
6
11

A bit of explanation would improve this answer. – Jul 03 '15 at 00:33

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 03 '12 at 20:50

0

To seperate styles depending on orientation you have to create in your /res folder a new folder called layout-land (for landscape mode) and layout-port (in portrait mode) and put your xml files for action bar and set it's specific style (with the color you want) on each folder.

answered Jul 03 '12 at 20:50

Mouna Cheikhna

38,870
10
48
69

Thanks, I'm aware of that. But it's not just landscape/portrait. I assume on tablets it'll always be just one line. I know I can also have separate styles for large screens etc but I don't know what mode will be used in which configuration. – Maria Neumayer Jul 03 '12 at 20:56

Change ActionBar Tabs background color

5 Answers5

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