How to set Toolbar text and back arrow color

Question

Toolbar background is dark color, I want text and back arrow to be white. I tried following, but it doesnt work.

<style name="Theme.MyTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar">

        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/blue</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/blue_darker</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/purple</item>
        <!-- item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/white</item--> // I don't want to set this, changes everywhere. 
        <item name="android:textColorSecondary">@color/white</item>
        <item name="android:toolbarStyle">@style/AppTheme.ToolbarStyle</item>
        <item name="toolbarStyle">@style/AppTheme.ToolbarStyle</item>

        <item name="drawerArrowStyle">@style/AppTheme.DrawerArrowStyle</item>

    </style>

    <style name="AppTheme.ToolbarStyle" parent="Base.Widget.AppCompat.Toolbar">
        <!--<item name="actionOverflowButtonStyle">@style/AppTheme.OverflowButtonStyle</item>-->
        <item name="android:textColor">@color/white</item> // doesn't work
        <item name="titleTextAppearance">@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title.Inverse</item>
        <item name="android:titleTextAppearance">@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title.Inverse</item>
        <item name="subtitleTextAppearance">@style/TextAppearance.Widget.AppCompat.Toolbar.Subtitle</item>
    </style>

Try to add `app:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar"` to your ``; back arrow and text will be white, like @yubarajpoudel said. — 1111161171159459134, Feb 21 '16 at 04:33

score 163 · Answer 1 · edited Jul 19 '16 at 11:53

Chances are you are extending from the wrong parent. If not, you can try adding the style to the toolbar layout directly, if you want to override the theme's settings.

In your toolbar layout:

 <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
      android:id="@+id/toolbar"
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
      android:minHeight="?attr/actionBarSize"
      app:theme="@style/ToolBarStyle"
      app:popupTheme="@style/ToolBarPopupStyle"
      android:background="@color/actionbar_color" />

In your styles:

 <!-- ToolBar -->
  <style name="ToolBarStyle" parent="Theme.AppCompat">
      <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@android:color/white</item>
      <item name="android:textColorSecondary">@android:color/white</item>
      <item name="actionMenuTextColor">@android:color/white</item>      
      <item name="actionOverflowButtonStyle">@style/ActionButtonOverflowStyle</item>
      <item name="drawerArrowStyle">@style/DrawerArrowStyle</item>
 </style>

you don't need the drawerArrowStyle part to make answer the question — luckyhandler, Aug 31 '16 at 12:43

score 135 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 12 '16 at 18:24

135

Add the following as toolbar.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:id="@+id/toolbar"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
    android:minHeight="?attr/actionBarSize"
    app:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar"
    app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light"
    android:background="?attr/colorPrimary">

</android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar>

Then in the layout where you needed

<include layout="@layout/toolbar"/>

Enjoy

edited Oct 12 '16 at 18:24

Artem Mostyaev

3,874
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answered Aug 19 '15 at 19:06

yubaraj poudel

3,821
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12

Yes, works! Particularly `app:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar"`. – 1111161171159459134 Feb 21 '16 at 04:24
1

Should be `` – Tim Apr 21 '16 at 15:05

score 68 · Answer 3 · edited Mar 25 '18 at 00:37

Inside Activity, you can use

    Toolbar toolbar = (Toolbar) findViewById(R.id.toolbar);
    setSupportActionBar(toolbar);
    toolbar.setTitleTextColor(getResources().getColor(android.R.color.white));

If you love to choose xml for both title color & back arrow white just add this style in style.xml .

 <style name="ToolBarStyle" parent="Theme.AppCompat">
    <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@android:color/white</item>
    <item name="android:textColorSecondary">@android:color/white</item>
    <item name="actionMenuTextColor">@android:color/white</item>
</style>

And toolbar look like :

 <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        app:theme="@style/ToolBarStyle"
        android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
  />

THIS WORKS! So many random answers - I think the thing to note is this works for: android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar nested within: android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout Many thanks — SagarScript, Nov 13 '18 at 04:10

Rocco · Answer 4 · 2018-11-03T14:54:00.073

23

This solution might be easier. But it does require a higher API version(23). simply add this code to your toolbar in XML:

<Toolbar
    android:id="@+id/toolbar"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:minHeight="?android:attr/actionBarSize"
    android:background="?android:attr/colorPrimary"
    android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar"
    android:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light"
    android:titleTextColor="#ffffffff" />

edited Nov 03 '18 at 14:54

answered Feb 13 '17 at 13:30

Rocco

457
5
23

@VygintasB true – Rocco Feb 15 '18 at 07:59
1

It is not necessary to set android:titleTextColor="#ffffffff", just android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar" and app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light" – Almeida Jan 20 '19 at 20:22

score 19 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 16 '19 at 22:33

If you use AndroidX (as of July 2019) you may add these:

<androidx.appcompat.widget.Toolbar
  android:id="@+id/toolbar"
  android:layout_width="match_parent"
  android:layout_height="match_parent"
  app:layout_collapseMode="pin"
  app:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.MaterialComponents.Dark.ActionBar"
  app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.MaterialComponents.Light"/>

NOTE! This was tested to work if your Toolbar is placed directly inside AppBarLayout but not inside CollapsingToolbarLayout

score 14 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 11 '18 at 11:05

this method helped me.

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/primary</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/primaryDark</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/highlightRed</item>
        <item name="actionBarTheme">@style/ToolbarStyle</item>
</style>

<style name="ToolbarStyle" parent="Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
        <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/white</item>
</style>

score 9 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 04 '16 at 12:09

<android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar">

        <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
            android:id="@+id/toolbar"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
            android:background="?attr/colorPrimaryDark"
            app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light" />
</android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout>

This is the answer if you're having an `appbarlayout`. Thanks! — Nuhman, Oct 09 '18 at 10:48

score 6 · Answer 8 · answered May 25 '15 at 10:11

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:id="@+id/toolbar"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
android:background="@color/actionBar"
app:titleTextAppearance="@style/ToolbarTitleText"
app:theme="@style/ToolBarStyle">

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/title"
    style="@style/ToolbarTitleText"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="center"
    android:text="hh"/>

<!-- ToolBar -->
<style name="ToolBarStyle" parent="Widget.AppCompat.Toolbar">
    <item name="actionMenuTextColor">#ff63BBF7</item>
</style>

use app:theme="@style/ToolBarStyle"

Reference resources：http://blog.csdn.net/wyyl1/article/details/45972371

Please explain your answers, just posting code isn't very clear for answering a question. — SuperBiasedMan, May 25 '15 at 10:16

score 6 · Answer 9 · edited Apr 28 '20 at 09:00

6

Add this line to Toolbar. 100% working

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

edited Apr 28 '20 at 09:00

Dmitrii Leonov

1,331
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answered Apr 09 '19 at 18:02

Gurwinder Singh

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score 3 · Answer 10 · answered Jul 14 '17 at 09:07

Try this on your XML file

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        app:titleTextColor="@color/colorAccent"
        app:theme="@style/ToolbarColoredBackArrow"
        app:subtitleTextColor="@color/colorAccent"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
        android:background="?attr/colorPrimary"
        app:popupTheme="@style/AppTheme.PopupOverlay" />

And add this is your colors.xml file

    <color name="colorAccent">YOUR_COLOR</color>

Please can you share with us what was in the app:theme="@style/ToolbarColoredBackArrow" — Simon, Dec 20 '17 at 13:34

score 3 · Answer 11 · answered Jan 27 '20 at 05:17

This approach worked for me using the Material Components library:

In styles.xml:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight.NoActionBar">
    <!-- Your styles here -->

    <item name="toolbarStyle">@style/AppTheme.Toolbar</item>
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.Toolbar" parent="Widget.MaterialComponents.Toolbar">
    <item name="titleTextColor">@android:color/white</item>
</style>

Adapted from this answer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/48205577/238753

score 1 · Answer 12 · answered Jan 29 '16 at 14:39

Try a lot of methods, in the low version of the API,a feasible method is <item name="actionMenuTextColor">@color/your_color</item> and don't use the Android namespace

ps:

  <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar">
    <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>

    <!-- change the textColor -->
    <item name="actionMenuTextColor">@color/actionMenuTextColor</item>
</style>

score 1 · Answer 13 · answered Sep 01 '16 at 15:50

I used placeholders so just follow along, as you might want to still keep the inheritance from the original style.

Before

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
    android:id="@+id/toolBar"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
    android:background="?attr/colorPrimary"
    android:elevation="4dp"
    android:theme="@style/{{originalBaseStyle}}"
    app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light"/>

After:

styles.xml

<style name="{{yourToolbarStyle}}" parent="{{originalBaseStyle}}">
    <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@android:color/white</item>
    <item name="android:textColorSecondary">@android:color/white</item>
    <item name="actionMenuTextColor">@android:color/white</item>
    <item name="actionOverflowButtonStyle">@style/ActionButtonOverflowStyle</item>
    <item name="drawerArrowStyle">@style/DrawerArrowStyle</item>
</style>

Therefore

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
    android:id="@+id/toolBar"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
    android:background="?attr/colorPrimary"
    android:elevation="4dp"
    android:theme="@style/{{yourToolbarStyle}}"
    app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light"/>

score 1 · Answer 14 · answered Mar 27 '18 at 02:01

If we follow the activity template created by Android Studios, it's the AppBarLayout that needs to have an android theme of AppBarOverlay, which you should define in the your styles.xml. That should give you your white color toobar/actionbar color text.

<android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout
    android:id="@+id/app_bar"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme.AppBarOverlay">  ...

In styles.xml, make sure the following exists:

<style name="AppTheme.AppBarOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar" />

score 1 · Answer 15 · edited May 06 '22 at 03:28

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:id="@+id/toolbar"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@color/color_primary"
    android:theme="@style/GalaxyZooThemeToolbarDarkOverflow"
    app:popupTheme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.NoActionBar" />

That toolbar theme specifies a textColorPrimary and textColorSecondary to change the color of the title text and of the menu overflow button. You could just specify the standard Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar theme for the toolbar, to get the dark text and overflow icon, but I wanted to derive from my own theme and make only small changes, because I have no idea what else might be affected.

<style name="GalaxyZooThemeToolbarDarkOverflow" parent="Theme.AppCompat.NoActionBar">


<!-- android:textColorPrimary is the  color of the title text
   in the Toolbar, in the Theme.AppCompat theme:  -->
<item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/abc_primary_text_material_light</item>

<!-- android:textColorPrimaryInverse is the  color of the title
   text in the Toolbar, in the Theme.AppCompat.Light theme:  -->

<!-- <item name="android:textColorPrimaryInverse">@color/abc_primary_text_material_light</item> -->

This is how you can change the color of text and icons on toolbar.

For more Ref: https://www.murrayc.com/permalink/2014/10/28/android-changing-the-toolbars-text-color-and-overflow-icon-color/

Also set the in the style.xml to the same color as your text or it will look strange! Cheers — Jon, Feb 07 '23 at 04:26

score 1 · Answer 16 · answered Oct 21 '21 at 12:49

Add this lines in Basic application theme, first for text, second for icon of menu

<item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/colorTextWhite</item>
<item name="android:textColorSecondary">@color/colorTextWhite</item>

It would look like this

<!-- Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
    <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@color/colorTextWhite</item>
    <item name="android:textColorSecondary">@color/colorTextWhite</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>
</style>

score 0 · Answer 17 · answered Jun 22 '15 at 09:25

To change the Toolbar's back icon drawable you can use this:
Add the <item name="toolbarStyle">@style/ToolbarStyle</item> into your Theme.
And here is the ToolbarStyle itself:

<style name="ToolbarStyle" parent="Widget.AppCompat.Toolbar">
    <item name="navigationIcon">@drawable/ic_up_indicator</item>
</style>

score 0 · Answer 18 · answered Sep 25 '17 at 04:28

If using the latest iteration of Android Studio 3.0 and generating your Activity classes, in your styles files change this:

<style name="AppTheme.AppBarOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar" />

To this:

<style name="AppTheme.AppBarOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.ActionBar" />

How to set Toolbar text and back arrow color

18 Answers18

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