EditText hint doesn't show

Question

My EditText configured as follows won't show the hint:

<EditText
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="right"
    android:hint="The hint..."
    android:scrollHorizontally="true"
    android:singleLine="true" />

It works if I set android:gravity="left" or if I remove android:scrollHorizontally and android:singleLine attributes, which is not desirable. Any suggestions?

I can confirm that `editText` is not displaying the hint when `gravity` is `center` or `right` and `singleLine` is set. I am also looking for a solution. — Justin, Nov 12 '10 at 17:10
I can no longer edit my last comment, but I wanted to mention that this is a known issue: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=7252 — Justin, Nov 12 '10 at 17:21

score 73 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 07 '12 at 02:30

73

using android:ellipsize="end" fixed it for me Weird bug !! (but Android has a lot of these weirdo bug)

answered Jan 07 '12 at 02:30

Someone Somewhere

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after added this TAG I can see hint in Emulator but still no luck with Real Device (i.e. sony ericsson xperia ) – swiftBoy Oct 17 '12 at 11:35
"android:ellipsize" property works for me.. strange...! – Vishal May 07 '15 at 12:48

lal · Answer 2 · 2015-05-04T06:34:08.020

58

In Lollipop version the default text and hint text color is white for EditText. So we have to change like this in EditText

android:textColorHint="@color/grey"

edited May 04 '15 at 06:34

answered Jan 06 '15 at 06:28

lal

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2

Worked for me. Strange behavior. Only one of my apps had this problem, but solved by this. Wonder what's really going on behind. – March3April4 Nov 27 '17 at 01:41

Kavi · Answer 3 · 2013-08-19T16:11:27.310

17

I wanted my single-line EditText box to scroll but keep the hint on the right also. I had the same issue and got the hint to stick by keeping gravity="right", and setting singleLine="true" and ellipsize="end".

edited Aug 19 '13 at 16:11

answered Jan 14 '11 at 22:51

Kavi

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score 7 · Answer 4 · edited Oct 01 '15 at 05:47

7

You need to give text color to hint

android:textColorHint="#000000"

edited Oct 01 '15 at 05:47

josliber

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answered Oct 01 '15 at 04:39

Ravi Yadav

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That's not enough for Android 2.3 (I tested on HTS Desire S). Also should add android:ellipsize="end". – CoolMind Jan 18 '16 at 12:29

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 24 '13 at 18:05

Using android:ellipsize="end" resolves the obvious platform bug. Unfortunately, Xperias still misbehave :(

I found no other solution than to:

if (android.os.Build.MANUFACTURER.matches(".*[Ss]ony.*"))
      editText.setGravity(Gravity.LEFT);
else
      editText.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);

score 2 · Answer 6 · answered Aug 31 '10 at 10:56

2

No need of android:scrollHorizontally attribute. Remove it.EditText is a fixed item on the screen. we want scroll the layout contains the EditText is enough. that is the best design too. you have put android:ellipsize="end" instead of android:scrollHorizontally.

answered Aug 31 '10 at 10:56

Praveen

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Nope, that's not it. If you read documentation http://developer.android.com/reference/android/R.styleable.html#TextView_scrollHorizontally, when the text you type doesn't fit into the field, android:scrollHorizontally attribute allows the text to scroll within the field (no scroll bars of course). It has nothing to do with the layout scroll. – venuko Aug 31 '10 at 16:36

score 1 · Answer 7 · edited May 05 '15 at 11:26

1

This is how, I did for by EditText to have hint in it.

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/productQuantity"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="right|center_vertical"
    android:hint="@string/quantity"
    android:inputType="numberSigned"
    android:ellipsize="end"
    android:singleLine="true" >
</EditText>

Screenshot of what the above code should look like

edited May 05 '15 at 11:26

shA.t

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answered Dec 25 '12 at 05:41

Nandagopal T

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score 1 · Answer 8 · edited May 05 '15 at 11:25

The below worked for me:

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/UserText"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
    android:layout_alignRight="@+id/UserPassword"
    android:layout_marginTop="85dp"
    android:ems="10"
    android:hint="@string/UserHint"
    android:inputType="textPersonName"
    android:singleLine="true"
    android:text="@string/UserName" >

    <requestFocus />
</EditText>

score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Feb 15 '19 at 17:43

1

Try changing the hint text color, sometimes the hint color is the same as the background color

android:textColorHint="@color/colorBlack"

answered Feb 15 '19 at 17:43

Vinnicius Pereira

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Hello and welcome! It seems like this answer is basically a repeat of a couple others- – Feb 15 '19 at 18:16

score 0 · Answer 10 · edited Sep 30 '20 at 01:32

0

I changed the style to "@style/Base.WidgetMaterialComponents.TextImputEditText". For me it wasn't gravity or color.

edited Sep 30 '20 at 01:32

Satan Pandeya

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answered Sep 30 '20 at 00:22

BigTimeG

1

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Mar 17 '23 at 12:52

0

In my android studio is dolphin(old version) and I have set compileSdkVersion 33 so this issue come then i compileSdkVersion 32 set. It's working fine. So decrease compileSdkVersion version.

answered Mar 17 '23 at 12:52

madan yadav

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EditText hint doesn't show

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