Get root view from current activity

Question

I know how to get the root view with View.getRootView(). I am also able to get the view from a button's onClick event where the argument is a View. But how can I get the view in an activity?

In activity, normally you tell which resource it should render using `setContentView()` and the view that you supplied is already the root. If you need the handle of that view, simply put an ID to it in XAML and `findViewById()` would be fine. — xandy, Dec 20 '10 at 01:05
My plan is to attach the code dynamically .. so if my users use the api I expect it to be automatically detect things.. Boulder's solution works ! — Lalith, Dec 21 '10 at 06:42

score 1169 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 18 '19 at 10:24

1169

If you need root view of your activity (so you can add your contents there) use

findViewById(android.R.id.content).getRootView()

Also it was reported that on some devices you have to use

getWindow().getDecorView().findViewById(android.R.id.content)

instead.

Please note that as Booger reported, this may be behind navigation bar (with back button etc.) on some devices (but it seems on most devices it is not).

If you need to get view that you added to your activity using setContentView() method then as pottedmeat wrote you can use

final ViewGroup viewGroup = (ViewGroup) ((ViewGroup) this
            .findViewById(android.R.id.content)).getChildAt(0);

But better just set id to this view in your xml layout and use this id instead.

edited Nov 18 '19 at 10:24

Googlian

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answered Dec 20 '10 at 08:58

Dmitry Ryadnenko

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Actually just findViewById(android.R.id.content) is giving me the root view. If that is not true in some cases I can get root view from the findViewById(android.R.id.content).getRootView(). Thanks for the answer. Where can I learn more about android.R stuff ? I wasn't aware of it. – Lalith Dec 21 '10 at 06:39
5

You can check here I suppose http://developer.android.com/reference/android/R.html It's just android resources reference. Personally I learned about android.R.id.content then checking layouts in hierarchyviewer. – Dmitry Ryadnenko Dec 21 '10 at 07:29
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I've noticed that this view appears to include the status bar, so if you're looking for the visible part of your activity, use the answer from @pottedmeat. – Ben Clayton Mar 17 '12 at 13:16
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@Lalith, can you elaborate on when you needed to do findViewById(android.R.id.content).getRootView()? A general rule would be really useful to know. – batbrat Mar 29 '14 at 09:03
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@batbrat I need to use .getRootView() in Android 5.0+ when using action bar – Morten Holmgaard Jul 23 '15 at 17:19
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When you use this answer, your Snackbar will include the system decor (meaning the Snackbar information will appear behind the Navigation Buttons - Home/Back/Recents). I need my Snackbar to appear in MY Activity (not the entire system, including the on-screen nav buttons), so use the other answer. – Booger Sep 28 '15 at 14:31
@nickes,how to get the rootview of fragment?? – Reprator Dec 30 '15 at 11:52
@VikramSingh call `getView()` in Fragment. – Yaroslav Mytkalyk Mar 30 '16 at 08:09
@batbrat: IIRC, if you already have the root view, `view.getRootView()` will return that root view (again). I mean, it is harmless to add `.getRootView()`, so the safe answer is to *always* do `findViewById(android.R.id.content).getRootView()`. [Unless you want the root of content, in which case the `.getChildAt(0)` is what you want.] – ToolmakerSteve Jan 19 '17 at 23:50
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`activity.findViewById(android.R.id.content)` is returning null in Android 5. :( – Juan José Melero Gómez May 22 '17 at 09:47
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@JuanJoséMeleroGómez Is it consistent for all Android 5 devices or is it only for your device? – Dmitry Ryadnenko May 22 '17 at 12:15
You're right, @DmitryRyadnenko, it only happens in my device. It's a Samsung SM-T365. I had to go with `getWindow().getDecorView()` on it. – Juan José Melero Gómez May 31 '17 at 09:43
Perfect working. Without this approach it misbehave to give rootview of activity – Satyam Gondhale Aug 04 '21 at 04:51
"it was reported that on some devices you have to use `getWindow().getDecorView().findViewById(android.R.id.content)`" Can you specify which devices? – VIN May 25 '23 at 20:59
Also answer my question https://stackoverflow.com/q/76529993/4134215 – Taimoor Khan Jun 22 '23 at 11:32

score 279 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 21 '14 at 06:35

279

This is what I use to get the root view as found in the XML file assigned with setContentView:

final ViewGroup viewGroup = (ViewGroup) ((ViewGroup) this
            .findViewById(android.R.id.content)).getChildAt(0);

edited Jul 21 '14 at 06:35

Jared Burrows

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answered Feb 21 '11 at 17:48

pottedmeat

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This answer gave the view without the status bar - which is what I wanted. I was looking for the pixel width + height of the visible part of the activity. This one works, thanks! – Ben Clayton Mar 17 '12 at 13:17
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This excludes ActionBar! – Wayne Oct 17 '13 at 07:25
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Is there a way to include the `ActionBar` as well? – theblang Sep 03 '14 at 16:16
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The key words here are "the root view as found in the XML file". Thank you. – Kacy Feb 28 '15 at 17:33
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This should be the correct marked answer. This will place the Snackbar inside your Activity (at the root), which is where it should be (I am pretty sure nobody wants to place their info behind the Nav Buttons) – Booger Sep 28 '15 at 14:50
why is the use of getChildAt(0) ? Anyone? – HarshitMadhav Mar 29 '17 at 19:18
`findViewById(android.R.id.content).getHeight();` will get you the height of the root View – vovahost Jul 19 '17 at 18:32

score 150 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 19 '12 at 03:38

150

I tested this in android 4.0.3, only:

getWindow().getDecorView().getRootView()

give the same view what we get from

anyview.getRootView();

com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow$DecorView@#########

and

getWindow().getDecorView().findViewById(android.R.id.content)

giving child of its

android.widget.FrameLayout@#######

Please confirm.

answered Jul 19 '12 at 03:38

Sudar Nimalan

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Android2.3.3 seems same – ruX Jul 16 '13 at 17:09
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Works in 4.3 Is the easiest way and the least amount of code I've found. – Oliver Dixon May 15 '14 at 00:12
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Best if you're using SnackBar – zackygaurav Nov 28 '15 at 11:38
*getWindow().getDecorView().getRootView().getHeight()* returns display height. – vovahost Jul 19 '17 at 18:27
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getWindow().getDecorView().getRootView() is not recommended for snack bar, it will overlap the system navigation bar, findViewById(android.R.id.content) will be better. – thanhbinh84 Aug 23 '17 at 15:48

score 35 · Answer 4 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

35

Get root view from current activity.

Inside our activity we can get the root view with:

ViewGroup rootView = (ViewGroup) ((ViewGroup) this
            .findViewById(android.R.id.content)).getChildAt(0);

or

View rootView = getWindow().getDecorView().getRootView();

edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Community

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answered Nov 29 '16 at 20:23

Jorgesys

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score 35 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 25 '18 at 09:15

35

In Kotlin we can do it a little shorter:

val rootView = window.decorView.rootView

answered Oct 25 '18 at 09:15

Artem Botnev

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it, take the root of windows, if you show a snack it show the message in navigation bar – Campino Oct 03 '20 at 23:14

score 22 · Answer 6 · answered Mar 26 '16 at 00:04

22

Just incase Someone needs an easier way:

The following code gives a view of the whole activity:

View v1 = getWindow().getDecorView().getRootView();

To get a certian view in the activity,for example an imageView inside the activity, simply add the id of that view you want to get:

View v1 = getWindow().getDecorView().getRootView().findViewById(R.id.imageView1);

Hope this helps somebody

answered Mar 26 '16 at 00:04

Salah Klein

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You can just call `findViewById(R.id.imageView1);` on the activity if you want the specific view. – RobCo Apr 21 '17 at 15:55

score 10 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 22 '20 at 02:43

Kotlin Extension Solution

Use this to simplify access in an Activity. Then you can directly refer to rootView from the Activity, or activity.rootView outside of it:

val Activity.rootView get() = window.decorView.rootView

If you'd like to add the same for Fragments for consistency, add:

val Fragment.rootView get() = view?.rootView

score 8 · Answer 8 · answered May 21 '20 at 10:16

8

For those of you who are using the Data Binding Library, to get the root of the current activity, simply use:

View rootView = dataBinding.getRoot();

And for Kotlin users, it's even simpler:

val rootView = dataBinding.root

answered May 21 '20 at 10:16

Alex Mamo

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I think this should be upvoted especially now that data binding is the supported library for working with views. Data binding makes this process a lot simpler! – adonese Mar 25 '22 at 08:47

score 5 · Answer 9 · edited May 14 '18 at 04:08

5

anyview.getRootView(); will be the easiest way.

edited May 14 '18 at 04:08

Arnaud

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answered May 13 '18 at 18:49

Khemraj Sharma

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score 1 · Answer 10 · answered Apr 12 '18 at 07:43

1

to get View of the current Activity

in any onClick we will be getting "View view", by using 'view' get the rootView.

View view = view.getRootView();

and to get View in fragment

View view = FragmentClass.getView();

answered Apr 12 '18 at 07:43

user3509903

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score 1 · Answer 11 · answered Jun 03 '20 at 19:28

Another Kotlin Extension solution

If your activity's view is declared in xml (ex activity_root.xml), open the xml and assign an id to the root view:

android:id="@+id/root_activity"

Now in your class, import the view using:

import kotlinx.android.synthetic.main.activity_root.root_activity

You can now use root_activity as the view.

bowman han · Answer 12 · 2017-03-16T06:34:18.700

0

if you are in a activity, assume there is only one root view,you can get it like this.

ViewGroup viewGroup = (ViewGroup) ((ViewGroup) this
        .findViewById(android.R.id.content)).getChildAt(0);

you can then cast it to your real class

or you could using

getWindow().getDecorView();

notice this will include the actionbar view, your view is below the actionbar view

edited Mar 16 '17 at 06:34

answered Jul 28 '16 at 09:02

bowman han

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There is no such method in `Activity` class. – onelaview Nov 05 '16 at 10:12
window.decorView or window.decorView as ViewGroup - if you need to cast it to the ViewGroup – Edhar Khimich Jan 23 '20 at 15:50

Get root view from current activity

12 Answers12

Get root view from current activity.

Kotlin Extension Solution

Another Kotlin Extension solution

Linked

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