Android - Center TextView Horizontally in LinearLayout

Question

I have the following basic layout

<LinearLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">

<LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@drawable/title_bar_background">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
        android:padding="10dp"
        android:text="HELLO WORLD" />

    </LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout>

It seems like the xml is correct but the text is aligned to the left. The textview takes up the entire width of the parent and the textview is set to be centered. Not sure what the problem is...

try android:gravity="center" for your textview – user370305 Oct 04 '11 at 17:47 — user370305, Oct 04 '11 at 17:47

score 237 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 20 '11 at 16:02

237

What's happening is that since the the TextView is filling the whole width of the inner LinearLayout it is already in the horizontal center of the layout. When you use android:layout_gravity it places the widget, as a whole, in the gravity specified. Instead of placing the whole widget center what you're really trying to do is place the content in the center which can be accomplished with android:gravity="center_horizontal" and the android:layout_gravity attribute can be removed.

edited Dec 20 '11 at 16:02

Joe

80,724
18
127
145

answered Oct 04 '11 at 17:54

Dan S

9,139
3
37
48

3

If I understand correctly he could change "android:layout_width="fill_parent" to "wrap_content" and then use android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal". Am I right ? – Paweł Brewczynski Dec 04 '13 at 20:59
1

@bluesm No, the inner LinearLayout doesn't allow itself to have space that is not filled with a View (not considering the case of an empty LinearLayout). Thus the the `android:layout_width` will have the same value (after layout). Since the width of the TextView is equal to the with of the inner LinearLayout the TextView effectively has the `android:layout_gravity` values of `left`, `right`, and `center` at the same time. – Dan S Dec 04 '13 at 22:20
1

For `ImageView` its `layout_gravity`and for `TextView` its `gravity` is what **only** works. Android is great ! Thanks to all beautiful SO posts without which development was just impossible. – Atul Aug 06 '16 at 12:36
2

don't forget about `android:layout_width="match_parent"` – Choletski Nov 03 '16 at 15:03

score 26 · Answer 2 · edited May 06 '14 at 05:38

If you set <TextView> in center in <Linearlayout> then first put android:layout_width="fill_parent" compulsory
No need of using any other gravity

    <LinearLayout
            android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/linear_profile" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:gravity="center_horizontal">
            <TextView 
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:text="It's.hhhhhhhh...."
                android:textColor="@color/Black"

                />
    </LinearLayout>

score 24 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 04 '11 at 17:49

<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">

<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="@drawable/title_bar_background">

<TextView
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:text="HELLO WORLD" />

</LinearLayout>

score 17 · Answer 4 · edited Jan 25 '14 at 06:41

17

Use android:gravity="center" in TextView instead of layout_gravity.

edited Jan 25 '14 at 06:41

Ragunath Jawahar

19,513
22
110
155

answered Oct 04 '11 at 17:47

Blackbelt

156,034
29
297
305

Short and precise answer. Thank you – nurnachman Jul 19 '15 at 14:27

score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 24 '18 at 15:07

3

Just use: android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"

It will put the whole textview in the center

answered Jun 24 '18 at 15:07

charlenecipres

31
1

Android - Center TextView Horizontally in LinearLayout

5 Answers5