How do I auto-hide placeholder text upon focus using css or jquery?

This is done automatically for every browser except Chrome.

I'm guessing I have to specifically target Chrome.

Any solutions?

If not with CSS, then with jQuery?

Kind regards.

Edit: All browsers support now

input:focus::placeholder {
  color: transparent;
}

<input type="text" placeholder="Type something here!">

Firefox 15 and IE 10+ also supports this now. To expand on Casey Chu's CSS solution:

input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { color:transparent; }
input:focus:-moz-placeholder { color:transparent; } /* FF 4-18 */
input:focus::-moz-placeholder { color:transparent; } /* FF 19+ */
input:focus:-ms-input-placeholder { color:transparent; } /* IE 10+ */

<input 
type="text" 
placeholder="enter your text" 
onfocus="this.placeholder = ''"
onblur="this.placeholder = 'enter your text'" />

Here is a CSS-only solution (for now, only works in WebKit):

input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder {
	opacity: 0;
}

Pure CSS Solution (no JS required)

Building on @Hexodus and @Casey Chu's answers, here is an updated and cross-browser solution that leverages CSS opacity and transitions to fade the placeholder text out. It works for any element that can use placeholders, including textarea and input tags.

::-webkit-input-placeholder { opacity: 1; -webkit-transition: opacity .5s; transition: opacity .5s; }  /* Chrome <=56, Safari < 10 */
:-moz-placeholder { opacity: 1; -moz-transition: opacity .5s; transition: opacity .5s; } /* FF 4-18 */
::-moz-placeholder { opacity: 1; -moz-transition: opacity .5s; transition: opacity .5s; } /* FF 19-51 */
:-ms-input-placeholder { opacity: 1; -ms-transition: opacity .5s; transition: opacity .5s; } /* IE 10+ */
::placeholder { opacity: 1; transition: opacity .5s; } /* Modern Browsers */
    
*:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { opacity: 0; } /* Chrome <=56, Safari < 10 */
*:focus:-moz-placeholder { opacity: 0; } /* FF 4-18 */
*:focus::-moz-placeholder { opacity: 0; } /* FF 19-50 */
*:focus:-ms-input-placeholder { opacity: 0; } /* IE 10+ */
*:focus::placeholder { opacity: 0; } /* Modern Browsers */

<div>
  <div><label for="a">Input:</label></div>
  <input id="a" type="text" placeholder="CSS native fade out this placeholder text on click/focus" size="60">
</div>

<br>

<div>
  <div><label for="b">Textarea:</label></div>
  <textarea id="b" placeholder="CSS native fade out this placeholder text on click/focus" rows="3"></textarea>
</div>

Revisions

• Edit 1 (2017): Updated to support modern browsers.
• Edit 2 (2020): Added the runnable Stack Snippet.

have you tried placeholder attr?

<input id ="myID" type="text" placeholder="enter your text " />

-EDIT-

I see, try this then:

$(function () {

    $('#myId').data('holder', $('#myId').attr('placeholder'));

    $('#myId').focusin(function () {
        $(this).attr('placeholder', '');
    });
    $('#myId').focusout(function () {
        $(this).attr('placeholder', $(this).data('holder'));
    });


});

Test: http://jsfiddle.net/mPLFf/4/

-EDIT-

Actually, since placeholder should be used to describe the value, not the name of the input. I suggest the following alternative

html:

<label class="overlabel"> 
    <span>First Name</span>
    <input name="first_name" type="text" />
</label>

javascript:

$('.overlabel').each(function () {
    var $this = $(this);
    var field = $this.find('[type=text], [type=file], [type=email], [type=password], textarea');
    var span = $(this).find('> span');
    var onBlur = function () {
        if ($.trim(field.val()) == '') {
            field.val('');
            span.fadeIn(100);
        } else {
            span.fadeTo(100, 0);
        }
    };
    field.focus(function () {
        span.fadeOut(100);
    }).blur(onBlur);
    onBlur();
});

css:

.overlabel {
  border: 0.1em solid;
  color: #aaa;
  position: relative;
  display: inline-block;
  vertical-align: middle;
  min-height: 2.2em;
}
.overlabel span {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  top: 0;
  white-space: nowrap;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-overflow: ellipsis;
}
.overlabel span, .overlabel input {
  text-align: left;
  font-size: 1em;
  line-height: 2em;
  padding: 0 0.5em;
  margin: 0;
  background: transparent;
  -webkit-appearance: none; /* prevent ios styling */
  border-width: 0;
  width: 100%;
  outline: 0;
}

Test:

http://jsfiddle.net/kwynwrcf/

To augment @casey-chu's and pirate rob's answer, here's a more cross browser compatible way:

	/* WebKit browsers */
input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { color:transparent; }

	/* Mozilla Firefox 4 to 18 */
input:focus:-moz-placeholder { color:transparent; }

	/* Mozilla Firefox 19+ */
input:focus::-moz-placeholder { color:transparent; }

	/* Internet Explorer 10+ */
input:focus:-ms-input-placeholder { color:transparent; }

Toni's answer is good, but I'd rather drop the ID and explicitly use input, that way all inputs with placeholder get the behavior:

<input type="text" placeholder="your text" />

Note that $(function(){ }); is the shorthand for $(document).ready(function(){ });:

$(function(){
    $('input').data('holder',$('input').attr('placeholder'));
    $('input').focusin(function(){
        $(this).attr('placeholder','');
    });
    $('input').focusout(function(){
        $(this).attr('placeholder',$(this).data('holder'));
    });
})

Demo.

I like to package this up in the name space and run on elements with the "placeholder" attribute...

$("[placeholder]").togglePlaceholder();

$.fn.togglePlaceholder = function() {
    return this.each(function() {
    	$(this)
    	.data("holder", $(this).attr("placeholder"))
    	.focusin(function(){
    	    $(this).attr('placeholder','');
    	})
    	.focusout(function(){
    	    $(this).attr('placeholder',$(this).data('holder'));
    	});
    });
};

Sometimes you need SPECIFICITY to make sure your styles are applied with strongest factor id Thanks for @Rob Fletcher for his great answer, in our company we have used

So please consider adding styles prefixed with the id of the app container

    #app input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder, #app  textarea:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder {
        color: #FFFFFF;
    }

    #app input:focus:-moz-placeholder, #app textarea:focus:-moz-placeholder {
        color: #FFFFFF;
    }

With Pure CSS it worked for me. Make it transparent when Entered/Focues in input

 input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { /* Chrome/Opera/Safari */
    color: transparent !important;
 }
 input:focus::-moz-placeholder { /* Firefox 19+ */
   color: transparent !important;
 }
 input:focus:-ms-input-placeholder { /* IE 10+ */
   color: transparent !important;
 }
 input:focus:-moz-placeholder { /* Firefox 18- */
   color: transparent !important;
  }

To further refine Wallace Sidhrée's code sample:

$(function()
{  
      $('input').focusin(function()
      {
        input = $(this);
        input.data('place-holder-text', input.attr('placeholder'))
        input.attr('placeholder', '');
      });

      $('input').focusout(function()
      {
          input = $(this);
          input.attr('placeholder', input.data('place-holder-text'));
      });
})

This ensures that each input stores the correct placeholder text in the data attribute.

See a working example here in jsFiddle.

I like the css approach spiced with transitions. On Focus the placeholder fades out ;) Works also for textareas.

Thanks @Casey Chu for the great idea.

textarea::-webkit-input-placeholder, input::-webkit-input-placeholder { 
	color: #fff;
	opacity: 0.4;
	transition: opacity 0.5s;
	-webkit-transition: opacity 0.5s; 
}

textarea:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder, input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder  { 
	opacity: 0;
}

Using SCSS along with http://bourbon.io/, this solution is simple, elegant, and works on all web browsers:

input:focus {
  @include placeholder() {
    color: transparent;
  }
}

Use Bourbon ! It's good for you !

This piece of CSS worked for me:

input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder {
        color:transparent;

}

For a pure CSS based solution:

input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder  {color:transparent;}
input:focus::-moz-placeholder   {color:transparent;}
input:-moz-placeholder   {color:transparent;}

Note: Not yet supported by all browser vendors.

Reference: Hide placeholder text on focus with CSS by Ilia Raiskin.

HTML:

<input type="text" name="name" placeholder="enter your text" id="myInput" />

jQuery:

$('#myInput').focus(function(){
  $(this).attr('placeholder','');
});
$('#myInput').focusout(function(){
  $(this).attr('placeholder','enter your text');
});

2018 > JQUERY v.3.3 SOLUTION: Working globaly for all input, textarea with placeholder.

 $(function(){
     $('input, textarea').on('focus', function(){
     	if($(this).attr('placeholder')){
           window.oldph = $(this).attr('placeholder');
         	$(this).attr('placeholder', ' ');
        };
     });

     $('input, textarea').on('blur', function(){
       if($(this).attr('placeholder')){
         	$(this).attr('placeholder', window.oldph);
         };
     }); 
});

If your input background color is white, then you can set the placeholder text color on focus to match the input background - making the text invisible; theoretically. If you're input is a different color, then just simply change the color to match it.

input:focus::placeholder {
  color: white;
}

Also, you can set the color to "transparent" shown in other answers.

Demo is here: jsfiddle

Try this :

//auto-hide-placeholder-text-upon-focus
if(!$.browser.webkit){
$("input").each(
		function(){
			$(this).data('holder',$(this).attr('placeholder'));
			$(this).focusin(function(){
			    $(this).attr('placeholder','');
			});
			$(this).focusout(function(){
			    $(this).attr('placeholder',$(this).data('holder'));
			});
			
		});

}

for input

input:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { color:transparent; }
input:focus:-moz-placeholder { color:transparent; }

for textarea

textarea:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { color:transparent; }
textarea:focus:-moz-placeholder { color:transparent; }

$("input[placeholder]").focusin(function () {
	$(this).data('place-holder-text', $(this).attr('placeholder')).attr('placeholder', '');
})
.focusout(function () {
	$(this).attr('placeholder', $(this).data('place-holder-text'));
});

$("input[placeholder]").each(function () {
    $(this).attr("data-placeholder", this.placeholder);

    $(this).bind("focus", function () {
        this.placeholder = '';
    });
    $(this).bind("blur", function () {
        this.placeholder = $(this).attr("data-placeholder");
    });
});

No need to use any CSS or JQuery. You can do it right from the HTML input tag.

For example, In below email box, the placeholder text will disappear after clicking inside and the text will appear again if clicked outside.

<input type="email" placeholder="Type your email here..." onfocus="this.placeholder=''" onblur="this.placeholder='Type your email here...'">

Besides all of above,I have two ideas.

You can add an element that imitates the palceholder.Then using javascript control the element showing and hiding.

But it is so complex,the other one is using the brother's selector of css.Just like this:

.placeholder { position: absolute; font-size: 14px; left: 40px; top: 11px; line-height: 1; pointer-events: none; }
.send-message input:focus + .placeholder { display: none; } 

23333,I have a poor English.Hope solve your problem.

try this function:

+It Hides The PlaceHolder On Focus And Returns It Back On Blur

+This function depends on the placeholder selector, first it selects the elements with the placeholder attribute, triggers a function on focusing and another one on blurring.

on focus : it adds an attribute "data-text" to the element which gets its value from the placeholder attribute then it removes the value of the placeholder attribute.

on blur : it returns back the placeholder value and removes it from the data-text attribute

<input type="text" placeholder="Username" />

$('[placeholder]').focus(function() {
    $(this).attr('data-text', $(this).attr('placeholder'));
    $(this).attr('placeholder', '');
  }).blur(function() {
      $(this).attr('placeholder', $(this).attr('data-text'));
      $(this).attr('data-text', '');
  });
});

you can follow me very well if you look what's happening behind the scenes by inspecting the input element

The same thing i have applied in angular 5.

i created a new string for storing placeholder

newPlaceholder:string;

then i have used focus and blur functions on input box(i am using prime ng autocomplete).

Above placeholder is being set from typescript

Two functions i am using -

/* Event fired on focus to textbox*/
Focus(data) {
    this.newPlaceholder = data.target.placeholder;
    this.placeholder = '';
}
/* Event fired on mouse out*/
Blur(data) {
    this.placeholder = this.newPlaceholder;
}

/* Webkit */
[placeholder]:focus::-webkit-input-placeholder { opacity: 0; }
/* Firefox < 19 */
[placeholder]:focus:-moz-placeholder { opacity: 0; }
/* Firefox > 19 */
[placeholder]:focus::-moz-placeholder { opacity: 0; }
/* Internet Explorer 10 */
[placeholder]:focus:-ms-input-placeholder { opacity: 0; }