Is it possible to change the textcolor on an Android SearchView?

The SearchView element doesn't have any properties for changing the text color. The default text color is black and doesn't work on our dark background. Is there a way to change the color of the text without resorting to hacks?

I found this similar question related to changing the text size, but so far, it doesn't have any answers: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10535176/how-to-set-searchview-textsize

Add

<item name="android:editTextColor">@android:color/white</item>

to the parent theme and that should change the entered text. You can also use

<item name="android:textColorHint">@android:color/white</item>

to change the hint text color for the SearchView. (Note that you can replace the @android:color/white with whatever appropriate value you're hoping to use)

Try something like this : You would get a handle to the textview from the sdk and then change it since they don't expose it publicly.

int id = searchView.getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null);
TextView textView = (TextView) searchView.findViewById(id);
textView.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);

This works for me.

SearchView searchView = (SearchView) findViewById(R.id.search);
EditText searchEditText = (EditText) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
searchEditText.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));
searchEditText.setHintTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));

Thanks to @CzarMatt I added AndroidX support.

For me the following works. I used a code from a link: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18786726/change-text-color-of-search-hint-in-actionbar-using-support-library.

    searchView = (SearchView) menu.findItem(R.id.action_search).getActionView();

    EditText txtSearch = ((EditText)searchView.findViewById(androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text));
    txtSearch.setHint(getResources().getString(R.string.search_hint));
    txtSearch.setHintTextColor(Color.LTGRAY);
    txtSearch.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17791388/changing-action-bar-searchview-hint-text-color advices another solution. It works but sets only hint text and color.

    searchView.setQueryHint(Html.fromHtml("<font color = #ffffff>" + getResources().getString(R.string.search_hint) + "</font>"));

I wanted to do something similar. I finally had to find the TextView among the SearchView children:

for (TextView textView : findChildrenByClass(searchView, TextView.class)) {
    textView.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);
}

If you want the util method:

public static <V extends View> Collection<V> findChildrenByClass(ViewGroup viewGroup, Class<V> clazz) {

    return gatherChildrenByClass(viewGroup, clazz, new ArrayList<V>());
}

private static <V extends View> Collection<V> gatherChildrenByClass(ViewGroup viewGroup, Class<V> clazz, Collection<V> childrenFound) {

    for (int i = 0; i < viewGroup.getChildCount(); i++)
    {
        final View child = viewGroup.getChildAt(i);
        if (clazz.isAssignableFrom(child.getClass())) {
            childrenFound.add((V)child);
        }
        if (child instanceof ViewGroup) {
            gatherChildrenByClass((ViewGroup) child, clazz, childrenFound);
        }
    }

    return childrenFound;
}

This is best achieved through custom styles. Overload the action bar widget style with your own custom style. For holo light with dark action bar, put this in your own styles file such as res/values/styles_mytheme.xml:

<style name="Theme.MyTheme" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <item name="android:actionBarWidgetTheme">@style/Theme.MyTheme.Widget</item>
    <!-- your other custom styles -->
</style>

<style name="Theme.MyTheme.Widget" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo">
    <item name="android:textColorHint">@android:color/white</item>
    <!-- your other custom widget styles -->
</style>

Make sure your application is using theme custom theme as described in enter link description here

You can do so by setting the editTextColor attribute in the style.

<style name="SearchViewStyle" parent="Some.Relevant.Parent">
    <item name="android:editTextColor">@color/some_color</item>
</style>

and you apply this style to Toolbar or the SearchView in the layout.

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
    android:theme="@style/SearchViewStyle">

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

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

You can override the default color using the android:theme attribute in the View.

If you are using a Toolbar or MaterialToolbar:

<com.google.android.material.appbar.MaterialToolbar
    android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.Toobar"
    ...>

or:

<androidx.appcompat.widget.Toolbar
    android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.Toobar"
    ...>

where the Theme overlay with a Material Components Theme is:

<style name="ThemeOverlay.Toobar" parent="ThemeOverlay.MaterialComponents.Toolbar.Primary">
    <!-- Text color -->
    <item name="android:editTextColor">@color/....</item>
    <!-- Hint text color -->
    <item name="android:textColorHint">@color/...</item>
</style>

with an AppCompat theme:

<style name="ThemeOverlay.Toobar" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light.*">
    <!-- Text color -->
    <item name="android:editTextColor">@color/....</item>
    <!-- Hint text color -->
    <item name="android:textColorHint">@color/...</item>
</style>

---

If you are using a SearchView in your layout you can do something similar:

   <androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView
       android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.SearchView"

with

   <style name="ThemeOverlay.SearchView" parent="">
        <!-- Text color -->
        <item name="android:editTextColor">@color/...</item>
        <!-- Hint text color -->
        <item name="android:textColorHint">@color/...</item>
    </style>

if you use - android.support.v7.widget.SearchView

SearchView searchView = (SearchView) item.getActionView();
EditText editText = (EditText) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
editText.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);

in Kotlin

val searchView = SearchView(this)
val editText = searchView.findViewById<EditText>(androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text)
editText.setTextColor(Color.WHITE)

You should rather start using androidx support libraries now

Create a Style for your Toolbar

<style name="AppTheme.Toolbar" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.ActionBar">
	<item name="android:editTextColor">@color/some_color</item>
</style>

And set it as the theme for the Toolbar

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme.Toolbar"
    ...

If you're using the android.support.v7.widget.SearchView, it's possible without having to use reflection.

Here's how I'm doing it in my app:

EditText text = (EditText) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
ImageView searchCloseIcon = (ImageView) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_close_btn);
View searchPlate = searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_plate);

if (searchPlate != null) {
    searchPlate.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.search_background);
}

if (text != null){
    text.setTextColor(resources.getColor(R.color.white));
    text.setHintTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));

    SpannableStringBuilder magHint = new SpannableStringBuilder("  ");
    magHint.append(resources.getString(R.string.search));

    Drawable searchIcon = getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_action_view_search);
    int textSize = (int) (text.getTextSize() * 1.5);
    searchIcon.setBounds(0, 0, textSize, textSize);
    magHint.setSpan(new ImageSpan(searchIcon), 0, 1, Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);

    // Set the new hint text
    text.setHint(magHint);

}

if (searchCloseIcon != null){
    searchCloseIcon.setImageDrawable(getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_action_close));
}

They don't expose the ids publicly for the non appcompat SearchView, but they do for AppCompat if you know where to look. :)

I had this problem, and this works for me.

@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
		getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.customer_menu, menu);
		SearchManager searchManager = (SearchManager) getSystemService(Context.SEARCH_SERVICE);
		SearchView searchView 		= (SearchView) menu.findItem(R.id.menu_customer_search).getActionView();
		searchView.setSearchableInfo(searchManager.getSearchableInfo(getComponentName()));
		
		searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(this);
		
        //Applies white color on searchview text
	    int id = searchView.getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null);
		TextView textView = (TextView) searchView.findViewById(id);
		textView.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);
		
		return true;
}

If you base your app theme on the holo theme you will get a white instead of a black text in your SearchView

<style name="Theme.MyTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo">

I did not find any other way to change the textcolor of the searchview without using dirty hacks.

Yes it is possible using following method.

public static EditText setHintEditText(EditText argEditText, String argHintMessage, boolean argIsRequire) {
    try {
        if (argIsRequire) {
            argHintMessage = "   " + argHintMessage;
            //String text = "<font color=#8c8c8c>"+argHintMessage+"</font> <font color=#cc0029>*</font>";
            String text = "<font color=#8c8c8c>" + argHintMessage + "</font>";
            argEditText.setHint(Html.fromHtml(text));
        } else {
            argEditText.setHint(argHintMessage);
        }
    } catch (Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
    return argEditText;
}

Calling of this method look like this..

metLoginUserName=(EditText)this.findViewById(R.id.etLoginUserName);
	metLoginPassword=(EditText)this.findViewById(R.id.etLoginPassword);
	
	/**Set the hint in username and password edittext*/
	metLoginUserName=HotSpotStaticMethod.setHintEditText(metLoginUserName, getString(R.string.hint_username),true);
	metLoginPassword=HotSpotStaticMethod.setHintEditText(metLoginPassword, getString(R.string.hint_password),true);

using it i have successfully add red color * mark in hint using this method. You should change this method according to your requirement. I hope its helpful to you ....:)

Most cleanest way is:

Toolbar uses theme ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.Actionbar.

Now make child of it like:

toolbarStyle parent "ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.Actionbar"

add this item in that style

item name "android:editTextColor">yourcolor

Done.

One more very important thing is, in toolbar put the layout_height ="?attr/actionbarSize". By default it is wrap_content.For me text was not even visible in searchview it fixed that problem.

Use this one, it's right. :D

AutoCompleteTextView searchText = (AutoCompleteTextView) searchView.findViewById(R.id.abs__search_src_text);
searchText.setHintTextColor(getResources().getColor(color.black));
searchText.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(color.black));

Change color of typed text:

((EditText)((SearchView)findViewById(R.id.searchView)).findViewById(((SearchView)findViewById(R.id.searchView)).getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null))).setTextColor(Color.WHITE);

Change color of hint text:

((EditText)((SearchView)findViewById(R.id.searchView)).findViewById(((SearchView)findViewById(R.id.searchView)).getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null))).setHintTextColor(Color.LTGRAY);

Yes we can,

SearchView searchView = (SearchView) findViewById(R.id.sv_symbol);

To apply the white color for the SerachView Text,

int id = searchView.getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null);
TextView textView = (TextView) searchView.findViewById(id);
textView.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);

Happy coding !!!!

this is working for me.

final SearchView searchView = (SearchView) MenuItemCompat.getActionView(item);

searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(this);   
searchEditText = (EditText) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
searchEditText.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));
searchEditText.setHintTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN) 
{
    searchEditText.setBackgroundColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.c_trasnparent));
    searchEditText.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);
    searchEditText.setCompoundDrawables(null,null,R.drawable.ic_cross,null);
}

TextView textView = (TextView) searchView.findViewById(R.id.search_src_text);
textView.setTextColor(Color.BLACK);

This works for me, if you use androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView apply androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text to identify the searchview, no returns null in the textView

    TextView textView = (TextView) searchView.findViewById(androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
    textView.setTextColor(Color.RED);
    textView.setHintTextColorstrong text(Color.RED);

A SearchView object extends from LinearLayout, so it holds other views. The trick is to find the view holding the hint text and change the colour programmatically. The problem with trying to find the view by id is that the id is dependent from the theme used in the application. So depending on the theme used, the findViewById(int id) method might return null. A better approach that works with every theme is to traverse the view hierarchy and find the widget containing the hint text:

// get your SearchView with its id
SearchView searchView = (SearchView) menu.findItem(R.id.search).getActionView();
// traverse the view to the widget containing the hint text
LinearLayout ll = (LinearLayout)searchView.getChildAt(0);
LinearLayout ll2 = (LinearLayout)ll.getChildAt(2);
LinearLayout ll3 = (LinearLayout)ll2.getChildAt(1);
SearchView.SearchAutoComplete autoComplete = (SearchView.SearchAutoComplete)ll3.getChildAt(0);
// set the hint text color
autoComplete.setHintTextColor(getResources().getColor(Color.WHITE));
// set the text color
autoComplete.setTextColor(Color.BLUE);

Using this method, you can also change the look of other widgets in the SearchView hierarchy, such as the EditText holding the search query. Unless Google decides to change the view hierarchy of a SearchView shortly, you should be able to change the appearance of the widget with this method for some time.

It is possible to customize searchview by using appcompat v7 library.I used appcompat v7 library and defined custom style for it. In drawable folder put bottom_border.xml file which looks like this:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
 <item>
  <shape >
      <solid android:color="@color/blue_color" />
  </shape>
 </item>
 <item android:bottom="0.8dp"
   android:left="0.8dp"
   android:right="0.8dp">
  <shape >
      <solid android:color="@color/background_color" />
  </shape>
 </item>

 <!-- draw another block to cut-off the left and right bars -->
 <item android:bottom="2.0dp">
  <shape >
      <solid android:color="@color/main_accent" />
  </shape>
  </item>
 </layer-list>

In values folder styles_myactionbartheme.xml:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <resources>
  <style name="AppnewTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    <item name="android:windowBackground">@color/background</item>
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/ActionBar</item>
    <item name="android:actionBarWidgetTheme">@style/ActionBarWidget</item>
  </style> 
  <!-- Actionbar Theme -->
  <style name="ActionBar" parent="Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
    <item name="android:background">@color/main_accent</item>
    <!-- <item name="android:icon">@drawable/abc_ic_ab_back_holo_light</item> -->
  </style> 
  <style name="ActionBarWidget" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    <!-- SearchView customization-->
     <!-- Changing the small search icon when the view is expanded -->
    <!-- <item name="searchViewSearchIcon">@drawable/ic_action_search</item> -->
     <!-- Changing the cross icon to erase typed text -->
   <!--   <item name="searchViewCloseIcon">@drawable/ic_action_remove</item> -->
     <!-- Styling the background of the text field, i.e. blue bracket -->
    <item name="searchViewTextField">@drawable/bottom_border</item>
     <!-- Styling the text view that displays the typed text query -->
    <item name="searchViewAutoCompleteTextView">@style/AutoCompleteTextView</item>        
  </style>

    <style name="AutoCompleteTextView" parent="Widget.AppCompat.Light.AutoCompleteTextView">
     <item name="android:textColor">@color/text_color</item>
   <!--   <item name="android:textCursorDrawable">@null</item> -->
    <!-- <item name="android:textColorHighlight">@color/search_view_selected_text</item> -->
  </style>
 </resources>

I defined custommenu.xml file for displaying menu:

 <menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:com.example.actionbartheme="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto" >  
    
  <item android:id="@+id/search"
      android:title="@string/search_title"
      android:icon="@drawable/search_buttonn"
      com.example.actionbartheme:showAsAction="ifRoom|collapseActionView"
        com.example.actionbartheme:actionViewClass="android.support.v7.widget.SearchView"/>        
  </menu>

Your activity should extend ActionBarActivity instead of Activity. Here is onCreateOptionsMenu method.

  @Override
  public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) 
  {
	// Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
	MenuInflater inflater = getMenuInflater();
    inflater.inflate(R.menu.custommenu, menu);
  }

In manifest file:

  <application
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppnewTheme" >
       

For more information see this url:
Here http://www.jayway.com/2014/06/02/android-theming-the-actionbar/

for appcompat-v7 Toolbar with searchView (provided via MenuItemCompat):

Setting the Toolbar theme to @style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light will yield dark color (black) for the hint text and for the entered text, but won't affect the cursor* color. Accordingly, setting the Toolbar theme to @style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark will yield light color (white) for the hint text and the entered text, the cursor* will be white anyway.

Customising the above themes:

android:textColorPrimary --> color of the entered text

editTextColor --> color of the entered text (will override the affect of android:textColorPrimary if set)

android:textColorHint --> color of the hint

*note: Am yet to determine how the Cursor color can be controlled (without using the reflection solution).

By using this I was able to change the typed color text in search view

AutoCompleteTextView typed_text = (AutoCompleteTextView) inputSearch.findViewById(inputSearch.getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null));
typed_text.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);

Wow. A lot of answer. It gets color value from your primary color.

Change it, and its done!

@Override
public void onResume() {
    super.onResume();
    getActivity().setTheme(R.style.YourTheme_Searching);
}

Styles;

<style name="YourTheme.Searching" parent="YourTheme">
    <item name="android:textColorPrimary">@android:color/white</item>
</style>

change searchView style in toolbar with androidx.

firstly,set search view style in your toolbar Style (change parent them with your own app base them):

     <!-- toolbar style -->
      <style name="ToolbarStyle" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar">     
          <!-- search view about -->
          <item name="android:editTextColor">@color/colorWhitePrimaryText</item>
          <item name="android:textColorHint">@color/colorWhiteSecondaryText</item>
          <item name="android:textCursorDrawable">@drawable/drawable_cursor_white</item>
          <item name="closeIcon">@mipmap/ic_close</item>
          <item name="searchHintIcon">@mipmap/ic_search_white</item>
          <item name="searchIcon">@mipmap/ic_search_white</item>
          <item name="android:longClickable">false</item>
          <item name="android:queryHint">@string/toolbar_search</item>
      </style> 

then, use it in your toolbar layout:

android:theme="@style/ToolbarStyle"

with this, you can change most style of searchView except for query hint.

finally set query hint at your toolbar menu's options:

toolbar.setOnMenuItemClickListener(item -> {
        switch (item.getItemId()){
            case R.id.toolbar_search:
                SearchView searchView = (SearchView) item.getActionView();
                searchView.setQueryHint("default query");
                searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(new SearchView.OnQueryTextListener() {
                    @Override
                    public boolean onQueryTextSubmit(String query) {
                        return false;
                    }

                    @Override
                    public boolean onQueryTextChange(String newText) {
                        return false;
                    }
                });
                return true;
                default:
                    return false;
        }

searchView = (SearchView) view.findViewById(R.id.searchView);
		
SearchView.SearchAutoComplete searchText = (SearchView.SearchAutoComplete) searchView
      .findViewById(org.holoeverywhere.R.id.search_src_text);
searchText.setTextColor(Color.BLACK);

I am using Holoeverywhere Library. Note the org.holoeverywhere.R.id.search_src_text

I found a solution from a blog post. See here.

Basically you style searchViewAutoCompleteTextView and have android:actionBarWidgetTheme inherit the style.

it works with me

@Override
public boolean onPrepareOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search);
    EditText searchEditText = (EditText) searchView.getActionView().findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
    searchEditText.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));
    searchEditText.setHintTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));
    return super.onPrepareOptionsMenu(menu);
}

What worked for me

((EditText)searchView.findViewById(R.id.search_src_text)).setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.text));

For Kotlin Language

    searchView = view.findViewById(R.id.searchView_Contacts)
    // change color
    val id = searchView.context.resources
        .getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null)

    val textView = searchView.findViewById<View>(id) as TextView

    textView.setTextColor(Color.WHITE)

You can implement like this class to change font color and image ::

import com.actionbarsherlock.widget.SearchView;
import com.actionbarsherlock.widget.SearchView.SearchAutoComplete;


public class MySearchView {
    public static SearchView getSearchView(Context context, String strHint) {
        SearchView searchView = new SearchView(context);
        searchView.setQueryHint(strHint);
        searchView.setFocusable(true);
        searchView.setFocusableInTouchMode(true);
        searchView.requestFocus();
        searchView.requestFocusFromTouch();

         ImageView searchBtn = (ImageView) searchView.findViewById(R.id.abs__search_button);
         searchBtn.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_menu_search);
        

         ImageView searchBtnClose = (ImageView) searchView.findViewById(R.id.abs__search_close_btn);
         searchBtnClose.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_cancel_search_bar);
        
        
         SearchAutoComplete searchText = (SearchAutoComplete) searchView.findViewById(R.id.abs__search_src_text);

        searchText.setTextColor(context.getResources().getColor(color.white));

        return searchView;
    }


    public static SearchView getSearchView(Context context, int strHintRes) {
        return getSearchView(context, context.getString(strHintRes));
    }
}

I hope it can help you guys. :D

I tried and find one solution for this. I think it will help you..

searchView.setBackgroundColor(Color.WHITE);

This Way :)

View searchPlate = searchView.findViewById(searchPlateId);
if (searchPlate!=null) {
    searchPlate.setBackgroundColor(Color.DKGRAY);
    int searchTextId = searchPlate.getContext().getResources().getIdentifier("android:id/search_src_text", null, null);
    TextView searchText = (TextView) searchPlate.findViewById(searchTextId);
    if (searchText != null) {
        searchText.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);
    	searchText.setHintTextColor(Color.WHITE);
    }
}
return ;
}

Casting the SearchView to TextView allows you to use TextView's methods to change its colour:

((TextView) searchView).setTextColor(Color.WHITE);
((TextView) searchView).setHintTextColor(Color.WHITE);