Long press gesture on UICollectionViewCell

I was wondering how to add a long press gesture recognizer to a (subclass of) UICollectionView. I read in the documentation that it is added by default, but I can't figure out how.

What I want to do is: Long press on a cell ( I have a calendar thingy from github ), get which cell is tapped and then do stuff with it. I need to know what cell is longpressed. Sorry for this broad question, but i couldn't find anything better on either google or SO

Objective-C

In your myCollectionViewController.h file add the UIGestureRecognizerDelegate protocol

@interface myCollectionViewController : UICollectionViewController<UIGestureRecognizerDelegate>

in your myCollectionViewController.m file:

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    // attach long press gesture to collectionView
    UILongPressGestureRecognizer *lpgr 
       = [[UILongPressGestureRecognizer alloc]
                     initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handleLongPress:)];
    lpgr.delegate = self;
    lpgr.delaysTouchesBegan = YES;
    [self.collectionView addGestureRecognizer:lpgr];
}

-(void)handleLongPress:(UILongPressGestureRecognizer *)gestureRecognizer
{
    if (gestureRecognizer.state != UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded) {
        return;
    }
    CGPoint p = [gestureRecognizer locationInView:self.collectionView];
    
    NSIndexPath *indexPath = [self.collectionView indexPathForItemAtPoint:p];
    if (indexPath == nil){
        NSLog(@"couldn't find index path");            
    } else {
        // get the cell at indexPath (the one you long pressed)
        UICollectionViewCell* cell =
        [self.collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
        // do stuff with the cell
    }
}

Swift

class Some {

    @objc func handleLongPress(gesture : UILongPressGestureRecognizer!) {
        if gesture.state != .Ended {
            return
        }
        let p = gesture.locationInView(self.collectionView)

        if let indexPath = self.collectionView.indexPathForItemAtPoint(p) {
            // get the cell at indexPath (the one you long pressed)
            let cell = self.collectionView.cellForItemAtIndexPath(indexPath)
            // do stuff with the cell
        } else {
            print("couldn't find index path")
        }
    }
}

let some = Some()
let lpgr = UILongPressGestureRecognizer(target: some, action: #selector(Some.handleLongPress))

Swift 4

class Some {
    
    @objc func handleLongPress(gesture : UILongPressGestureRecognizer!) {
        if gesture.state != .ended { 
            return 
        } 
        
        let p = gesture.location(in: self.collectionView) 
        
        if let indexPath = self.collectionView.indexPathForItem(at: p) { 
            // get the cell at indexPath (the one you long pressed) 
            let cell = self.collectionView.cellForItem(at: indexPath) 
            // do stuff with the cell 
        } else { 
            print("couldn't find index path") 
        }
    }
}

let some = Some()
let lpgr = UILongPressGestureRecognizer(target: some, action: #selector(Some.handleLongPress))

The same code @abbood's code for Swift:

In viewDidLoad:

let lpgr : UILongPressGestureRecognizer = UILongPressGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: "handleLongPress:")
lpgr.minimumPressDuration = 0.5
lpgr.delegate = self
lpgr.delaysTouchesBegan = true
self.collectionView?.addGestureRecognizer(lpgr)

And the function:

func handleLongPress(gestureRecognizer : UILongPressGestureRecognizer){

    if (gestureRecognizer.state != UIGestureRecognizerState.Ended){
        return
    }
    
    let p = gestureRecognizer.locationInView(self.collectionView)
    
    if let indexPath : NSIndexPath = (self.collectionView?.indexPathForItemAtPoint(p))!{
        //do whatever you need to do
    }

}

Do not forget the delegate UIGestureRecognizerDelegate

Swift 5:

private func setupLongGestureRecognizerOnCollection() {
    let longPressedGesture = UILongPressGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(handleLongPress(gestureRecognizer:)))
    longPressedGesture.minimumPressDuration = 0.5
    longPressedGesture.delegate = self
    longPressedGesture.delaysTouchesBegan = true
    collectionView?.addGestureRecognizer(longPressedGesture)
}

@objc func handleLongPress(gestureRecognizer: UILongPressGestureRecognizer) {
    if (gestureRecognizer.state != .began) {
        return
    }
    
    let p = gestureRecognizer.location(in: collectionView)
    
    if let indexPath = collectionView?.indexPathForItem(at: p) {
        print("Long press at item: \(indexPath.row)")
    }
}

Also don't forget to implement UIGestureRecognizerDelegate and call setupLongGestureRecognizerOnCollection from viewDidLoad or wherever you need to call it.

Use the delegate of UICollectionView receive long press event

You must impl 3 method below.

//UICollectionView menu delegate
- (BOOL)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView shouldShowMenuForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{

   //Do something

   return YES;
}
- (BOOL)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView canPerformAction:(SEL)action forItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath withSender:(nullable id)sender{
    //do nothing
    return NO;
}

- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView performAction:(SEL)action forItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath withSender:(nullable id)sender{
    //do nothing
}

Answers here to add a custom longpress gesture recognizer are correct however according to the documentation here: the parent class of UICollectionView class installs a default long-press gesture recognizer to handle scrolling interactions so you must link your custom tap gesture recognizer to the default recognizer associated with your collection view.

The following code will avoid your custom gesture recognizer to interfere with the default one:

UILongPressGestureRecognizer* longPressGesture = [[UILongPressGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handleLongPressGesture:)];

longPressGesture.minimumPressDuration = .5; //seconds
longPressGesture.delegate = self;
     
// Make the default gesture recognizer wait until the custom one fails.
for (UIGestureRecognizer* aRecognizer in [self.collectionView gestureRecognizers]) {
   if ([aRecognizer isKindOfClass:[UILongPressGestureRecognizer class]])
      [aRecognizer requireGestureRecognizerToFail:longPressGesture];
} 

UILongPressGestureRecognizer *longPress = [[UILongPressGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(longPress:)];
   
[cell addGestureRecognizer:longPress];

and add the method like this.

- (void)longPress:(UILongPressGestureRecognizer*)gesture
{
    if ( gesture.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded ) {
        
        UICollectionViewCell *cellLongPressed = (UICollectionViewCell *) gesture.view;
    }
}

To have an external gesture recognizer and do not conflict with internal gesture recognizers on the UICollectionView you need to:

Add your gesture recognizer, set up it and capture a reference for it somewhere (the best option is on your subclass if you subclassed UICollectionView)

@interface UICollectionViewSubclass : UICollectionView <UIGestureRecognizerDelegate>    

@property (strong, nonatomic, readonly) UILongPressGestureRecognizer *longPressGestureRecognizer;   

@end

Override default initialization methods initWithFrame:collectionViewLayout: and initWithCoder: and add set up method for you long press gesture recognizer

@implementation UICollectionViewSubclass

-(instancetype)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame collectionViewLayout:(UICollectionViewLayout *)layout
{
    if (self = [super initWithFrame:frame collectionViewLayout:layout]) {
        [self setupLongPressGestureRecognizer];
    }
    return self;
}

-(instancetype)initWithCoder:(NSCoder *)aDecoder
{
    if (self = [super initWithCoder:aDecoder]) {
        [self setupLongPressGestureRecognizer];
    }
    return self;
}

@end

Write your setup method so it instantiates long press gesture recognizer, set it's delegate, setup dependencies with UICollectionView gesture recognizer (so it be the main gesture and all other gestures will wait till that gesture fails before being recognized) and add gesture to the view

-(void)setupLongPressGestureRecognizer
{
    _longPressGestureRecognizer = [[UILongPressGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self
                                                                                action:@selector(handleLongPressGesture:)];
    _longPressGestureRecognizer.delegate = self;

    for (UIGestureRecognizer *gestureRecognizer in self.collectionView.gestureRecognizers) {
        if ([gestureRecognizer isKindOfClass:[UILongPressGestureRecognizer class]]) {
            [gestureRecognizer requireGestureRecognizerToFail:_longPressGestureRecognizer];
        }
    }

    [self.collectionView addGestureRecognizer:_longPressGestureRecognizer];
}

Also don't forget to implement UIGestureRecognizerDelegate methods that fails that gesture and allow simultaneous recognition (you may or may don't need to implement it, it depends on other gesture recognizers you have or dependencies with internal gesture recognizers)

- (BOOL)gestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)gestureRecognizer shouldRecognizeSimultaneouslyWithGestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)otherGestureRecognizer {
    if ([self.longPressGestureRecognizer isEqual:gestureRecognizer]) {
        return NO;
    }
    
    return NO;
}

credentials for that goes to internal implementation of LXReorderableCollectionViewFlowLayout

Easier solution.

In your cellForItemAt delegate (set .tag property for later):

cell.gestureRecognizers?.removeAll()
cell.tag = indexPath.row
let directFullPreviewer = UILongPressGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(directFullPreviewLongPressAction))
cell.addGestureRecognizer(directFullPreviewer)

And callback for longPress:

@objc func directFullPreviewLongPressAction(g: UILongPressGestureRecognizer)
{
    if g.state == UIGestureRecognizer.State.began
    {
        // Get index as g.view.tag and that's it
    }
}

Perhaps, using UILongPressGestureRecognizer is the most widespread solution. But I encounter with it two annoying troubles:

• sometimes this recognizer works in incorrect way when we're moving our touch;
• recognizer intercepts other touch actions so we can't use highlight callbacks of our UICollectionView in a proper way.

Let me suggest one a little bit bruteforce, but working as it's required suggestion:

Declaring a callback description for long click on our cell:

typealias OnLongClickListener = (view: OurCellView) -> Void

Extending UICollectionViewCell with variables (we can name it OurCellView, for example):

/// To catch long click events.
private var longClickListener: OnLongClickListener?

/// To check if we are holding button pressed long enough.
var longClickTimer: NSTimer?

/// Time duration to trigger long click listener.
private let longClickTriggerDuration = 0.5

Adding two methods in our cell class:

/**
 Sets optional callback to notify about long click.
 
 - Parameter listener: A callback itself.
 */
func setOnLongClickListener(listener: OnLongClickListener) {
    self.longClickListener = listener
}

/**
 Getting here when long click timer finishs normally.
 */
@objc func longClickPerformed() {
    self.longClickListener?(view: self)
}

And overriding touch events here:

/// Intercepts touch began action.
override func touchesBegan(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
    longClickTimer = NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(self.longClickTriggerDuration, target: self, selector: #selector(longClickPerformed), userInfo: nil, repeats: false)
    super.touchesBegan(touches, withEvent: event)
}

/// Intercepts touch ended action.
override func touchesEnded(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
    longClickTimer?.invalidate()
    super.touchesEnded(touches, withEvent: event)
}

/// Intercepts touch moved action.
override func touchesMoved(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
    longClickTimer?.invalidate()
    super.touchesMoved(touches, withEvent: event)
}

/// Intercepts touch cancelled action.
override func touchesCancelled(touches: Set<UITouch>?, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
    longClickTimer?.invalidate()
    super.touchesCancelled(touches, withEvent: event)
}

Then somewhere in controller of our collection view declaring callback listener:

let longClickListener: OnLongClickListener = {view in
    print("Long click was performed!")
}

And finally in cellForItemAtIndexPath setting callback for our cells:

/// Data population.
func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {
    let cell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier("Cell", forIndexPath: indexPath)
    let castedCell = cell as? OurCellView
    castedCell?.setOnLongClickListener(longClickListener)
    
    return cell
}

Now we can intercept long click actions on our cells.