Swift add icon/image in UITextField

I would like to add icon/image in UITextField. The icon/image should be left to placeholder.

I tried this:

var imageView = UIImageView();
var image = UIImage(named: "email.png");
imageView.image = image;
emailField.leftView = imageView;

Thanks.

Sahil has a great answer and I wanted to take that and expand it into an @IBDesignable so developers can add images to their UITextFields on the Storyboard.

Swift 4.2

import UIKit

@IBDesignable
class DesignableUITextField: UITextField {
    
    // Provides left padding for images
    override func leftViewRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        var textRect = super.leftViewRect(forBounds: bounds)
        textRect.origin.x += leftPadding
        return textRect
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var leftImage: UIImage? {
        didSet {
            updateView()
        }
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var leftPadding: CGFloat = 0
    
    @IBInspectable var color: UIColor = UIColor.lightGray {
        didSet {
            updateView()
        }
    }
    
    func updateView() {
        if let image = leftImage {
            leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.always
            let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 20, height: 20))
            imageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
            imageView.image = image
            // Note: In order for your image to use the tint color, you have to select the image in the Assets.xcassets and change the "Render As" property to "Template Image".
            imageView.tintColor = color
            leftView = imageView
        } else {
            leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.never
            leftView = nil
        }
        
        // Placeholder text color
        attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: placeholder != nil ?  placeholder! : "", attributes:[NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: color])
    }
}

What is happening here?

This designable allows you to:

• Set an image on the left
• Add padding between the left edge of the UITextField and the image
• Set a color so the image and the Placeholder text matches

Notes

• For image color to change you have to follow that note in the comment in the code
• The image color will not change in the Storyboard. You have to run the project to see the color in the Simulator/device.

Designable in the Storyboard

At Runtime

Try adding emailField.leftViewMode = UITextFieldViewMode.Always

(Default leftViewMode is Never)

Updated Answer for Swift 4

emailField.leftViewMode = UITextFieldViewMode.always

emailField.leftViewMode = .always

I Just want to add some more thing here:

If you want to add the image on UITextField on left side use leftView property of UITextField

NOTE: Don't forget to set leftViewMode to UITextFieldViewMode.Always and for right rightViewMode to UITextFieldViewMode.Always anddefault is UITextFieldViewModeNever

for e.g

For adding an image on left side

textField.leftViewMode = UITextFieldViewMode.Always
let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 20, height: 20))
let image = UIImage(named: imageName)
imageView.image = image
textField.leftView = imageView

For adding an image on right side

textField.rightViewMode = UITextFieldViewMode.Always
let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 20, height: 20))
let image = UIImage(named: imageName)
imageView.image = image
textField.rightView = imageView

NOTE: some things you need to take care while adding an image on UITextField either on the left side or right side.

• Don't forget to give a frame of ImageView which are you going to add on UITextField

  let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 20, height: 20))

• if your image background is white then image won't visible on UITextField

• if you want to add an image to the specific position you need to add ImageView as the subview of UITextField.

Update For Swift 3.0

@Mark Moeykens Beautifully expended it and make it @IBDesignable.

I modified and added some more features (add Bottom Line and padding for right image) in this.

NOTE if you want to add an image on the right side you can select the Force Right-to-Left option in semantic in interface builder(But for right image padding won't work until you will override rightViewRect method ).

I have modified this and can download the source from here ImageTextField

Another way, inspired from previous posts to make an extension.

We can put the image on the right or on the left

extension UITextField {

enum Direction {
    case Left
    case Right
}

// add image to textfield
func withImage(direction: Direction, image: UIImage, colorSeparator: UIColor, colorBorder: UIColor){
    let mainView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 50, height: 45))
    mainView.layer.cornerRadius = 5
    
    let view = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 50, height: 45))
    view.backgroundColor = .white
    view.clipsToBounds = true
    view.layer.cornerRadius = 5
    view.layer.borderWidth = CGFloat(0.5)
    view.layer.borderColor = colorBorder.cgColor
    mainView.addSubview(view)
    
    let imageView = UIImageView(image: image)
    imageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
    imageView.frame = CGRect(x: 12.0, y: 10.0, width: 24.0, height: 24.0)
    view.addSubview(imageView)
    
    let seperatorView = UIView()
    seperatorView.backgroundColor = colorSeparator
    mainView.addSubview(seperatorView)
    
    if(Direction.Left == direction){ // image left
        seperatorView.frame = CGRect(x: 45, y: 0, width: 5, height: 45)
        self.leftViewMode = .always
        self.leftView = mainView
    } else { // image right
        seperatorView.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 5, height: 45)
        self.rightViewMode = .always
        self.rightView = mainView
    }
    
    self.layer.borderColor = colorBorder.cgColor
    self.layer.borderWidth = CGFloat(0.5)
    self.layer.cornerRadius = 5
}

}

Use :

if let myImage = UIImage(named: "my_image"){
    textfield.withImage(direction: .Left, image: myImage, colorSeparator: UIColor.orange, colorBorder: UIColor.black)
}

Enjoy :)

To create padding, I like to place the image inside of a container view. You can remove the background color once you are happy with the icon placement.

let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 8.0, y: 8.0, width: 24.0, height: 24.0))
let image = UIImage(named: "my_icon")
imageView.image = image
imageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
imageView.backgroundColor = UIColor.red
    
let view = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 32, height: 40))
view.addSubview(imageView)
view.backgroundColor = .green
textField.leftViewMode = UITextFieldViewMode.always
textField.leftView = view

for Swift 3.0 add image on leftside of textField

textField.leftView = UIImageView(image: "small-calendar")
textField.leftView?.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 5, width: 20 , height:20)
textField.leftViewMode = .always

Swift 5

@IBOutlet weak var paswd: UITextField! {
    didSet{
      paswd.setLeftView(image: UIImage.init(named: "password")!)
      paswd.tintColor = .darkGray
      paswd.isSecureTextEntry = true
    }   
 }

I have created extension

extension UITextField {
  func setLeftView(image: UIImage) {
    let iconView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 10, y: 10, width: 25, height: 25)) // set your Own size
    iconView.image = image
    let iconContainerView: UIView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 35, height: 45))
    iconContainerView.addSubview(iconView)
    leftView = iconContainerView
    leftViewMode = .always
    self.tintColor = .lightGray
  }
}

Result

2020 - reasonable solution

Regarding this insanity from Apple.

Here is perhaps the "clearest", simplest, way to do it:

First, you must correctly move the text.

Note this critical QA: https://stackoverflow.com/a/27066764/294884

class TidyTextField: UITextField {
    
    @IBInspectable var leftImage: UIImage? = nil
    @IBInspectable var leftPadding: CGFloat = 0
    @IBInspectable var gapPadding: CGFloat = 0
    
    private var textPadding: UIEdgeInsets {
        let p: CGFloat = leftPadding + gapPadding + (leftView?.frame.width ?? 0)
        return UIEdgeInsets(top: 0, left: p, bottom: 0, right: 5)
    }
    
    override open func textRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        return bounds.inset(by: textPadding)
    }
    
    override open func placeholderRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        return bounds.inset(by: textPadding)
    }
    
    override open func editingRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        return bounds.inset(by: textPadding)
    }
    

continuing, we now have to make and move the left image:

    override func leftViewRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        var r = super.leftViewRect(forBounds: bounds)
        r.origin.x += leftPadding
        return r
    }
    
    override func layoutSubviews() {
        super.layoutSubviews()
        setup()
    }
    
    private func setup() {
        if let image = leftImage {
            if leftView != nil { return } // critical!
            
            let im = UIImageView()
            im.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
            im.image = image
            
            leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.always
            leftView = im
            
        } else {
            leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.never
            leftView = nil
        }
    }
}

This seems to be about the clearest, most reliable way to do it.

Using the extension in Swift4, We can easily put the image on the right or on the left with padding to TextField.

extension UITextField {

    //MARK:- Set Image on the right of text fields

  func setupRightImage(imageName:String){
    let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 10, y: 10, width: 20, height: 20))
    imageView.image = UIImage(named: imageName)
    let imageContainerView: UIView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 55, height: 40))
    imageContainerView.addSubview(imageView)
    rightView = imageContainerView
    rightViewMode = .always
    self.tintColor = .lightGray
}

 //MARK:- Set Image on left of text fields

    func setupLeftImage(imageName:String){
       let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 10, y: 10, width: 20, height: 20))
       imageView.image = UIImage(named: imageName)
       let imageContainerView: UIView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 55, height: 40))
       imageContainerView.addSubview(imageView)
       leftView = imageContainerView
       leftViewMode = .always
       self.tintColor = .lightGray
     }

  }

Use code as for left image setup:-

   self.password_text_field.setupLeftImage(imageName: "unlock")

Output :)

I created a simple IBDesignable. Use it however u like. Just make your UITextField confirm to this class.

import UIKit

@IBDesignable
class RoundTextField : UITextField {
    @IBInspectable var cornerRadius : CGFloat = 0{
        didSet{
            layer.cornerRadius = cornerRadius
            layer.masksToBounds = cornerRadius > 0
        }
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var borderWidth : CGFloat = 0 {
        didSet{
            layer.borderWidth = borderWidth
        }
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var borderColor : UIColor? {
        didSet {
            layer.borderColor = borderColor?.cgColor
        }
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var bgColor : UIColor? {
        didSet {
            backgroundColor = bgColor
        }
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var leftImage : UIImage? {
        didSet {
            if let image = leftImage{
                leftViewMode = .always
                let imageView = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 20, y: 0, width: 20, height: 20))
                imageView.image = image
                imageView.tintColor = tintColor
                let view = UIView(frame : CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 25, height: 20))
                view.addSubview(imageView)
                leftView = view
            }else {
                leftViewMode = .never
            }
            
        }
    }
    
    @IBInspectable var placeholderColor : UIColor? {
        didSet {
            let rawString = attributedPlaceholder?.string != nil ? attributedPlaceholder!.string : ""
            let str = NSAttributedString(string: rawString, attributes: [NSForegroundColorAttributeName : placeholderColor!])
            attributedPlaceholder = str
        }
    }
    
    override func textRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        return bounds.insetBy(dx: 50, dy: 5)
    }
    
    override func editingRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
        return bounds.insetBy(dx: 50, dy: 5)
    }

}

Another way to set placeholder icon & set padding to TextField.

let userIcon = UIImage(named: "ImageName") 
setPaddingWithImage(image: userIcon, textField: txtUsername)

func setPaddingWithImage(image: UIImage, textField: UITextField){
    let imageView = UIImageView(image: image)
    imageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
    let view = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 60, height: 50))
    imageView.frame = CGRect(x: 13.0, y: 13.0, width: 24.0, height: 24.0)
    //For Setting extra padding other than Icon.
    let seperatorView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 50, y: 0, width: 10, height: 50))
    seperatorview.backgroundColor = UIColor(red: 80/255, green: 89/255, blue: 94/255, alpha: 1)
    view.addSubview(seperatorView)
    textField.leftViewMode = .always
    view.addSubview(imageView)
    view.backgroundColor = .darkGray
    textField.leftViewMode = UITextFieldViewMode.always
    textField.leftView = view
}

Swift 3.1

extension UITextField
{
    enum Direction
    {
        case Left
        case Right
    }
    
    func AddImage(direction:Direction,imageName:String,Frame:CGRect,backgroundColor:UIColor)
    {
        let View = UIView(frame: Frame)
        View.backgroundColor = backgroundColor
        
        let imageView = UIImageView(frame: Frame)
        imageView.image = UIImage(named: imageName)
        
        View.addSubview(imageView)
        
        if Direction.Left == direction
        {
            self.leftViewMode = .always
            self.leftView = View
        }
        else
        {
            self.rightViewMode = .always
            self.rightView = View
        }
    }
    
}

You can put this function your global file or above your class so you can access it in entire application. After this procedure you can call this function as per your requirement in application.

        func SetLeftSIDEImage(TextField: UITextField, ImageName: String){
                
                let leftImageView = UIImageView()
                leftImageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
                
                let leftView = UIView()
                
                leftView.frame = CGRect(x: 20, y: 0, width: 30, height: 20)
                leftImageView.frame = CGRect(x: 13, y: 0, width: 15, height: 20)
                TextField.leftViewMode = .always
                TextField.leftView = leftView
            
                let image = UIImage(named: ImageName)?.withRenderingMode(.alwaysTemplate)
                leftImageView.image = image
                leftImageView.tintColor = UIColor(red: 106/255, green: 79/255, blue: 131/255, alpha: 1.0)
                leftImageView.tintColorDidChange()
                
                leftView.addSubview(leftImageView)
            }
            
            SetLeftSIDEImage(TextField: Your_textField, ImageName: “YourImageName”) // call function

Why don't you go for the easiest approach. For most cases you want to add icons like font awesome... Just use font awesome library and it would be as easy to add an icon to an text field as this:

myTextField.setLeftViewFAIcon(icon: .FAPlus, leftViewMode: .always, textColor: .red, backgroundColor: .clear, size: nil)

You would need to install first this swift library: https://github.com/Vaberer/Font-Awesome-Swift

This is a modified version of Mark Moeykens' answer with added padding between image and text and adjustable image size in case somebody needs it.

Swift 4

    import UIKit

    @IBDesignable
    class TextFieldWithImage: UITextField {

        override func leftViewRect(forBounds bounds: CGRect) -> CGRect {
            return super.leftViewRect(forBounds: bounds)
        }

        @IBInspectable var leftImage: UIImage? {
            didSet {
                updateView()
            }
        }
        @IBInspectable var leftPadding: CGFloat = 0 {
            didSet {
                updateView()
            }
        }
        @IBInspectable var rightPadding: CGFloat = 0 {
            didSet {
                updateView()
            }
        }
        @IBInspectable var imageMaxHeight: CGFloat = 0 {
            didSet {
                updateView()
            }
        }

        @IBInspectable var color: UIColor = UIColor.lightGray {
            didSet {
                updateView()
            }
        }

        func updateView() {
            if let image = leftImage {
                leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.always

                let containerSize = calculateContainerViewSize(for: image)
                let containerView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: containerSize.width, height: containerSize.height))

                let imageView = UIImageView(frame: .zero)
                containerView.addSubview(imageView)
                setImageViewConstraints(imageView, in: containerView)

                setImageViewProperties(imageView, image: image)

                leftView = containerView
            } else {
                leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.never
                leftView = nil
            }

            attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: placeholder != nil ? placeholder! : "",
                    attributes: [NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: color])
        }

        private func calculateContainerViewSize(for image: UIImage) -> CGSize {
            let imageRatio = image.size.height / image.size.width
            let adjustedImageMaxHeight = imageMaxHeight > self.frame.height ? self.frame.height : imageMaxHeight

            var imageSize = CGSize()
            if image.size.height > adjustedImageMaxHeight {
                imageSize.height = adjustedImageMaxHeight
                imageSize.width = imageSize.height / imageRatio
            }

            let paddingWidth = leftPadding + rightPadding

            let containerSize = CGSize(width: imageSize.width + paddingWidth, height: imageSize.height)
            return containerSize
        }

        private func setImageViewConstraints(_ imageView: UIImageView, in containerView: UIView) {
            imageView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
            imageView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: containerView.topAnchor).isActive = true
            imageView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: containerView.bottomAnchor).isActive = true
            imageView.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: containerView.trailingAnchor, constant: -rightPadding).isActive = true
            imageView.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: containerView.leadingAnchor, constant: leftPadding).isActive = true
        }

        private func setImageViewProperties(_ imageView: UIImageView, image: UIImage) {
            imageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
            imageView.image = image
            imageView.tintColor = color
        }
    }

Swift 5

Similar to @Markus, but in Swift 5:

emailTextField.leftViewMode = UITextField.ViewMode.always
emailTextField.leftViewMode = .always

SwiftUI

RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 50)
                .frame(height: 40)
                .colorInvert() // sets the background white
            .padding()
            .shadow(radius: 12) // adds shadow to the rectangle
                .overlay(
                    HStack(spacing: 20){
                        
                        Image(systemName: "person")
                            .resizable()
                            .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                        
                        TextField("Username ", text: $username)
                            .font(Font.custom("Arial", size: 25))
                            
                            
                            .font(.title)
                    }
                    .padding()
                    .padding()
                )

Results

I don't think that frame-based solutions are a good approach, because it won't be available on an iPad in some cases. The ideal solution would be to add constraints from imageView to textfield right view, but it's not that easy. The right view does not appear to be in textfield view hierarchy unless it is required, so you need to do the following:

    private let countryTextField: UITextField = {
        let countryTextField = UITextField()
        countryTextField.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        countryTextField.rightViewMode = .always
        
        let button = UIButton(type: .system)
        button.setImage(UIImage(named: "yourImageName"), for: .normal)
        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        
        countryTextField.rightView = button
        countryTextField.setNeedsLayout() //Add rightView in textField hierarchy
        countryTextField.layoutIfNeeded() //Add rightView in textField hierarchy
        
        button.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: countryTextField.topAnchor).isActive = true
        button.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: countryTextField.bottomAnchor).isActive = true
        button.widthAnchor.constraint(equalTo: countryTextField.heightAnchor).isActive = true
        
        return countryTextField
    }()

And the result on any device is:

Also, my solution works with textfield left view.

let image = UIImage(systemName: "envelope")
let textField = UITextField()
textField.leftView = UIImageView(image: image)
textField.leftView?.frame = CGRect(x: 5, y: 5, width: 20 , height:20)
textField.leftViewMode = .always

This did it for me. in a custom/reusable class. helps alot with the space in b/w the actual text and left view icon/image

func currencyLeftVeiw(image litery: UIImage) {
        self.leftView = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 10, y: 0, width: 40, height: 40))
        self.leftViewMode = .always
        let leftViewItSelf = UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 10, y: 10, width: 20, height: 20))
        leftViewItSelf.image = litery
        leftView?.addSubview(leftViewItSelf)
    }