Transparent iOS navigation bar

Ios Problem Overview

I'm creating an app and i've browsed on the internet and i'm wondering how they make this transparent UINavigationBar like this:

I've added following like in my appdelegate:

UINavigationBar.appearance().translucent = true

but this just makes it look like following:

How can I make the navigation bar transparent like first image?

Ios Solutions

Solution 1 - Ios

You can apply Navigation Bar Image like below for Translucent.

Objective-C:

[self.navigationController.navigationBar setBackgroundImage:[UIImage new]
                     forBarMetrics:UIBarMetricsDefault]; //UIImageNamed:@"transparent.png"
self.navigationController.navigationBar.shadowImage = [UIImage new];////UIImageNamed:@"transparent.png"
self.navigationController.navigationBar.translucent = YES;
self.navigationController.view.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];

Swift 3:

self.navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: .default) //UIImage.init(named: "transparent.png")
self.navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
self.navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
self.navigationController?.view.backgroundColor = .clear

Solution 2 - Ios

Swift Solution

This is the best way that I've found. You can just paste it into your appDelegate's didFinishLaunchingWithOptions method:

Swift 3 / 4

func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
	// Override point for customization after application launch.
	// Sets background to a blank/empty image
	UINavigationBar.appearance().setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: .default)
	// Sets shadow (line below the bar) to a blank image
	UINavigationBar.appearance().shadowImage = UIImage()
	// Sets the translucent background color
	UINavigationBar.appearance().backgroundColor = .clear
	// Set translucent. (Default value is already true, so this can be removed if desired.)
	UINavigationBar.appearance().isTranslucent = true
	return true
}

Swift 2.0

func application(application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [NSObject: AnyObject]?) -> Bool {
    // Override point for customization after application launch.
    // Sets background to a blank/empty image
    UINavigationBar.appearance().setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), forBarMetrics: .Default)
    // Sets shadow (line below the bar) to a blank image
    UINavigationBar.appearance().shadowImage = UIImage()
    // Sets the translucent background color
    UINavigationBar.appearance().backgroundColor = UIColor(red: 0.0, green: 0.0, blue: 0.0, alpha: 0.0)
    // Set translucent. (Default value is already true, so this can be removed if desired.)
    UINavigationBar.appearance().translucent = true
    
    return true
}

source: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27708943/make-navigation-bar-transparent-regarding-below-image-in-ios-8-1

Solution 3 - Ios

Swift 5 applying only to the current view controller

override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(animated)
    
    // Make the navigation bar background clear
    navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: .default)
    navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
    navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
}

override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
    
    // Restore the navigation bar to default
    navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(nil, for: .default)
    navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = nil
}

Solution 4 - Ios

Swift 3 : extension for Transparent Navigation Bar

extension UINavigationBar {
    func transparentNavigationBar() {
    self.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: .default)
    self.shadowImage = UIImage()
    self.isTranslucent = true
    }
}

Solution 5 - Ios

Swift 4.2 Solution: For transparent Background:

For General Approach:

 override func viewDidLoad() {
     super.viewDidLoad()
 
     self.navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: UIBarMetrics.default)
     self.navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
     self.navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
 
 }

For Specific Object:

 override func viewDidLoad() {
     super.viewDidLoad()
 
     navBar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: UIBarMetrics.default)
     navBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
     navBar.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
 
 }

Hope it's useful.

Solution 6 - Ios

I had been working on this, and I was facing a problem using the responses provided here by different users. Problem was a white box behind my NavigationBar transparent image on iOS 13+

My solution is this one

if #available(iOS 13, *) {
    navBar?.standardAppearance.backgroundColor = UIColor.clear
    navBar?.standardAppearance.backgroundEffect = nil
    navBar?.standardAppearance.shadowImage = UIImage()
    navBar?.standardAppearance.shadowColor = .clear
    navBar?.standardAppearance.backgroundImage = UIImage()
}

Update

thanks to @TMin

If you use a tableView/CollectionView with this you will notice a 1 point shadow appears when you scroll. Add navBar?.scrollEdgeAppearance = nil to get ride of this shadow.

Hope this helps anyone with same problem

Solution 7 - Ios

I was able to accomplish this in swift this way:

let navBarAppearance = UINavigationBar.appearance()
let colorImage = UIImage.imageFromColor(UIColor.morselPink(), frame: CGRectMake(0, 0, 340, 64))
navBarAppearance.setBackgroundImage(colorImage, forBarMetrics: .Default)

where i created the following utility method in a UIColor category:

imageFromColor(color: UIColor, frame: CGRect) -> UIImage {
  UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(frame.size, false, 0)
  color.setFill()
  UIRectFill(frame)
  let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
  UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
  return image
}

Solution 8 - Ios

What it worked for me:

    let bar:UINavigationBar! =  self.navigationController?.navigationBar
    self.title = "Whatever..."
    bar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), forBarMetrics: UIBarMetrics.Default)
    bar.shadowImage = UIImage()
    bar.alpha = 0.0

Solution 9 - Ios

Set the background property of your navigationBar, e.g.

navigationController?.navigationBar.backgroundColor = UIColor(red: 1.0, green: 0.0, blue: 0.0, alpha: 0.5)

(You may have to change that a bit if you don't have a navigation controller, but that should give you an idea of what to do.)

Also make sure that the view below actually extends under the bar.

Solution 10 - Ios

Add this in your did load

self.navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: .default)
self.navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
self.navigationController?.navigationBar.backgroundColor = UIColor(red: 1, green: 1, blue: 1, alpha: 0.0)
//adjust alpha according to your need 0 is transparent 1 is solid

Solution 11 - Ios

If you want to be able to do this programmatically in swift 4 while staying on the same view,

if change {
        navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = false
        self.navigationController?.navigationBar.backgroundColor = UIColor(displayP3Red: 255/255, green: 206/255, blue: 24/255, alpha: 1)
        navigationController?.navigationBar.barTintColor = UIColor(displayP3Red: 255/255, green: 206/255, blue: 24/255, alpha: 1)
    } else {
        navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
        navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(backgroundImage, for: .default)
        navigationController?.navigationBar.backgroundColor = .clear
        navigationController?.navigationBar.barTintColor = .clear
    }

One important thing to remember though is to click this button in your storyboard. I had an issue with a jumping display for a long time. Make sureyou set this:

Then when you change the translucency of the navigation bar it will not cause the views to jump as the views extend all the way to the top, regardless of the visiblity of the navigation bar.

Solution 12 - Ios

For those looking for OBJC solution, to be added in App Delegate didFinishLaunchingWithOptions method:

[[UINavigationBar appearance] setBackgroundImage:[UIImage new] forBarMetrics:UIBarMetricsDefault];
[UINavigationBar appearance].shadowImage = [UIImage new];
[UINavigationBar appearance].backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
[UINavigationBar appearance].translucent = YES;

Solution 13 - Ios

Try this, it works for me if you also need to support ios7, it is based on the transparency of UItoolBar:

[self.navigationController.navigationBar setBackgroundImage:[UIImage new]
                                                  forBarMetrics:UIBarMetricsDefault];
    self.navigationController.navigationBar.shadowImage = [UIImage new];
    self.navigationController.navigationBar.translucent = YES;
    self.navigationController.view.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
    UIToolbar* blurredView = [[UIToolbar alloc] initWithFrame:self.navigationController.navigationBar.bounds];
    [blurredView setBarStyle:UIBarStyleBlack];
    [blurredView setBarTintColor:[UIColor redColor]];
    [self.navigationController.navigationBar insertSubview:blurredView atIndex:0];

Solution 14 - Ios

Utility method which you call by passing navigationController and color which you like to set on navigation bar. For transparent you can use clearColor of UIColor class.

For objective c -

+ (void)setNavigationBarColor:(UINavigationController *)navigationController 
                               color:(UIColor*) color {
   [navigationController setNavigationBarHidden:false animated:false];
   [navigationController.navigationBar setBackgroundImage:[UIImage new] forBarMetrics:UIBarMetricsDefault];
   [navigationController.navigationBar setShadowImage:[UIImage new]];
   [navigationController.navigationBar setTranslucent:true];
   [navigationController.view setBackgroundColor:color];
   [navigationController.navigationBar setBackgroundColor:color];
}

For Swift 3.0 -

class func setNavigationBarColor(navigationController : UINavigationController?, 
                                 color : UIColor) {
    navigationController?.setNavigationBarHidden(false, animated: false)
    navigationController?.navigationBar .setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), forBarMetrics: UIBarMetrics.Default)
    navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
    navigationController?.navigationBar.translucent = true
    navigationController?.view.backgroundColor = color
    navigationController?.navigationBar.backgroundColor =  color
}

Solution 15 - Ios

Write these two lines:

 navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
 navigationController?.navigationBar.backgroundColor = .clear

Worked for me in iOS 13

Solution 16 - Ios

iOS 13.0+ introduced UINavigationBarAppearance because of which, this problem occurs on iOS 13.0+

Use this to solve.

Change Navigation Bar Appearance Use UINavigationBarAppearance and UIBarButtonItemAppearance to change the appearance of the navigation bar.

// Make the navigation bar's title with red text.

if #available(iOS 13, *) {
        let appearance = UINavigationBarAppearance()
        appearance.configureWithOpaqueBackground()
        appearance.backgroundColor = UIColor.systemRed
        appearance.titleTextAttributes = [.foregroundColor: UIColor.lightText] // With a red background, make the title more readable.
        navigationItem.standardAppearance = appearance
        navigationItem.scrollEdgeAppearance = appearance
        navigationItem.compactAppearance = appearance // For iPhone small navigation bar in landscape.
    }

Solution 17 - Ios

None of the answers here fully worked for me. This makes the navigation bar fully transparent - tested on iOS 14 and iOS 11 (Objective C):

[self.navigationController.navigationBar setBackgroundImage:[UIImage new] forBarMetrics:UIBarMetricsDefault];
self.navigationController.navigationBar.shadowImage = [UIImage new];
self.navigationController.navigationBar.translucent = YES;
self.navigationController.navigationBar.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];

Solution 18 - Ios

Anyone looking for a iOS 15+ working version, this is what worked for me, as the old techniques with setBackgroundImage/shadowImage were not working anymore.

To se it transparent:

func setTransparent() {
    backgroundColor = .clear
    isTranslucent = true

    standardAppearance.shadowColor = .clear
    standardAppearance.backgroundColor = .clear
    standardAppearance.backgroundEffect = nil
    scrollEdgeAppearance = standardAppearance
}

To remove transparency:

func removeTransparent() {
    setBackgroundImage(nil, for: .default)
    shadowImage = nil
    backgroundColor = .white
    isTranslucent = false

    let appearance = UINavigationBarAppearance()
    appearance.configureWithOpaqueBackground()
    standardAppearance = appearance
    scrollEdgeAppearance = standardAppearance
}

Solution 19 - Ios

My implementation of navigation bar configuration as translucent and switching to default state for iOS 15 and older versions:

extension UINavigationBar {
    static let defaultBackgroundColor = UIColor.red
    static let defaultTintColor = UIColor.white
    
    func setTranslucent(tintColor: UIColor, titleColor: UIColor) {
        if #available(iOS 15, *) {
            let appearance = UINavigationBarAppearance()
            appearance.configureWithTransparentBackground()
            appearance.titleTextAttributes = [.foregroundColor: titleColor]
            standardAppearance = appearance
            scrollEdgeAppearance = appearance
        } else {
            titleTextAttributes = [.foregroundColor: titleColor]
            setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: UIBarMetrics.default)
            shadowImage = UIImage()
        }
        isTranslucent = true
        self.tintColor = tintColor
    }
    
    func setDefaultState() {
        isTranslucent = false
        clipsToBounds = false
        
        if #available(iOS 15, *) {
            let appearance = UINavigationBarAppearance()
            appearance.configureWithOpaqueBackground()
            appearance.backgroundColor = UINavigationBar.defaultBackgroundColor
            appearance.titleTextAttributes = [.foregroundColor: UINavigationBar.defaultTintColor]
            
            UINavigationBar.appearance().standardAppearance = appearance
            UINavigationBar.appearance().scrollEdgeAppearance = appearance
        } else {
            setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: UIBarPosition.any, barMetrics: UIBarMetrics.defaultPrompt)
            shadowImage = UIImage()
            barTintColor = UINavigationBar.defaultBackgroundColor
            titleTextAttributes = [.foregroundColor: UINavigationBar.defaultTintColor]
        }
        
        tintColor = UINavigationBar.defaultTintColor
    }
}

Solution 20 - Ios

This will defiantly work for swift 4/5 users.

func setUpNavBar(){
    navigationItem.title = "Flick"
    navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
    self.navigationController?.navigationBar.setBackgroundImage(UIImage(), for: UIBarMetrics.default)
    self.navigationController?.navigationBar.shadowImage = UIImage()
    self.navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
    self.navigationController?.view.backgroundColor = UIColor.clear
    navigationController?.navigationBar.titleTextAttributes = [.foregroundColor: UIColor.white]
}

Solution 21 - Ios

IOS15 Version

extension UIViewController {

    func clearNavigationBar(clear: Bool) {
        if clear {
            let appearance = UINavigationBarAppearance()
            appearance.configureWithTransparentBackground()
            self.navigationController?.navigationBar.standardAppearance = appearance
            self.navigationController?.navigationBar.scrollEdgeAppearance = appearance
        } else {
            let appearance = UINavigationBarAppearance()
            appearance.configureWithOpaqueBackground()
            self.navigationController?.navigationBar.standardAppearance = appearance
            self.navigationController?.navigationBar.scrollEdgeAppearance = appearance
        }
    }
}


class ViewController: UIViewController {

    override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
         super.viewWillAppear(animated)
         clearNavigationBar(clear: true)
    }
    
    override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
         super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
         clearNavigationBar(clear: false)
    }
}

Content Type	Original Author	Original Content on Stackoverflow
Question	Peter Pik	View Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - Ios	Vidhyanand	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - Ios	Dan Beaulieu	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - Ios	Chris Chute	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - Ios	Ankit Kumar Gupta	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 5 - Ios	Ümañg ßürmån	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 6 - Ios	Reinier Melian	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 7 - Ios	Julian B.	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 8 - Ios	Javier Calatrava Llavería	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 9 - Ios	Atomix	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 10 - Ios	Abhishek Maurya	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 11 - Ios	paul_f	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 12 - Ios	david72	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 13 - Ios	EmilDo	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 14 - Ios	Rahul	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 15 - Ios	indrajit	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 16 - Ios	Avneesh Agrawal	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 17 - Ios	Si.	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 18 - Ios	Lucas Eduardo	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 19 - Ios	Dmytro Yashchenko	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 20 - Ios	Navdeep Paliwal	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 21 - Ios	Maxim Golovlev	View Answer on Stackoverflow