How to Show Menu Item Icon Without Tint Color in BottomNavigationView

Understanding the Issue

BottomNavigationView, a popular Android component for navigation, often applies a tint color to its menu icons. This can sometimes clash with your app’s design, especially when you desire a specific icon color. This article will guide you on how to display menu icons without the tint color.

Methods to Remove Tint Color

1. Using Drawable Resources

  • Create Custom Drawables: Design your menu icons with the desired color in a vector drawable or image format.
  • Set Drawables in Menu: In your menu resource file (e.g., `menu/bottom_nav_menu.xml`), assign these custom drawables to the menu items.
<item
    android:id="@+id/menu_item_home"
    android:icon="@drawable/home_icon"
    android:title="@string/home" />

2. Using a Color Filter

  • Set Color Filter: Use a color filter on your icon drawable to override the tint color.
  • Apply in Code: Apply the color filter to the menu icons programmatically within your activity or fragment.
import android.graphics.Color;

// ...

BottomNavigationView bottomNavigationView = findViewById(R.id.bottom_nav);
Menu menu = bottomNavigationView.getMenu();
for (int i = 0; i < menu.size(); i++) {
    MenuItem item = menu.getItem(i);
    item.getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.WHITE, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_ATOP);
}

Comparison of Methods

Method Pros Cons
Drawable Resources – Clear control over icon colors.
– Easier for static icons.
– Requires creating separate drawable resources.
– Less flexible for dynamic color changes.
Color Filter – Dynamically adjust colors.
– Can be applied with code.
– Requires more code.
– Potentially more complex for intricate designs.

Important Considerations

  • Design Consistency: Ensure your icon colors match the overall app design.
  • Accessibility: Use sufficient contrast between icons and backgrounds for accessibility.
  • Performance: If using many icons, optimize them for size and complexity.

Conclusion

By utilizing either custom drawables or a color filter, you can successfully remove the tint color from BottomNavigationView icons and achieve the desired appearance for your app.

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