WebView in ScrollView: “View too large to fit into drawing cache” – how to rework layout?

WebView in ScrollView: “View too large to fit into drawing cache”

The error “View too large to fit into drawing cache” often pops up when you embed a WebView within a ScrollView. This usually happens when the content within the WebView is larger than the maximum size that the drawing cache can handle.

Understanding the Error

The drawing cache is used by Android to store a bitmap representation of a view. This bitmap is used for various operations, such as scrolling and animations. When the view is too large, the drawing cache may exceed the available memory, leading to the error.

Solutions to Rework Your Layout

Here’s how to rework your layout and overcome this limitation:

• Reduce the Content Size:
  • Optimize your web content to minimize its size. This might involve reducing image sizes, minifying CSS and JavaScript, and using efficient code.
  • Consider scaling down the WebView itself to fit the screen if the content is not critical to view at its original size.
• Disable Hardware Acceleration:
  • Hardware acceleration can sometimes contribute to the issue. Try disabling it for the ScrollView or the entire activity by adding android:hardwareAccelerated="false" to your view’s XML declaration.
• Use a Different Layout:
  • Alternatives to ScrollView can improve performance. Consider:
    • NestedScrollView: For scrolling vertically within a larger view.
    • HorizontalScrollView: For scrolling horizontally.
    • RecyclerView: If you have a large number of items to display. It’s efficient for handling lists and grids.
• Use a Custom View:
  • If you need more control and customization, create a custom view that handles the WebView’s scrolling. This allows you to avoid using ScrollView altogether.

Example: Using NestedScrollView

This example demonstrates using NestedScrollView instead of ScrollView:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <androidx.core.widget.NestedScrollView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content">

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical">

            <WebView
                android:id="@+id/webView"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

            <!-- Add other views here -->

        </LinearLayout>

    </androidx.core.widget.NestedScrollView>

</LinearLayout>