A Guide to Programmatically Hide the Android Soft Keyboard

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A Guide to Programmatically Hide the Android Soft Keyboard
A Guide to Programmatically Hide the Android Soft Keyboard

Introduction to Hiding Android Keyboard

There are situations in which you must programmatically hide the soft keyboard when creating Android applications. This is very helpful if your layout contains an EditText and a Button, and you want the keyboard to vanish when the button is clicked.

We'll look at easy and efficient ways to accomplish this feature in this article. You can effectively manage the keyboard visibility in your app and improve user experience by following the steps given.

Command Description
getSystemService Obtains a system-level service by name; in this case, the InputMethodManager for keyboard management is obtained.
hideSoftInputFromWindow Conceals the soft keyboard from view, using flags and a token as inputs.
getCurrentFocus Gives back the activity's focused view, which is used to decide where the keyboard should hide.
onClickListener Configures a callback to be triggered upon clicking a view (such as a button).
dispatchTouchEvent Prevents touch screen motion events from being sent to the window; this allows for customized touch processing.
windowToken Gives back a token that may be used to hide the keyboard and uniquely identify the window connected to the view.

Knowing How to Hide the Keyboard on Android Devices

First, the script imports the required classes, such InputMethodManager, View, and EditText, in the Java example. The EditText and Button are initialized and the layout is set up using the onCreate method. Upon clicking the button, the hideKeyboard method is invoked. This method calls InputMethodManager to conceal the soft keyboard by using hideSoftInputFromWindow; otherwise, it uses getCurrentFocus to obtain the currently focused view. When the button is clicked, the keyboard is essentially closed.

A similar functionality is implemented in the Kotlin example. To configure the content view and initialize the EditText and Button, the script overrides the onCreate method. The hideKeyboard method is called by the button click listener. Furthermore, when tapping outdoors, the dispatchTouchEvent technique is overridden to conceal the keyboard. Using InputMethodManager, this method hides the keyboard and determines whether a view is focused. These scripts improve the user experience by effectively controlling the soft keyboard's appearance.

Programmatically shutting down the Android Soft Keyboard

Java for Android Development

import android.app.Activity;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.os.Bundle;
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        EditText editText = findViewById(R.id.editText);
        Button button = findViewById(R.id.button);
        button.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                hideKeyboard();
            }
        });
    }
    private void hideKeyboard() {
        View view = this.getCurrentFocus();
        if (view != null) {
            InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) getSystemService(Activity.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
            imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(view.getWindowToken(), 0);
        }
    }
}

When the keyboard touches the outside, hide it.

Kotlin for Android Development

import android.app.Activity
import android.os.Bundle
import android.view.MotionEvent
import android.view.View
import android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager
import android.widget.EditText
import android.widget.Button
class MainActivity : Activity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
        val editText = findViewById<EditText>(R.id.editText)
        val button = findViewById<Button>(R.id.button)
        button.setOnClickListener { hideKeyboard() }
    }
    private fun hideKeyboard() {
        val view = this.currentFocus
        view?.let { v ->
            val imm = getSystemService(Activity.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE) as InputMethodManager
            imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(v.windowToken, 0)
        }
    }
    override fun dispatchTouchEvent(ev: MotionEvent): Boolean {
        if (currentFocus != null) {
            val imm = getSystemService(Activity.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE) as InputMethodManager
            imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(currentFocus!!.windowToken, 0)
        }
        return super.dispatchTouchEvent(ev)
    }
}

More Complex Methods for Operating the Android Keyboard

Handling the Android soft keyboard's visibility in response to different user behaviors and setups is another crucial part of maintaining it. For example, you may want the keyboard to show up on its own if a EditText becomes the emphasis of the user interface, or to make sure it disappears when switching between UI elements. The InputMethodManager and lifecycle callbacks like onResume and onPause can be used to accomplish this.

Additionally, you can modify the android:windowSoftInputMode attribute in the manifest file of your activity to alter the keyboard behavior. You can choose with this feature whether the keyboard should change how the activity is laid out or remain hidden until you specifically ask it to do so. By offering a more responsive and intuitive interface, using these options can greatly enhance the user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Android Keyboard Hiding

  1. When a EditText loses attention, how can I make the keyboard invisible?
  2. You can call InputMethodManager.hideSoftInputFromWindow and override the onFocusChange listener of the EditText.
  3. Can I set up the keyboard to appear automatically when a EditText becomes the focus?
  4. Indeed, in the onFocusChange listener, use InputMethodManager.showSoftInput.
  5. How can the keyboard be hidden in a fragment?
  6. In the context of the fragment's view, call InputMethodManager.hideSoftInputFromWindow.
  7. For what purpose is android:windowSoftInputMode used?
  8. It describes the keyboard's behavior in relation to the activity's layout, including resizing and staying hidden.
  9. When touching outside of a EditText, how can I conceal the keyboard?
  10. In order to detect touch events outside of the EditText, override dispatchTouchEvent in your activity.
  11. Is there a way to have the keyboard stay hidden?
  12. Indeed, by configuring android:windowSoftInputMode in the manifest to stateHidden.
  13. How can I tell if the keyboard is visible right now?
  14. To compare the height of the root view with the viewable portion of the screen, use getWindowVisibleDisplayFrame.
  15. Is it feasible to programmatically conceal the keyboard when pressing a button?
  16. Yes, press the InputMethodManager.hideSoftInputFromWindow button in the onClickListener button.

Important Lessons for Hiding the Android Keyboard

To sum up, controlling the Android soft keyboard is essential to improving the user experience within your program. You may programmatically show or hide the keyboard in response to user interactions like button clicks or touch events by utilizing InputMethodManager. Additionally, you can fine-tune the behavior of the keyboard by setting the android:windowSoftInputMode attribute in your manifest file. By putting these strategies into practice, the keyboard's presence is guaranteed not to impede the app's usefulness, giving users a seamless and simple interface.