Hiding the Android Soft Keyboard Programmatically on Button Click and Touch Outside

Managing the Android Soft Keyboard

Using the virtual keyboard is a common requirement while working with Android applications. When your layout contains both an EditText and a Button, it becomes critical to control the keyboard. To enhance user experience, you might wish to specifically conceal the keyboard after entering text and clicking the button.

This post will give a brief but useful example of how to programmatically dismiss the Android soft keyboard when the user interacts with non-keyboard areas. You can improve your Android application's usability and interface by following the steps below.

Command	Description
getSystemService	Enables the name-based retrieval of system-level services, such as the InputMethodManager that manages input methods.
hideSoftInputFromWindow	Asks for the soft keyboard window that is taking input to be hidden.
getWindowToken	Gives back the view's window token, which is required to conceal the keyboard.
onTouchEvent	Manages touch screen motion events; in this case, it's utilized to conceal the keyboard when touched outdoors.
findViewById	Locates and provides a view with the specified ID; this view is used to relate to UI elements such as Button and EditText.
setOnClickListener	Configures a callback that will be triggered to hide the keyboard when the view is clicked.

Understanding the Implementation

When using the UI, the scripts show you how to programmatically conceal the Android soft keyboard after typing text in a field and clicking a . The examples in Java and Kotlin make use of various essential Android features and functions. The prerequisite classes, including , Context, , and numerous UI elements, are imported at the beginning of both scripts. The and from the layout to the code are linked together using findViewById in the method. The button is then configured with the technique to cause the function to be activated upon click.

The function in both versions retrieves the service using . The soft keyboard is then hidden by calling method hideSoftInputFromWindow using the of the . To further guarantee that the keyboard is hidden when the user touches outside the input field, the method is overridden. By keeping the keyboard from needlessly blocking the screen, this method enhances the user experience. These methods are how the scripts effectively control the behavior of the soft keyboard in an Android application by handling the touch events in an acceptable manner.

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

import android.app.Activity
import android.content.Context
import android.os.Bundle
import android.view.MotionEvent
import android.view.View
import android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager
import android.widget.Button
import android.widget.EditText
 
class MainActivity : Activity() {
    private lateinit var editText: EditText
    private lateinit var button: Button
 
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
 
        editText = findViewById(R.id.editText)
        button = findViewById(R.id.button)
 
        button.setOnClickListener { hideKeyboard() }
    }
 
    override fun onTouchEvent(event: MotionEvent): Boolean {
        hideKeyboard()
        return super.onTouchEvent(event)
    }
 
    private fun hideKeyboard() {
        val imm = getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE) as InputMethodManager
        imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(editText.windowToken, 0)
    }
}

Investigating Cutting-Edge Keyboard Management Methods

Beyond the rudimentary ways to conceal the Android soft keyboard, developers can employ more sophisticated strategies to improve user experience. Using on several UI elements allows one such technique to recognize touch events and conceal the keyboard appropriately. When the user interacts with any area of the screen that is not inside the , this method makes sure that the keyboard is always hidden. Furthermore, controlling the keyboard's visibility can be combined with focusing logic, in which the keyboard automatically hides when the focus is moved from the to another element.

Utilizing the on the is a another method. When the loses attention, this listener can recognize it and hide the keyboard. When entering data into forms or other applications with several input fields, this strategy is quite helpful. Additionally, developers can use SoftKeyboardStateWatcher, a bespoke implementation that monitors changes in the keyboard's visibility state and adjusts accordingly, for a more seamless user experience. Developers can make Android applications that are more intuitive and user-friendly by incorporating such sophisticated strategies.

1. How can I tell if the keyboard is hidden or visible?
2. A can be used to monitor changes in the keyboard's visibility.
3. Is it feasible for the keyboard to disappear on its own as a user scrolls?
4. Yes, you can conceal the keyboard when scrolling by adding a to the scroll view.
5. Is it possible to display the keyboard programmatically when a is focused?
6. Yes, when the obtains attention, utilize to display the keyboard.
7. When the user hits the back button, how can I make the keyboard invisible?
8. Use to conceal the keyboard and override the technique.
9. Is it possible to alter the keyboard layout?
10. Custom keyboard layouts are supported by Android to .
11. How can the keyboard be hidden in a fragment the best way?
12. To obtain the in a fragment, use .
13. How can the keyboard be hidden when navigating between fragments?
14. Use a listener to execute a in order to conceal the keyboard during the transition.
15. Is it feasible to make the keyboard hide animation?
16. Indeed, you can achieve a seamless hiding effect by animating the view that contains the .

Programmers need to know how to use the Android soft keyboard well in order to develop user-friendly apps. Developers can manage when the keyboard appears and disappears by using hideSoftInputFromWindow to hide the keyboard and getSystemService to retrieve the InputMethodManager. This control is further improved by including touch and click listeners, which guarantee that the keyboard hides correctly when interacting with other UI elements. These methods improve the user experience by keeping the keyboard out of the way of crucial content or UI components.