Changing Font Size For UITableView Section Headers

Question

Can someone please instruct me on the easiest way to change the font size for the text in a UITableView section header?

I have the section titles implemented using the following method:

- (NSString *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView titleForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section

Then, I understand how to successfully change the section header height using this method:

- (CGFloat)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section

I have the UITableView cells populated using this method:

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath

However, I'm stuck as to how to actually increase the font size - or for that matter the font style - of the section header text?

Can someone please assist? Thanks.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, you may have to override this:

- (UIView *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView viewForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section

Try something like this:

- (UIView *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView viewForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section {

    UILabel *myLabel = [[UILabel alloc] init];
    myLabel.frame = CGRectMake(20, 8, 320, 20);
    myLabel.font = [UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:18];
    myLabel.text = [self tableView:tableView titleForHeaderInSection:section];

    UIView *headerView = [[UIView alloc] init];
    [headerView addSubview:myLabel];

    return headerView;
}

Answer 2

Swift 2:

As OP asked, only adjust the size, not setting it as a system bold font or whatever:

func tableView(tableView: UITableView, willDisplayHeaderView view: UIView, forSection section: Int) {
        if let headerView = view as? UITableViewHeaderFooterView, textLabel = headerView.textLabel {

            let newSize = CGFloat(16)
            let fontName = textLabel.font.fontName
            textLabel.font = UIFont(name: fontName, size: newSize)
        }
    }

Answer 3

While mosca1337's answer is a correct solution, be careful with that method. For a header with text longer than one line, you will have to perform the calculations of the height of the header in tableView:heightForHeaderInSection: which can be cumbersome.

A much preferred method is to use the appearance API:

[[UILabel appearanceWhenContainedIn:[UITableViewHeaderFooterView class], nil] setFont:[UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:28]];

This will change the font, while still leaving the table to manage the heights itself.

For optimal results, subclass the table view, and add it to the containment chain (in appearanceWhenContainedIn:) to make sure the font is only changed for the specific table views.

Answer 4

Swift 3:

Simplest way to adjust only size:

func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, willDisplayHeaderView view: UIView, forSection section: Int) {

    let header = view as! UITableViewHeaderFooterView

    if let textlabel = header.textLabel {
        textlabel.font = textlabel.font.withSize(15)
    }
}

Answer 5

Another way to do this would be to respond to the UITableViewDelegate method willDisplayHeaderView. The passed view is actually an instance of a UITableViewHeaderFooterView.

The example below changes the font, and also centers the title text vertically and horizontally within the cell. Note that you should also respond to heightForHeaderInSection to have any changes to your header's height accounted for in the layout of the table view. (That is, if you decide to change the header height in this willDisplayHeaderView method.)

You could then respond to the titleForHeaderInSection method to reuse this configured header with different section titles.

Objective-C

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView willDisplayHeaderView:(UIView *)view forSection:(NSInteger)section {
    UITableViewHeaderFooterView *header = (UITableViewHeaderFooterView *)view;

    header.textLabel.textColor = [UIColor redColor];
    header.textLabel.font = [UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:18];
    CGRect headerFrame = header.frame;
    header.textLabel.frame = headerFrame;
    header.textLabel.textAlignment = NSTextAlignmentCenter;
}

Swift 1.2

(Note: if your view controller is a descendant of a UITableViewController, this would need to be declared as override func.)

override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, willDisplayHeaderView view: UIView, forSection section: Int) 
{
    let header:UITableViewHeaderFooterView = view as! UITableViewHeaderFooterView

    header.textLabel.textColor = UIColor.redColor()
    header.textLabel.font = UIFont.boldSystemFontOfSize(18)
    header.textLabel.frame = header.frame
    header.textLabel.textAlignment = NSTextAlignment.Center
}

Swift 3.0

This code also ensures that the app doesn't crash if your header view is something other than a UITableViewHeaderFooterView:

override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, willDisplayHeaderView view: UIView, forSection section: Int) {
    guard let header = view as? UITableViewHeaderFooterView else { return }
    header.textLabel?.textColor = UIColor.red
    header.textLabel?.font = UIFont.boldSystemFont(ofSize: 18)
    header.textLabel?.frame = header.frame
    header.textLabel?.textAlignment = .center
}

Answer 6

Swift 2.0:

1. Replace default section header with fully customisable UILabel.

Implement viewForHeaderInSection, like so:

  override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, viewForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> UIView? {

    let sectionTitle: String = self.tableView(tableView, titleForHeaderInSection: section)!
    if sectionTitle == "" {
      return nil
    }

    let title: UILabel = UILabel()

    title.text = sectionTitle
    title.textColor = UIColor(red: 0.0, green: 0.54, blue: 0.0, alpha: 0.8)
    title.backgroundColor = UIColor.clearColor()
    title.font = UIFont.boldSystemFontOfSize(15)

    return title
  }

2. Alter the default header (retains default).

Implement willDisplayHeaderView, like so:

  override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, willDisplayHeaderView view: UIView, forSection section: Int) {

    if let view = view as? UITableViewHeaderFooterView {
      view.backgroundView?.backgroundColor = UIColor.blueColor()
      view.textLabel!.backgroundColor = UIColor.clearColor()
      view.textLabel!.textColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
      view.textLabel!.font = UIFont.boldSystemFontOfSize(15)
    }
  }

Remember: If you're using static cells, the first section header is padded higher than other section headers due to the top of the UITableView; to fix this:

Implement heightForHeaderInSection, like so:

  override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, heightForHeaderInSection section: Int) -> CGFloat {

    return 30.0 // Or whatever height you want!
  }