UINavigationBar custom back button without title

Question

How can I customize the navigation back button in iOS 7 and above without title? (i.e. with the arrow only)

self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = self.editButtonItem;

I'm just wondering if they have any self.backButtonItem;

OR

something like this?

self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc]
                   initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemBACK 
                   target:self action:@selector(back)];

Answer 1

Create a UILabel with the title you want for your root view controller and assign it to the view controller's navigationItem.titleView.

Now set the title to an empty string and the next view controller you push will have a back button without text.

self.navigationItem.titleView = titleLabel; //Assuming you've created titleLabel above
self.title = @"";

Answer 2

I applied the following code in viewDidLoad and it works:

  // this will set the back button title
self.navigationController.navigationBar.topItem.title = @"Test";

 // this line set the back button and default icon color  

//[[self.navigationController.navigationBar.subviews lastObject] setTintColor:[UIColor blackColor]];

this line change the back default icon to your custom icon
[[self.navigationController.navigationBar.subviews lastObject] setTintColor:[UIColor colorWithPatternImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"menuicon"]]];

Just to update I use Vector Icon

Answer 3

EDIT: 2014-04-09: As I gained reputations, I feel sorry because I don't use this trick any more. I recommend Kyle's answer. Also notice that the self of self.navigationItem.backBarButtonItem isn't the view controller the back button is displayed, but the previous view controller to be went back.

If you don't need to have title text for the previous view controller, just fill the title with a blank string;

self.navigationItem.title = @"";
[self.navigationController pushViewController:viewController animated:YES];

This will prevent showing "back" with chevron on the pushed view controller.

EDIT: Even you use non-blank title text, setting the title of the previous view controller in viewWillAppear: works except the title can flicker in a blink when view controller popped. I think "The twitter app" seems to do more subtle hack to avoid the flicker.

Answer 4

The only way that worked for me was:

navigationController?.navigationBar.backItem?.title = ""

UPDATE:

When I changed the segue animation flag to true (It was false before), the only way that worked for me was:

navigationController?.navigationBar.topItem?.title = ""

Answer 5

I found an easy way to make my back button with iOS single arrow.

Let's supouse that you have a navigation controller going to ViewA from ViewB. In IB, select ViewA's navigation bar, you should see these options: Title, Prompt and Back Button.

ViewA navigate bar options

The trick is choose your destiny view controller back button title (ViewB) in the options of previous view controller (View A). If you don't fill the option "Back Button", iOS will put the title "Back" automatically, with previous view controller's title. So, you need to fill this option with a single space.

Fill space in "Back Button" option

The Result:

Answer 6

- (id)initWithCoder:(NSCoder *)aDecoder
{
    self = [super initWithCoder:aDecoder];
    if (self) {
        // Custom initialization
        self.navigationItem.backBarButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"" style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:nil action:nil];

    }
    return self; 
}

Just like Kyle Begeman does, you add the code above at your root view controller. All the sub view controller will be applied. Additionally, adding this in initWithCoder: method, you can apply the style for root view controllers in xib, storyboard or code based approaches.