Set EditText cursor color

Question

I am having this issue where I am using the Android's Holo theme on a tablet project. However, I have a fragment on screen which has a white background. I am adding an EditText component on this fragment. I've tried to override the theme by setting the background of the Holo.Light theme resources. However, my text cursor (carat) remains white and hence, invisible on screen (I can spot it faintly in the edittext field..).

Does anyone know how I can get EditText to use a darker cursor color? I've tried setting the style of the EditText to "@android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.EditText" with no positive result.

Answer 1

For anyone that needs to set the EditText cursor color dynamically, below you will find two ways to achieve this.

---

First, create your cursor drawable:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shape="rectangle" >

    <solid android:color="#ff000000" />

    <size android:width="1dp" />

</shape>

Set the cursor drawable resource id to the drawable you created (https://github.com/android/platform_frameworks_base/blob/kitkat-release/core/java/android/widget/TextView.java#L562-564">source)):

try {
    Field f = TextView.class.getDeclaredField("mCursorDrawableRes");
    f.setAccessible(true);
    f.set(yourEditText, R.drawable.cursor);
} catch (Exception ignored) {
}

---

To just change the color of the default cursor drawable, you can use the following method:

public static void setCursorDrawableColor(EditText editText, int color) {
    try {
        Field fCursorDrawableRes = 
            TextView.class.getDeclaredField("mCursorDrawableRes");
        fCursorDrawableRes.setAccessible(true);
        int mCursorDrawableRes = fCursorDrawableRes.getInt(editText);
        Field fEditor = TextView.class.getDeclaredField("mEditor");
        fEditor.setAccessible(true);
        Object editor = fEditor.get(editText);
        Class<?> clazz = editor.getClass();
        Field fCursorDrawable = clazz.getDeclaredField("mCursorDrawable");
        fCursorDrawable.setAccessible(true);

        Drawable[] drawables = new Drawable[2];
        Resources res = editText.getContext().getResources();
        drawables[0] = res.getDrawable(mCursorDrawableRes);
        drawables[1] = res.getDrawable(mCursorDrawableRes);
        drawables[0].setColorFilter(color, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
        drawables[1].setColorFilter(color, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
        fCursorDrawable.set(editor, drawables);
    } catch (final Throwable ignored) {
    }
}

Answer 2

The only valid answer should be to change the theme of the activity: <item name="colorAccent">#000000</item> You should not use the android:textCursorDrawable to @null because this only concerns the cursor itself but not the pin below the cursor if you want to drag that cursor. The theming solution is the most serious one.

Answer 3

editcolor.xml

android:textCursorDrawable="@drawable/editcolor"

In xml file set color code of edittext background color

Answer 4

<!-- Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
    <item name="colorPrimary">#36f0ff</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">#007781</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">#000</item>
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.NoActionBar">
    <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
    <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>

<style name="AppTheme.AppBarOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar" />

<style name="AppTheme.PopupOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light" />

change t he color of colorAccent in styles.xm, that's it simple

Answer 5

In Layout

<EditText  
    android:layout_width="match_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:textCursorDrawable="@drawable/color_cursor"
    />

Then create drawable xml: color_cursor

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
    <size android:width="3dp" />
    <solid android:color="#FFFFFF"  />
</shape>

You have a white color cursor on EditText property.

Answer 6

It appears as if all the answers go around the bushes.

In your EditText, use the property:

android:textCursorDrawable="@drawable/black_cursor"

and add the drawable black_cursor.xml to your resources, as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:shape="rectangle" >
    <size android:width="1dp" />
    <solid android:color="#000000"/>
</shape>

This is also the way to create more diverse cursors, if you need.