How can I add a UITapGestureRecognizer to a UILabel inside a table view cell?

Question

I am using a NIB file to layout a custom table view cell. This cell has a label with outlet called lblName. Adding a UITapGestureRecognizer to this label never fires the associated event. I have userInteractionEnabled = YES.

I'm guessing that the problem is that the UILabel is in a TableView and that the table/cell view is intercepting the taps. Can I do something about this?

All I want to do is perform some custom action when a UILabel is pressed! All of the solutions for doing this that I've seen are ridiculous. It should be easy using the standard tool set. But evidently not.

Here's the code I'm using:

- (void)tapAction {
    NSLog(@"Tap action");
}

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view from its nib

    UITapGestureRecognizer *recognizer = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(tapAction)]; 
    [recognizer setNumberOfTapsRequired:1];
    //lblName.userInteractionEnabled = true;  (setting this in Interface Builder)
    [lblName addGestureRecognizer:recognizer];
}

Answer 1

EASY WAY:

You may also use a invisible button on the top of that label. So it will reduce your work of adding tapGesture for that label.

ALTERNATIVE WAY:

You should not create an IBOutlet for that UILabel. When you do that,you will add a outlet in custom class implementation file. You cannot access in other file. So set a tag for that label in custom class IB and write a code in cellForRowAtIndexPath: method.

UPDATED:

In cellForRowAtIndexPath: method,

for(UIView *view in cell.contentViews.subviews) {
    if(view.tag == 1) {
        UITapGestureRecognizer *tap=[[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(tapAction)];
        [tap setNumberOfTapsRequired:1];
        [view addGestureRecognizer:tap];
    }
}

Answer 2

UITapGestureRecognizer *recognizer = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(tapAction)]; 
[recognizer setNumberOfTapsRequired:1];
lblName.userInteractionEnabled = YES;  
[lblName addGestureRecognizer:recognizer];

Answer 3

Doing this works without problems:

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath 
{
   ...
   // create you cell
   UILabel *lbl = [[UILabel alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 100, 50)];
   [lbl setText:@"example"];
   [lbl setUserInteractionEnabled:YES];
   [cell.contentView addSubview:lbl];
   UITapGestureRecognizer *tap=[[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self    action:@selector(tapAction:)];
   tap.tag = [NSIndexPath row];
   [tap setNumberOfTapsRequired:1];
   [lbl addGestureRecognizer:tap];
   ... 
}

- (void)tapAction:(id)sender {
  switch(((UITapGestureRecognizer *)sender).view.tag) {
     case 0:
          // code
          break;
     case 1:
         // code
         break;
      ....
     }
}

even in the case in which creates the UILabel with IB

Answer 4

You can use below code to add tap gesture on UILable in UITableView cell

UITapGestureRecognizer *tapGeature = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(lblClick:)];
tapGeature.delegate =self;
tapGeature.numberOfTapsRequired = 1;

cell.lbl.userInteractionEnabled = YES;
[cell.lbl addGestureRecognizer:tapGeature];

and to access the selector method

- (void)lblClick:(UITapGestureRecognizer *)tapGesture {
    UILabel *label = (UILabel *)tapGesture.view;
    NSLog(@"Lable tag is ::%ld",(long)label.tag);
}

For Swift

let tapGesture : UITapGestureRecognizer = UITapGestureRecognizer.init(target: self, action: #selector(lblClick(tapGesture:)))
tapGesture.delegate = self
tapGesture.numberOfTapsRequired = 1
cell.lbl.userInteractionEnabled = true
cell.lbl.tag = indexPath.row
cell.lbl.addGestureRecognizer(tapGesture)

func lblClick(tapGesture:UITapGestureRecognizer){
   print("Lable tag is:\(tapGesture.view!.tag)")
}

Answer 5

Update for 2019 with Swift 5, based upon Hardik Thakkar's solution. To detect taps on a UIlabel in a cell, find the cellForRowAt method in your view controller below.

override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {}

Place the following code in to the method above before returning the cell:

let tapGesture : UITapGestureRecognizer = UITapGestureRecognizer.init(target: self, action: #selector(labelTap(tapGesture:)))
tapGesture.delegate = self
tapGesture.numberOfTapsRequired = 1
cell.yourLabel.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
cell.yourLabel.tag = indexPath.row
cell.yourLabel.addGestureRecognizer(tapGesture)            
return cell

Add a method to your view controller to handle the taps:

@objc func labelTap(tapGesture:UITapGestureRecognizer){
    print("Label tag is:\(tapGesture.view!.tag)")
}

Answer 6

You can add next in your cell's -awakeFromNib method

UITapGestureRecognizer* gesture = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(tapGestureRecognizerAction:)];
[self.yourLabel setUserInteractionEnabled:YES];
[self.yourLabel addGestureRecognizer:gesture];

Answer 7

Once you assign the tap gesture to the UILabel and set the user interaction to enabled, in your callback function you can find the indexpath from the cell view but searching through the nest of superviews:

- (UITableViewCell *) findCellInSuperview:(UIView *)view
{
UITableViewCell *cell = nil;

    NSString *className = NSStringFromClass([[view superview] class]);
    if ([className isEqualToString:@"UITableViewCell"]) {
        cell = (UITableViewCell *)[view superview];
    } else {
        if ([view superview] != nil) {
            cell = [self findCellInSuperview:[view superview]];
        }
    }

return cell;
}

Answer 8

For Swift 3

let tapGesture : UITapGestureRecognizer = UITapGestureRecognizer.init(target: self, action: 
#selector(lblClick(tapGesture:)))
tapGesture.delegate = self
tapGesture.numberOfTapsRequired = 1
cell.lbl.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
cell.lbl.tag = indexPath.row
cell.lbl.addGestureRecognizer(tapGesture)

And then

func lblClick(tapGesture:UITapGestureRecognizer){
    print("Lable tag is:\(tapGesture.view!.tag)")
}

Answer 9

The way Dinesh suggested will work without the for loop using the property variable.

UITapGestureRecognizer *tap=[[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(tapAction)];
[tap setNumberOfTapsRequired:1];
[self.myUILabel addGestureRecognizer:tap];

Answer 10

For Swift, you can add this inside your cellForRowAtIndexPath method.

var tap = UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: "labelTapped")
tap.numberOfTapsRequired = 1
cell.label.addGestureRecognizer(tap)
cell.label.tag = indexPath.row

Then for action

func labelTapped(gesture: UITapGestureRecognizer) {
    let indexPath = NSIndexPath(forRow: gesture.view!.tag, inSection: 0)
    let cell = tableView.cellForRowAtIndexPath(indexPath) as UITableViewCell

    // Do whatever you want.
}