Changing the unselected color of a UITabBar Item iOS 9

Question

override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        // Do any additional setup after loading the view.'
        UITabBar.appearance().tintColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
        UITabBar.appearance().selectedImageTintColor = UIColor.redColor()
    } //method is in TabBarViewController

I would like the unselected color to be white and selected color to be red. The selectedImageTintColor property is deprecated in iOS 9, and I was wondering how I'd be able to change the unselected image color otherwise? Also, I was able to change the selected image tint color the red color in storyboard by changing the tabbar keypath's color attribute to red. I was wondering if there was a way of changing the unselected and selected color in storyboard?

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 02 '16 at 12:29

Make sure your original image is displayed as white. Then you just tell the TabBarItem to render the unselected image as .AlwaysOriginal and the set a selectedImage on it like so:

let tabBarImage = UIImage(named: "icon-tab-name")
let tabBarItem = UITabBarItem(title: "Title", image: tabBarImage?.imageWithRenderingMode(.AlwaysOriginal), selectedImage: tabBarImage)

And then have

UITabBar.appearance().tintColor = UIColor.redColor()

This way you will have a white unselected state and a red selected state.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 23 '15 at 21:31

0

I did with this peace of code in the viewDidLoad method:

self.tabBar.tintColor = UIColor.whiteColor()

answered Nov 23 '15 at 21:31

Danny Narváez

576
5
10

Sorry, I was unclear in my description. I'd like to have the unselected white and the selected red. When I set the tint color to white (as with your code or variations), it has the selected as red but the unselected as white, – stumped Nov 24 '15 at 01:11
I solved a similar issue combining with the UIImage imageWithRenderingMode method. Just like this: `myImage.imageWithRenderingMode(.AlwaysOriginal)` – Danny Narváez Nov 24 '15 at 14:38

thalacker · Answer 3 · 2019-01-21T15:48:08.943

If you would like to change all of them in IOS 10, do something like this in the appDelegate. This is changing all the unselected ones to black.

func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
    // Override point for customization after application launch.

    UITabBar.appearance().unselectedItemTintColor = UIColor(displayP3Red: 0, green: 0, blue: 0, alpha: 1)

    return true
}

Changing the unselected color of a UITabBar Item iOS 9

3 Answers3