SearchView hint not showing

Question

I'm trying to display hint text in a search view in my Main Activity. The onqueryTextSubmit launches another activity called SearchResultsActivity which will display the results of the query. My problem is that I cannot display the hint text. My searchable.xml code

<searchable xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:hint="@string/search_hint"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
/>

and the manifest code

<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:supportsRtl="true"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
    <activity android:name=".MainActivity">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH"/>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>
        </intent-filter>

        <meta-data
            android:name="android.app.default_searchable1"
            android:value=".SearchResultsActivity"
            android:resource="@xml/searchable"/>
    </activity>
    <activity android:name=".SearchResultsActivity">
        <meta-data android:name="android.app.searchable"
                   android:resource="@xml/searchable">
        </meta-data>
    </activity>
</application>
</manifest>

and finaly my onQueryTextSubmit code

@Override
        public boolean onQueryTextSubmit(String query)
        {

            Anniversaries tempResults;
            tempResults = mainAnniversariesManager.searchManager.searchAnniversaries(query);

            if (tempResults.entries.size() == 0)
            {
                snackbar = Snackbar.make(findViewById(R.id.coordinator), getString(R.string.no_results_found) + query, Snackbar.LENGTH_INDEFINITE);
                snackbar.show();
                return true;
            } else
            {
                snackbar = null;
                if (!searchView.isIconified())
                {
                    searchView.setIconified(true);
                }
                menuItem.collapseActionView();

                Intent intent=new Intent(getApplicationContext(),SearchResultsActivity.class);
                Bundle args=new Bundle();
                args.putSerializable("serialized_Anniversaries",tempResults);
                intent.putExtra("args",args);
                startActivity(intent);

                return false;
            }
        }

Thanks in advance

I never used searchable but my first suggest is: Maybe the searchable is already filled with empty content so the hint is not shown? — cherry-wave, Jun 20 '16 at 10:00

score 51 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 20 '16 at 10:00

51

To add SearchView hint text use the following code :

search.setQueryHint("Custom Search Hint");

answered Jun 20 '16 at 10:00

AmanSinghal

2,404
21
22

1

I know that, I was just thinking doing it using the xml configuration. Thanks anyway. – yian.athanasiadis Jun 20 '16 at 11:48
`mSearchView = (SearchView) view.findViewById(R.id.product_search_view); mSearchView.setQueryHint("Search Product");` giving me `Attempt to invoke virtual method 'void android.widget.SearchView.setQueryHint(java.lang.CharSequence)' on a null object reference` – Moeez May 05 '21 at 07:24
@yian.athanasiadis Check https://stackoverflow.com/a/61428756/6269691 for implementing **using the xml configuration**. – Saharsh Mar 18 '22 at 07:05

score 29 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 04 '16 at 08:51

29

try to use app:queryHint="@string/search" app:defaultQueryHint="@string/search"

answered Aug 04 '16 at 08:51

Alexander

411
3
4

Thanks, that is what i am exactly looking for. – B.shruti May 03 '17 at 05:34
6

Use it where? in the menu.xml file where i set an item as searchView or inside searchable.xml or someplace else? – Sahil Patel Apr 23 '18 at 15:47

Saharsh · Answer 3 · 2022-03-18T07:01:44.757

19

Using the XML configuration.

This worked for me :

<SearchView
            .
            .
            .
            android:queryHint="@string/search_hint"
            android:iconifiedByDefault="false"    />

If the hint's desired to be visible in the Non-Active State of SearchView set android:iconifiedByDefault to "false".

If it's undesired set android:iconifiedByDefault to "true".

edited Mar 18 '22 at 07:01

answered Apr 25 '20 at 16:18

Saharsh

383
2
11

1

This is the answer without creating a function or code in the Activity. Just add this in the layout.xml. – lloydyu24 Oct 18 '21 at 05:28
I like the bonus of using `iconifiedByDefault`. – Dino Tw Aug 02 '22 at 01:25

Abubakar Khalid · Answer 4 · 2022-10-20T17:40:01.810

3

You can use the below two lines of code to show the hint in SearchView.

1) You can simply add a hint by adding the below line.

android:queryHint="Search Medicines here..."

when you will use the above line then the hint will only appear when you click the search icon.

2) If you want to show a hint without clicking the search icon simple add the below line in the search view

android:iconifiedByDefault="false"

edited Oct 20 '22 at 17:40

answered Aug 21 '22 at 07:00

Abubakar Khalid

109
2
5

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 24 '18 at 12:25

for me non of the solutions did not work.

I get an instance of the edittext of searchview and then, I set a hint for that.

EditText et= (EditText) mSearchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
et.setHint(context.getString(R.string.search));

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Mar 22 '17 at 03:29

1

According Create a Searchable Configuration

If you're using a SearchView as an action view in the app bar, you should associate the searchable configuration with the SearchView by calling setSearchableInfo(SearchableInfo).

SearchManager sm = (SearchManager) getSystemService(Context.SEARCH_SERVICE);
searchView.setSearchableInfo(sm.getSearchableInfo(getComponentName()));

answered Mar 22 '17 at 03:29

Chaos

120
11

why is it here? it has nothing to do with query hint text – user924 Nov 11 '18 at 13:32

SearchView hint not showing

6 Answers6

Using the XML configuration.

You can use the below two lines of code to show the hint in SearchView.

Linked