Execute action when back bar button of UINavigationController is pressed

Question

Replacing the button to a custom one as suggested on another answer is possibly not a great idea as you will lose the default behavior and style.

One other option you have is to implement the viewWillDisappear method on the View Controller and check for a property named isMovingFromParentViewController. If that property is true, it means the View Controller is disappearing because it's being removed (popped).

Should look something like:

override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillDisappear(animated)

    if self.isMovingFromParentViewController {
        // Your code...
    }
}

In swift 4.2

override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillDisappear(animated)

    if self.isMovingFromParent {
        // Your code...
    }
}

One option would be implementing your own custom back button. You would need to add the following code to your viewDidLoad method:

- (void) viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    self.navigationItem.hidesBackButton = YES;
    UIBarButtonItem *newBackButton = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Back" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:@selector(back:)];
    self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = newBackButton;
}

- (void) back:(UIBarButtonItem *)sender {
    // Perform your custom actions
    // ...
    // Go back to the previous ViewController
    [self.navigationController popViewControllerAnimated:YES];
}

UPDATE:

Here is the version for Swift:

    override func viewDidLoad {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        self.navigationItem.hidesBackButton = true
        let newBackButton = UIBarButtonItem(title: "Back", style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.Bordered, target: self, action: "back:")
        self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = newBackButton
    }

    func back(sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
        // Perform your custom actions
        // ...
        // Go back to the previous ViewController
        self.navigationController?.popViewControllerAnimated(true)
    }

UPDATE 2:

Here is the version for Swift 3:

    override func viewDidLoad {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        self.navigationItem.hidesBackButton = true
        let newBackButton = UIBarButtonItem(title: "Back", style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.plain, target: self, action: #selector(YourViewController.back(sender:)))
        self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = newBackButton
    }

    func back(sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
        // Perform your custom actions
        // ...
        // Go back to the previous ViewController
        _ = navigationController?.popViewController(animated: true)
    }

override func willMove(toParent parent: UIViewController?)
{
    super.willMove(toParent: parent)
    if parent == nil
    {
        print("This VC is 'will' be popped. i.e. the back button was pressed.")
    }
}

I was able to achieve this with the following :

Swift 3

override func didMoveToParentViewController(parent: UIViewController?) {
   super.didMoveToParentViewController(parent)

   if parent == nil {
      println("Back Button pressed.")
      delegate?.goingBack()
   }           
}

Swift 4

override func didMove(toParent parent: UIViewController?) {
    super.didMove(toParent: parent)

    if parent == nil {
        debugPrint("Back Button pressed.")
    }
}

No need of custom back button.

I created this (swift) class to create a back button exactly like the regular one, including back arrow. It can create a button with regular text or with an image.

Usage

weak var weakSelf = self

// Assign back button with back arrow and text (exactly like default back button)
navigationItem.leftBarButtonItems = CustomBackButton.createWithText("YourBackButtonTitle", color: UIColor.yourColor(), target: weakSelf, action: #selector(YourViewController.tappedBackButton))

// Assign back button with back arrow and image
navigationItem.leftBarButtonItems = CustomBackButton.createWithImage(UIImage(named: "yourImageName")!, color: UIColor.yourColor(), target: weakSelf, action: #selector(YourViewController.tappedBackButton))

func tappedBackButton() {

    // Do your thing

    self.navigationController!.popViewControllerAnimated(true)
}

CustomBackButtonClass

(code for drawing the back arrow created with Sketch & Paintcode plugin)

class CustomBackButton: NSObject {

    class func createWithText(text: String, color: UIColor, target: AnyObject?, action: Selector) -> [UIBarButtonItem] {
        let negativeSpacer = UIBarButtonItem(barButtonSystemItem: UIBarButtonSystemItem.FixedSpace, target: nil, action: nil)
        negativeSpacer.width = -8
        let backArrowImage = imageOfBackArrow(color: color)
        let backArrowButton = UIBarButtonItem(image: backArrowImage, style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.Plain, target: target, action: action)
        let backTextButton = UIBarButtonItem(title: text, style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.Plain , target: target, action: action)
        backTextButton.setTitlePositionAdjustment(UIOffset(horizontal: -12.0, vertical: 0.0), forBarMetrics: UIBarMetrics.Default)
        return [negativeSpacer, backArrowButton, backTextButton]
    }

    class func createWithImage(image: UIImage, color: UIColor, target: AnyObject?, action: Selector) -> [UIBarButtonItem] {
        // recommended maximum image height 22 points (i.e. 22 @1x, 44 @2x, 66 @3x)
        let negativeSpacer = UIBarButtonItem(barButtonSystemItem: UIBarButtonSystemItem.FixedSpace, target: nil, action: nil)
        negativeSpacer.width = -8
        let backArrowImageView = UIImageView(image: imageOfBackArrow(color: color))
        let backImageView = UIImageView(image: image)
        let customBarButton = UIButton(frame: CGRectMake(0,0,22 + backImageView.frame.width,22))
        backImageView.frame = CGRectMake(22, 0, backImageView.frame.width, backImageView.frame.height)
        customBarButton.addSubview(backArrowImageView)
        customBarButton.addSubview(backImageView)
        customBarButton.addTarget(target, action: action, forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)
        return [negativeSpacer, UIBarButtonItem(customView: customBarButton)]
    }

    private class func drawBackArrow(frame frame: CGRect = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 14, height: 22), color: UIColor = UIColor(hue: 0.59, saturation: 0.674, brightness: 0.886, alpha: 1), resizing: ResizingBehavior = .AspectFit) {
        /// General Declarations
        let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!

        /// Resize To Frame
        CGContextSaveGState(context)
        let resizedFrame = resizing.apply(rect: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 14, height: 22), target: frame)
        CGContextTranslateCTM(context, resizedFrame.minX, resizedFrame.minY)
        let resizedScale = CGSize(width: resizedFrame.width / 14, height: resizedFrame.height / 22)
        CGContextScaleCTM(context, resizedScale.width, resizedScale.height)

        /// Line
        let line = UIBezierPath()
        line.moveToPoint(CGPoint(x: 9, y: 9))
        line.addLineToPoint(CGPoint.zero)
        CGContextSaveGState(context)
        CGContextTranslateCTM(context, 3, 11)
        line.lineCapStyle = .Square
        line.lineWidth = 3
        color.setStroke()
        line.stroke()
        CGContextRestoreGState(context)

        /// Line Copy
        let lineCopy = UIBezierPath()
        lineCopy.moveToPoint(CGPoint(x: 9, y: 0))
        lineCopy.addLineToPoint(CGPoint(x: 0, y: 9))
        CGContextSaveGState(context)
        CGContextTranslateCTM(context, 3, 2)
        lineCopy.lineCapStyle = .Square
        lineCopy.lineWidth = 3
        color.setStroke()
        lineCopy.stroke()
        CGContextRestoreGState(context)

        CGContextRestoreGState(context)
    }

    private class func imageOfBackArrow(size size: CGSize = CGSize(width: 14, height: 22), color: UIColor = UIColor(hue: 0.59, saturation: 0.674, brightness: 0.886, alpha: 1), resizing: ResizingBehavior = .AspectFit) -> UIImage {
        var image: UIImage

        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(size, false, 0)
        drawBackArrow(frame: CGRect(origin: CGPoint.zero, size: size), color: color, resizing: resizing)
        image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
        UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

        return image
    }

    private enum ResizingBehavior {
        case AspectFit /// The content is proportionally resized to fit into the target rectangle.
        case AspectFill /// The content is proportionally resized to completely fill the target rectangle.
        case Stretch /// The content is stretched to match the entire target rectangle.
        case Center /// The content is centered in the target rectangle, but it is NOT resized.

        func apply(rect rect: CGRect, target: CGRect) -> CGRect {
            if rect == target || target == CGRect.zero {
                return rect
            }

            var scales = CGSize.zero
            scales.width = abs(target.width / rect.width)
            scales.height = abs(target.height / rect.height)

            switch self {
                case .AspectFit:
                    scales.width = min(scales.width, scales.height)
                    scales.height = scales.width
                case .AspectFill:
                    scales.width = max(scales.width, scales.height)
                    scales.height = scales.width
                case .Stretch:
                    break
                case .Center:
                    scales.width = 1
                    scales.height = 1
            }

            var result = rect.standardized
            result.size.width *= scales.width
            result.size.height *= scales.height
            result.origin.x = target.minX + (target.width - result.width) / 2
            result.origin.y = target.minY + (target.height - result.height) / 2
            return result
        }
    }
}

SWIFT 3.0

class CustomBackButton: NSObject {

    class func createWithText(text: String, color: UIColor, target: AnyObject?, action: Selector) -> [UIBarButtonItem] {
        let negativeSpacer = UIBarButtonItem(barButtonSystemItem: UIBarButtonSystemItem.fixedSpace, target: nil, action: nil)
        negativeSpacer.width = -8
        let backArrowImage = imageOfBackArrow(color: color)
        let backArrowButton = UIBarButtonItem(image: backArrowImage, style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.plain, target: target, action: action)
        let backTextButton = UIBarButtonItem(title: text, style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.plain , target: target, action: action)
        backTextButton.setTitlePositionAdjustment(UIOffset(horizontal: -12.0, vertical: 0.0), for: UIBarMetrics.default)
        return [negativeSpacer, backArrowButton, backTextButton]
    }

    class func createWithImage(image: UIImage, color: UIColor, target: AnyObject?, action: Selector) -> [UIBarButtonItem] {
        // recommended maximum image height 22 points (i.e. 22 @1x, 44 @2x, 66 @3x)
        let negativeSpacer = UIBarButtonItem(barButtonSystemItem: UIBarButtonSystemItem.fixedSpace, target: nil, action: nil)
        negativeSpacer.width = -8
        let backArrowImageView = UIImageView(image: imageOfBackArrow(color: color))
        let backImageView = UIImageView(image: image)
        let customBarButton = UIButton(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 22 + backImageView.frame.width, height: 22))
        backImageView.frame = CGRect(x: 22, y: 0, width: backImageView.frame.width, height: backImageView.frame.height)
        customBarButton.addSubview(backArrowImageView)
        customBarButton.addSubview(backImageView)
        customBarButton.addTarget(target, action: action, for: .touchUpInside)
        return [negativeSpacer, UIBarButtonItem(customView: customBarButton)]
    }

    private class func drawBackArrow(_ frame: CGRect = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 14, height: 22), color: UIColor = UIColor(hue: 0.59, saturation: 0.674, brightness: 0.886, alpha: 1), resizing: ResizingBehavior = .AspectFit) {
        /// General Declarations
        let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!

        /// Resize To Frame
        context.saveGState()
        let resizedFrame = resizing.apply(CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 14, height: 22), target: frame)
        context.translateBy(x: resizedFrame.minX, y: resizedFrame.minY)
        let resizedScale = CGSize(width: resizedFrame.width / 14, height: resizedFrame.height / 22)
        context.scaleBy(x: resizedScale.width, y: resizedScale.height)

        /// Line
        let line = UIBezierPath()
        line.move(to: CGPoint(x: 9, y: 9))
        line.addLine(to: CGPoint.zero)
        context.saveGState()
        context.translateBy(x: 3, y: 11)
        line.lineCapStyle = .square
        line.lineWidth = 3
        color.setStroke()
        line.stroke()
        context.restoreGState()

        /// Line Copy
        let lineCopy = UIBezierPath()
        lineCopy.move(to: CGPoint(x: 9, y: 0))
        lineCopy.addLine(to: CGPoint(x: 0, y: 9))
        context.saveGState()
        context.translateBy(x: 3, y: 2)
        lineCopy.lineCapStyle = .square
        lineCopy.lineWidth = 3
        color.setStroke()
        lineCopy.stroke()
        context.restoreGState()

        context.restoreGState()
    }

    private class func imageOfBackArrow(_ size: CGSize = CGSize(width: 14, height: 22), color: UIColor = UIColor(hue: 0.59, saturation: 0.674, brightness: 0.886, alpha: 1), resizing: ResizingBehavior = .AspectFit) -> UIImage {
        var image: UIImage

        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(size, false, 0)
        drawBackArrow(CGRect(origin: CGPoint.zero, size: size), color: color, resizing: resizing)
        image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()!
        UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

        return image
    }

    private enum ResizingBehavior {
        case AspectFit /// The content is proportionally resized to fit into the target rectangle.
        case AspectFill /// The content is proportionally resized to completely fill the target rectangle.
        case Stretch /// The content is stretched to match the entire target rectangle.
        case Center /// The content is centered in the target rectangle, but it is NOT resized.

        func apply(_ rect: CGRect, target: CGRect) -> CGRect {
            if rect == target || target == CGRect.zero {
                return rect
            }

            var scales = CGSize.zero
            scales.width = abs(target.width / rect.width)
            scales.height = abs(target.height / rect.height)

            switch self {
            case .AspectFit:
                scales.width = min(scales.width, scales.height)
                scales.height = scales.width
            case .AspectFill:
                scales.width = max(scales.width, scales.height)
                scales.height = scales.width
            case .Stretch:
                break
            case .Center:
                scales.width = 1
                scales.height = 1
            }

            var result = rect.standardized
            result.size.width *= scales.width
            result.size.height *= scales.height
            result.origin.x = target.minX + (target.width - result.width) / 2
            result.origin.y = target.minY + (target.height - result.height) / 2
            return result
        }
    }
}

If you want to have back button with back arrow you can use an image and code below

backArrow.png [email protected] [email protected]

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    let customBackButton = UIBarButtonItem(image: UIImage(named: "backArrow") , style: .plain, target: self, action: #selector(backAction(sender:)))
    customBackButton.imageInsets = UIEdgeInsets(top: 2, left: -8, bottom: 0, right: 0)
    navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = customBackButton
}

func backAction(sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
    // custom actions here
    navigationController?.popViewController(animated: true)
}

In Swift 5 and Xcode 10.2

Please don't add custom bar button item, use this default behaviour.

No need of viewWillDisappear, no need of custom BarButtonItem etc...

It's better to detect when the VC is removed from it's parent.

Use any one of these two functions

override func willMove(toParent parent: UIViewController?) {
    super.willMove(toParent: parent)
    if parent == nil {
        callStatusDelegate?.backButtonClicked()//Here write your code
    }
}

override func didMove(toParent parent: UIViewController?) {
    super.didMove(toParent: parent)
    if parent == nil {
        callStatusDelegate?.backButtonClicked()//Here write your code
    }
}

If you want stop default behaviour of back button then add custom BarButtonItem.