How to change UITabBar image dynamically in iOS

Question

At some point during runtime, I want to change the image for one of the tabs in my UITabBar. Here is what I have tried so far:

[[self.tabBarController.tabBar.items objectAtIndex:1]
    setImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"image-name"]
    forState:UIControlStateNormal];

The above gives me a -[UITabBarItem setImage:forState:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance

If I use the setImage method without forState it works, but this method was deprecated in iOS 3.

I tried your answers, but now there's this weird blue line above the UITabBar's UIIMage I changed. Any idea why?

Answer 1

Use image and selectedImage properties:

UITabBarItem *item = [self.tabBarController.tabBar.items objectAtIndex:1];
item.image = [UIImage imageNamed:@"image"];
item.selectedImage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"selected_image"];

Also pay attention on this:

By default, the actual selected image is automatically created from the alpha values in the source image. To prevent system coloring, provide images with UIImageRenderingModeAlwaysOriginal.