How to remove the Android SearchView left space?

Question

I'm trying to remove the left space before the search view of Android, without success. I tried every answer I found on Internet but didn't work. I'm using AppCompat themes for this activity. I'm targeting KitKat api (19).

Can someone help me please?

EDIT

Layout of activity

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="@+id/MainLayout"
android:background="#6ED19E">
<RelativeLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:id="@+id/BackgroundLayout"
    android:background="#6ED19E">
    <ImageView
        android:src="@drawable/bgpattern"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/PatternImageView"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop" />
    <TextView
        android:text="Já estamos em muitas cidades\nEstamos na sua?"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:id="@+id/ManyCityLabel"
        android:textColor="#ffffff"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:width="20dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textStyle="normal" />
</RelativeLayout>
<ListView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:id="@+id/LocationsListView"
    android:background="#ffffff"
    android:visibility="invisible" />

Menu

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content">
  <item android:id="@+id/LocationSearch"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        tools:showAsAction="always"
        tools:actionViewClass="android.support.v7.widget.SearchView"/>
</menu>

The iconified stuff I did programatically because when I change the xml didn't work

EDIT If I set the background color of SearchView

The search doesn't fit the entire space. Why?

Answer 1

You can do following:

Hide app bar in onCreate() like so:

// Hide UI first
ActionBar actionBar = getSupportActionBar();
if (actionBar != null) {
    actionBar.hide();
}

In the layout file set background to green (or your colour), add a SearchView and set background for SearchView to white like so:

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout 
    ...
    android:background="#00FF00"
    ...>

    <android.support.v7.widget.SearchView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="#FFF" />
    ...
    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Hello World!"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

    ....
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

I am pretty sure that your other search interface code shall work. You only need to redirect your event calls.