Status Bar Color not changing with Relative Layout as root element

Question

I am just starting to learn android, I am learning to add AppBar. But if I use Relative Layout as the root then Status Bar don't use the color "colorPrimaryDark" defined in the theme. But changing the layout to CoordinatorLayout make it works.

Can someone explain the difference? is it a requirement to use the CoordinatorLayout Layout?

Activity Extends AppCompatActivity.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
    tools:context="com.example.ankit.designdemo.MainActivity">


    <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
        android:background="@color/colorPrimary"
        app:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark">

    </android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar>
</RelativeLayout>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
    tools:context="com.example.ankit.designdemo.MainActivity">


    <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
        android:background="@color/colorPrimary"
        app:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark">

    </android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar>
</android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout>

<!-- Base application theme. -->
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
        <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>
    </style>

    <style name="AppTheme.NoActionBar">
        <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
        <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
    </style>

    <style name="AppTheme.AppBarOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar" />

    <style name="AppTheme.PopupOverlay" parent="ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light" />


public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private DrawerLayout mDrawerLayout;
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.custom_activity);
        Toolbar toolbar = (Toolbar) findViewById(R.id.toolbar);
        setSupportActionBar(toolbar);

        ActionBar actionBar = getSupportActionBar();
        actionBar.setHomeAsUpIndicator(R.drawable.ic_menu);
        actionBar.setDisplayHomeAsUpEnabled(true);


    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_main, menu);
        return true;
    }


}

Answer 1

In v21/styles.xml you probably have this line of code:

  <item name="android:statusBarColor">@android:color/transparent</item>

And as you are running on API 23, the declared styles are overrided from the ones in v21/styles.xml.

As a solution:

Just remove that line and it will work fine

Answer 2

The styling of the statusbar is done by the

android:fitsSystemWindows

tag. This is currently not supported for RelativeLayout. Either you try another layout like FrameLayout which could work but for know i would suggest to stick to the CoordinatorLayout.

Maybe you get some more details here: https://medium.com/google-developers/why-would-i-want-to-fitssystemwindows-4e26d9ce1eec