Develop Reference

Styling the android action bar?

I'm trying to style the action bar inside my app using the code below.
<resources>
<!-- the theme applied to the application or activity -->
<style name="myTheme" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
<item name="android:textSize">24sp</item>
</style>
simply put the font should be bigger.. but nope.
Any ideas as to why?
Thanks.

Possibly your theme is not applied to activity. Set it in manifest:
<activity
android:name=".YourActivty"
android:theme="#style/myTheme" />
UPDATE 1
You should change action bar text size in such way (changing titleTextStyle):
<style name="Theme.YourTheme" parent="android:style/Theme">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/Theme.YourTheme.Styled.ActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="Theme.YourTheme.Styled.ActionBar">
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/Theme.Viadeo.Styled.YourTheme.TitleTextStyle</item>
</style>
<style name="Theme.YourTheme.Styled.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle" parent="#android:style/Widget.TextView">
<item name="android:textSize">24sp</item>
</style>

Change Color of Actionbar in Android

I am trying to change the background color of actionbar in my App but this is showing different on my app. Instead of coloring the actionbar the whole activity is color.
I am not sure why this is happening? I just want the main actionbar and settings actionbar colored.
Please check the screenshot.
Main Activity Map:
Preference Settings:
I also have transparent Actionbar with UP Navigation enabled for all my sub activities other than the main activity and preference settings activity.
I am not sure why it is showing like the above:
Here is style.xml (values-v14):
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#FF5050</item>
</style>
<style name="dialogtheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar"></style>
<!-- Transparent ActionBar Style -->
<style name="AppTheme.Light.ActionBar.Transparent" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#android:color/transparent</item>
</style>
<!-- Activity Theme with transparent ActionBar -->
<style name="AppTheme.TransparentActionBar.Light" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/AppTheme.Light.ActionBar.Transparent</item>
<item name="android:windowIsTranslucent">true</item>
<item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">true</item>
<item name="android:windowActionBarOverlay">true</item>
<item name="android:windowContentOverlay">#null</item>
<item name="android:displayOptions">showHome|homeAsUp|showTitle</item>
<item name="android:icon">#android:color/transparent</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/ActionBarTabTextStyle.Tabtheme</item>
<item name="android:actionBarDivider">#drawable/verticallinefordivder</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabStyle">#style/ActionBarTabStyle.MapsLocation</item>
</style>
<style name="simpledialog" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.Dialog">
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabTextStyle.Tabtheme" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:textSize">18sp</item>
<item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
<item name="android:textColor">#android:color/black</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabStyle.MapsLocations" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_indicator</item>
</style>
<style name="myPreferenceTheme" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/blue</item>
</style>
<style name="Widget.ActionButton" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:background">?android:attr/actionBarItemBackground</item>
<item name="android:paddingLeft">12dip</item>
<item name="android:paddingRight">12dip</item>
<item name="android:minWidth">56dip</item>
<item name="android:minHeight">?android:attr/actionBarSize</item>
</style>
</resources>

A little change and you action bar will be red:
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/AppTheme.Light.ActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="dialogtheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar"></style>
<!-- Transparent ActionBar Style -->
<style name="AppTheme.Light.ActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#FF5050</item>
</style>
I have changed item in AppBaseTheme & AppTheme.Light.ActionBar .
Now you are good to go. let me know if it works however working at my end :P

You can try set custom view in action bar.
actionBar.setDisplayShowCustomEnabled(true);
actionBar.setCustomView(you_custom_layout);

I know this is not right answer to this question but if you want to edit your ActionBar, you can use this online Android Action Bar Style Generator.
At least you can create a style and check yours to find differences and learn how to edit your ActionBar.

How to customize Action Bar Style?

How to change the color of Action Bar Back Button and Action bar Menu Icon(Image attached).
I have the following style code(below), using which I customized the Text but I'm not able to completely customize the Action Bar.
Below is the Style code which I have used :
<style name="MyCustomTheme" parent="Theme.Sherlock.Light">
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar</item>
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar" parent="Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar">
<item name="background">#drawable/bg_header</item> -----------(1)
<item name="android:background">#drawable/bg_header</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/customTextAppearance.Sherlock.Widget.ActionBar.Title</item> ----(2)
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/customTextAppearance.Sherlock.Widget.ActionBar.Title</item>
<item name="android:homeAsUpIndicator">#style/customTextAppearance.Sherlock.Widget.ActionBar.Title</item>
</style>
<style name="customTextAppearance.Sherlock.Widget.ActionBar.Title" parent="TextAppearance.Sherlock.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textSize">18dp</item>
<item name="android:textColor">#ffffff</item>
<item name="android:shadowColor">#ffffff</item>
<item name="android:shadowDy">3</item>
<item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
</style>
Your help will be appreciated, Thank you.

Just find proper icons for your actionbar and customize it...
and then make changes in your...
You Can Do Following For Changing Icons Of Actionbar
style.xml
<style name="Widget.ActionButton.Overflow" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.ActionButton.Overflow">
<item name="android:src">#drawable/ic_action_overflow</item>
</style>
<style name="Your.Theme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionOverflowButtonStyle">#style/Widget.ActionButton.Overflow</item>
<item name="android:homeAsUpIndicator">#drawable/my_fancy_up_indicator</item>
</style>

check out this page on android help https://developer.android.com/training/basics/actionbar/styling.html
When supporting Android 3.0 and higher only,
you can define the action bar's background like this: res/values/themes.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<!-- the theme applied to the application or activity -->
<style name="CustomActionBarTheme"
parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/actionbar_background</item>
</style>
</resources>
Then apply your theme to your entire app or individual activities:
<application android:theme="#style/CustomActionBarTheme" ... />
For Android 2.1 and higher
When using the Support Library, the same theme as above must instead look like this:
res/values/themes.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<!-- the theme applied to the application or activity -->
<style name="CustomActionBarTheme"
parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/actionbar_background</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="background">#drawable/actionbar_background</item>
</style>
</resources>
Then apply your theme to your entire app or individual activities:
<application android:theme="#style/CustomActionBarTheme" ... />

Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar giving black actionbar title text

I have been trying to set white text on the actionbar. I went through many questions and I am using theme Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar and currently using this xml:
<style name="TrasnparentActionBarTheme" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/TransparentActionBar</item>
<item name="android:windowContentOverlay">#null</item>
<item name="android:windowActionBarOverlay">true</item>
</style>
<style name="TransparentActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/actionbar_transparent_background</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/TransparentTransparentActionBarText</item>
</style>
<style name="TransparentTransparentActionBarText" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#android:color/white</item>
</style>
I have tried different combinations for eg: setting android:titleTextStyle, actionmenutextcolor, or using the actionBar Style Generator. None are working for me.
The above code is from values-v11 but a similar code is in values folder too.
#drawable/actionbar_transparent_background is just a shape with <solid android:color="#00000000"/>

In order to have white text (so dark action bar with light theme) you have to inherit your actionbar style from the correct object: Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse and not Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar.Solid
Here is the style.xml file :
<resources>
<style name="AppTheme" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
<!-- action bar -->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/actionbar_background</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="background">#drawable/actionbar_background</item>
</style>
</resources>

How to change the background color of the action bar in Android?

I was working hard to achieve this but I had no luck. What I tried to do is to change the background color from the style that I attached in my main style tag. This is my code:
<resources>
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<item ></item>
</style>
<style name="MyActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#2E495E</item>
</style>
Still nothing changed.
I get this in my application:
http://i.imgur.com/m1MrGwk.png

I had the same issue and it's probably the same problem you were having. Notice the docs say the following:
each style property that you declare must be declared twice..
So my issue was I declared it for 2.1 and up, but not for 3.0 and greater so my Galaxy S4 of course could not see any changes to the colours I was making.
<resources>
<!-- Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<!--Support Library compatibility-->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#color/green</item>
<!--Support Library compatibility-->
<item name="background">#color/green</item>
</style>
<style name="NoActionBar" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>

Is this the only style.xml you have? Else check if you are modifying
for the right API