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How to Center Text in Android TextView

Master text centering in Android TextView with comprehensive guide covering XML attributes, programmatic approaches, and best practices for perfect alignment.

#android-textview#android-ui#constraintlayout#gravity-attribute#mobile-development#text-centering#xml-layout
Question

How do I center text horizontally and vertically in a TextView in Android?

NeuroAgent

To center text both horizontally and vertically in an Android TextView, you can use the gravity XML attribute or the setGravity() method programmatically. The most straightforward approach is setting android:gravity="center" in your XML layout, which centers text within the TextView’s boundaries.

Contents

Using XML Attributes

The simplest way to center text in a TextView is through XML attributes. There are two primary attributes you can use:

Basic Centering with Gravity

xml
<TextView
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Centered Text"
    android:gravity="center" />

The gravity attribute controls how the content (text) is positioned within the TextView’s boundaries. Setting it to "center" centers both horizontally and vertically.

Alternative Values

You can also use specific gravity values:

xml
<!-- Center horizontally only -->
android:gravity="center_horizontal"

<!-- Center vertically only -->
android:gravity="center_vertical"

<!-- Center in all directions -->
android:gravity="center"

Gravity vs Layout Gravity

It’s important to understand the difference between gravity and layout_gravity:

  • gravity - positions the TextView’s content within the TextView
  • layout_gravity - positions the TextView itself within its parent layout
xml
<TextView
    android:layout_width="200dp"
    android:layout_height="200dp"
    android:text="Centered Text"
    android:gravity="center" />

Programmatic Approach

You can also center text programmatically using Java or Kotlin:

Java

java
TextView textView = findViewById(R.id.myTextView);
textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);

Kotlin

kotlin
val textView: TextView = findViewById(R.id.myTextView)
textView.gravity = Gravity.CENTER

Specific Gravity Options

java
// Center both horizontally and vertically
textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);

// Center only horizontally
textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER_HORIZONTAL);

// Center only vertically  
textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER_VERTICAL);

Advanced Layout Methods

Using ConstraintLayout

For more complex layouts, ConstraintLayout provides excellent control over positioning:

xml
<TextView
    android:id="@+id/centeredTextView"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Centered Text"
    android:gravity="center"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

Using RelativeLayout

RelativeLayout also allows centering within parent:

xml
<TextView
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Centered Text"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:layout_centerInParent="true" />

Best Practices and Examples

Example with Background and Padding

xml
<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="200dp"
    android:text="Centered Text"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:background="#E0E0E0"
    android:padding="16dp"
    android:textSize="18sp"
    android:textColor="#333333" />

Multiple Lines with Centering

For multi-line text, you might want additional attributes:

xml
<TextView
    android:layout_width="300dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="This is a longer text that will wrap to multiple lines and still be centered both horizontally and vertically"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:textAlignment="center"
    android:maxLines="3"
    android:ellipsize="end" />

Programmatically with Dynamic Content

java
TextView textView = findViewById(R.id.dynamicTextView);
textView.setText("Dynamic Centered Text");
textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);
textView.setTextSize(16);
textView.setTextColor(Color.BLACK);

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Text Not Centered Despite Setting Gravity

If text doesn’t center, check these common issues:

  1. Layout Width/Height: Ensure TextView has proper dimensions
  2. Parent Constraints: Verify parent layout constraints
  3. Text Content: Empty strings won’t display
xml
<!-- Fix: Check if TextView has proper dimensions -->
<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"  <!-- Or specific width -->
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" <!-- Or specific height -->
    android:text="Text"
    android:gravity="center" />

Centering in RecyclerView Items

xml
<!-- In RecyclerView item layout -->
<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Centered in RecyclerView"
        android:gravity="center" />

</LinearLayout>

Centering in Dialogs

xml
<!-- Dialog layout -->
<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:padding="24dp">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Dialog Center Text"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textSize="18sp" />

</LinearLayout>

Conclusion

Centering text in Android TextViews is straightforward using the gravity attribute or setGravity() method. The key takeaways are:

  1. Use android:gravity="center" in XML for basic centering
  2. Understand the difference between gravity (content positioning) and layout_gravity (widget positioning)
  3. Combine with other attributes like layout_centerInParent in RelativeLayout for complex layouts
  4. Consider your layout container - different containers (LinearLayout, ConstraintLayout, RelativeLayout) offer different centering approaches
  5. Test with different screen sizes to ensure proper centering across all devices

For most cases, setting android:gravity="center" is sufficient for horizontal and vertical text centering. For more advanced positioning, explore ConstraintLayout which provides the most flexibility for modern Android layouts.

What's the difference between gravity and layout_gravity in Android TextView?How to center text in a RecyclerView item in Android?Why is my text not centering properly in Android TextView?How to center text in a Dialog in Android?What are the best practices for text alignment in Android layouts?How to programmatically change text centering in Android TextView?
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