The action bar is an important component of any Android app. It allows users to access various features and settings within the app, such as menu options and search functionality. However, there are situations where you may want to eliminate the action bar from your app.

Why Eliminate the Action Bar?

There are several reasons why you may want to eliminate the action bar from your app:

1. Simplify the user interface: In some cases, the action bar can clutter the user interface and make it difficult for users to find what they need. By eliminating the action bar, you can simplify the user interface and make it more intuitive to use.
2. Focus on content: If your app primarily focuses on displaying content, such as images or videos, the action bar can be a distraction from that content. Eliminating the action bar allows you to focus more on the content of your app.
3. Create a unique user experience: Eliminating the action bar can help create a unique user experience that sets your app apart from others in the market. This can be particularly useful for apps that are targeting niche audiences or have unique features that require a different approach to navigation.

   How to Eliminate the Action Bar in Android Studio

Now that we’ve discussed why you might want to eliminate the action bar, let’s take a look at how to do it in Android Studio:

Step 1: Create a new activity

The first step is to create a new activity in Android Studio. To do this, go to File > New > Activity and select “Empty Activity” as the template. Name your activity something descriptive, such as “ContentActivity”.

Step 2: Remove the action bar from the manifest file

Next, you need to remove the action bar from the manifest file for your activity. To do this, open the manifest file for your activity and locate the <activity> tag. Within this tag, you’ll find the following line:

xml
<actionBar title"@string/app_name" />

This line adds the action bar to your app with a title based on the value of the @string/app_name string resource in your strings file. To remove the action bar, simply delete this line from the manifest file.

Step 3: Remove the action bar from the layout file

In addition to removing the action bar from the manifest file, you also need to remove it from the layout file for your activity. To do this, open the layout file for your activity and locate the <androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout> tag that contains the action bar. Within this tag, you’ll find the following line:

xml
<com.google.android.material.appbar.AppBarLayout
xmlns:android"http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id"@+id/app_bar_layout"
android:layout_width"match_parent"
android:layout_height"?attr/actionBarSize">

This line adds the app bar layout to your layout file. To remove the action bar, simply delete this line from the layout file.

Step 4: Add navigation options to your layout

Now that you’ve removed the action bar, you need to add navigation options to your layout so that users can still navigate through your app. One way to do this is by adding a bottom navigation bar or floating action button (FAB) to your layout.

To add a bottom navigation bar, you can use the BottomNavigationView widget from the Material Components library. To do this, add the following line to your layout file:

xml
<com.google.android.material.bottomsheet.BottomNavigationView
android:id"@+id/bottom_navigation"
android:layout_width"match_parent"
android:layout_height"wrap_content" />

This line adds a bottom navigation bar to your layout with an ID of “bottom_navigation”. You can then use this ID to programmatically add navigation options to the bottom navigation bar.

To add an FAB, you can simply add a FloatingActionButton widget to your layout file. For example:

xml
<com.google.android.material.floatingactionbutton.FloatingActionButton
android:id"@+id/fab"
android:layout_width"wrap_content"
android:layout_height"wrap_content" />

This line adds an FAB to your layout with an ID of “fab” and an icon based on the value of the @drawable/ic_add drawable resource in your drawables file. You can then use this ID to programmatically add functionality to the FAB, such as opening a new activity or displaying a dialog.

Step 5: Test your app

Now that you’ve made the necessary changes to eliminate the action bar from your app, it’s time to test your app and ensure that everything is working correctly. Run your app on an emulator or physical device and verify that the action bar has been removed from the user interface and that navigation options are still available through the bottom navigation bar or FAB.

Summary

In this article, we’ve explored why you might want to eliminate the action bar from your Android app, and provided a step-by-step guide on how to do it in Android Studio. By simplifying the user interface, focusing on content, and creating a unique user experience