Button Background Color Not Changing in Android XML

Button Background Color Not Changing in Android XML

Many Android developers face a common issue where the button background color does not change in XML, even after setting it. This can be frustrating, especially for beginners who expect a quick color change.

In this guide, we’ll explore why the button background color doesn’t change in Android Studio XML and how to fix it with the right approaches.

Common Reasons Why Button Background Color Doesn’t Change

1. Default Material Theme Override

Android uses Material Components by default. The Button widget is styled by the app theme, which often overrides your custom background color.

2. Using android:backgroundTint Instead of android:background

• android:background replaces the entire background.
• android:backgroundTint only tints the default background, so your changes might not be visible if the theme enforces a shape or ripple effect.

3. Incorrect Color Reference

If you are using:

android:background="@color/myColor"

but the color is not defined in res/values/colors.xml, the background won’t apply.

4. Using AppCompat Button Styles

If you’re using MaterialButton or AppCompatButton, the framework applies its shapeAppearanceOverlay and default ripple, which may ignore your color.

Problem :

You're trying to set a button's background color using:

<Button
    android:background="#0000FF" /> 
    

But the color doesn't change. This is often due to:

• Using Material Components theme
• Targeting SDK version 30 or above
• Using the default Button which may be styled by the theme

Solution 1: Change Theme

  To fix this, change your theme to Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar, which respects android:background settings.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Update themes.xml or styles.xml

Open your theme file located at:
- res/values/themes.xml

Or:
- res/values/styles.xml

Change this:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight.NoActionBar">

To this:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBarr">

Step 2: Apply Theme in AndroidManifest.xml

Make sure your app uses the updated theme:

<application
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
    ...
</application>
    

Step 3: Set Button Background in XML

<Button
    android:id="@+id/myButton"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Click Me"
    android:textColor="#FFFFFF"
    android:background="#0000FF" /> <!-- Blue background -->
    

This will now work as expected.

Output :

✅ Solution 2: Use AppCompatButton Instead of Button

If you want to keep using the Material theme, you can switch the widget instead of the theme.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1.Replace Button with AppCompatButton in your layout:

<androidx.appcompat.widget.AppCompatButton
    android:id="@+id/myButton"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Click Me"
    android:textColor="#FFFFFF"
    android:background="#0000FF" /> <!-- Blue background -->
  

2.AppCompatButton respects android:background even under Material themes.

✅ Why This Works

Fix	Description
Change Theme	Avoids Material styling that overrides button background
Use AppCompatButton	Uses a widget that respects background settings even under Material themes

Conclusion

When the button background color is not changing in Android XML, the issue usually comes from Material theme overrides or using the wrong attribute (backgroundTint vs background).

To fix it:

• Use android:background for simple cases.
• Use app:backgroundTint for Material buttons.
• Create a custom drawable for advanced customization.
• By following these methods, you’ll have full control over your button design in Android Studio.