How to make a Splash Screen in Android
How to make a Splash Screen in Android
A Splash Screen is a graphical element that is displayed when an Android application is launched. It typically shows the app’s logo or branding and is usually displayed for a few seconds before the main activity of the app is displayed.
The main purpose of a splash screen is to give users an
initial impression of the app’s look and feel, while the app is loading or performing initialization tasks in the background. It can also be used to provide some brief information or an animation while the user waits for the app to launch.
In Android, a splash screen can be implemented by creating a separate activity that is launched when the app is started. This activity can be designed to display the desired graphical elements or animations, and can also include any initialization tasks that need to be performed before the main activity of the app is started.
Overall, a splash screen is a simple but effective way to enhance the user experience and create a more polished and professional look for an Android app.
How to Implement the Perfect Splash Screen in Android
Implementing a splash screen in an Android app is a relatively straightforward process, but there are a few best practices that can help ensure that your splash screen is effective and provides a positive user experience. Here are some tips for implementing the perfect splash screen in your Android app:
- Keep it simple: A splash screen should be simple and straightforward, with a clean design that reflects the overall branding of your app. Avoid adding too much text or information, and focus on creating a visually appealing and easily recognizable image or logo.
- Use a background color: Choose a
background color that matches the color scheme of your app, or select a neutral color that complements the design. This helps to create a cohesive look and feel for your app. - Add a progress indicator: To give users a sense of how long the app will take to load, consider adding a progress indicator to your splash screen. This can be a simple animation or a progress bar that shows how much of the app has loaded so far.
- Optimize image sizes: Use appropriately sized images for your splash screen to ensure that it loads quickly and doesn’t slow down the app launch time. Compress your images to reduce the file size, without compromising the quality.
- Keep the duration short: A splash screen should be displayed for no longer than 2-3 seconds. Any longer than that, and users may become impatient and frustrated.
- Use a separate thread: To prevent the splash screen from freezing or crashing, it’s best to run it on a separate thread. This allows the app to continue loading in the background while the splash screen is displayed.
- Test on different devices: Test your splash screen on different devices to ensure that it looks and performs as expected. Make sure that it loads quickly and smoothly on both high-end and low-end devices.
By following these tips, you can create a splash screen that not only looks great but also enhances the overall user experience of your Android app.
Create a new Activity name it “SplashScreen”
To design the XML layout of the SplashScreen Activity in Android, you can follow these steps:
- Create a new XML file in your project’s “res/layout” directory.
- Add a RelativeLayout or ConstraintLayout to your XML file, which will act as the parent layout for your splash screen.
- Add an ImageView to your layout, which will display your app’s logo or branding. You can set the image using the “src” attribute.
- Customize the attributes of your ImageView, such as the height, width, and gravity.
- Optionally, you can add a progress bar or text to your layout to indicate that the app is loading.
Here’s an example of an XML layout file for a splash screen using a ConstraintLayout as the parent layout, with an ImageView and a ProgressBar:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="@color/white">
<!-- The ImageView for the app's logo or branding -->
<ImageView
android:id="@+id/imageViewLogo"
android:layout_width="150dp"
android:layout_height="150dp"
android:layout_marginTop="80dp"
android:src="@drawable/logo"
app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/progressBarLoading"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
<!-- The ProgressBar to indicate that the app is loading -->
<ProgressBar
android:id="@+id/progressBarLoading"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginBottom="40dp"
android:visibility="gone"
app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/imageViewLogo" />
</ConstraintLayout>
In this example, we use a ConstraintLayout as the parent layout, with an ImageView for the app’s logo and a ProgressBar to indicate that the app is loading. We also set the height, width, and gravity attributes for the ImageView, as well as the visibility and margins for the ProgressBar.
Now also design your SplashScreen XML layout so that it look like:
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent"> <ImageView android:id="@+id/logo" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:src="@drawable/my_logo" android:layout_centerInParent="true"/> <TextView android:id="@+id/loading_text" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Loading..." android:layout_below="@id/logo" android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"/> </RelativeLayout>
To implement the SplashScreen Activity in Java, you can follow these steps:
- Create a new Java class for your SplashScreen Activity that extends the AppCompatActivity class.
- Override the onCreate() method and set the layout for your SplashScreen using the setContentView() method.
- Optionally, you can add a delay before launching the main activity of your app to ensure that the splash screen is displayed for a set amount of time.
- Launch the main activity of your app using an Intent.
Here is an example of what your SplashScreen Activity code could look like:
public class SplashScreenActivity extends AppCompatActivity
{
private static final int SPLASH_SCREEN_TIMEOUT = 3000;
// 3 seconds
@Override protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_splash_screen);
// Delay for a few seconds before launching the main activity
new Handler().postDelayed(new Runnable()
{
@Override
public void run()
{
Intent intent = new Intent(SplashScreenActivity.this, MainActivity.class);
startActivity(intent);
finish();
}
}, SPLASH_SCREEN_TIMEOUT);}
}
Note: Remember to add your SplashScreenActivity to your app’s manifest file by adding an entry like below in the
<activity
android:name=".SplashScreen"
android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.app.lib_name"
android:value="" />
</activity>
<activity
android:name=".MainActivity"
android:exported="false">
<meta-data
android:name="android.app.lib_name"
android:value="" />
</activity>
Also, make sure to replace “MainActivity” with the name of your app’s main activity in the Intent that launches the main activity.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, implementing a splash screen in an Android app can improve the user experience and provide a professional look to your app. To create the perfect splash screen, keep it simple, use a background color, add a progress indicator, optimize image sizes, keep the duration short, use a separate thread, and test on different devices.
To design the XML layout of your SplashScreen Activity, create a new XML file in your project’s “res/layout” directory, add a RelativeLayout or ConstraintLayout as a parent layout, and customize the attributes of the ImageView and other UI elements.
To implement the SplashScreen Activity in Java, create a new Java class that extends the AppCompatActivity class, override the onCreate() method, set the layout for your SplashScreen using the setContentView() method, and launch the main activity of your app using an Intent.
By following these steps, you can create a professional and effective splash screen for your Android app.
