Actionbar notification count icon (badge) like Google has

Is there a android standard badge or method to show action bar notification icon with a count like on Google examples?

count 3 on picture

If not, then what is the best way to make it?
I'm new to android, please help.


I am not sure if this is the best solution or not, but it is what I need.

Please tell me if you know what is need to be changed for better performance or quality. In my case, I have a button.

Custom item on my menu - main.xml

<item
    android:id="@+id/badge"
    android:actionLayout="@layout/feed_update_count"
    android:icon="@drawable/shape_notification"
    android:showAsAction="always">
</item>

Custom shape drawable (background square) - shape_notification.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   android:shape="rectangle">
    <stroke android:color="#22000000" android:width="2dp"/>
    <corners android:radius="5dp" />
    <solid android:color="#CC0001"/>
</shape>

Layout for my view - feed_update_count.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Button xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:id="@+id/notif_count"
     android:layout_width="wrap_content"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
     android:minWidth="32dp"
     android:minHeight="32dp"
     android:background="@drawable/shape_notification"
     android:text="0"
     android:textSize="16sp"
     android:textColor="@android:color/white"
     android:gravity="center"
     android:padding="2dp"
     android:singleLine="true">    
</Button>

MainActivity - setting and updating my view

static Button notifCount;
static int mNotifCount = 0;    

@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    MenuInflater inflater = getSupportMenuInflater();
    inflater.inflate(R.menu.main, menu);

    View count = menu.findItem(R.id.badge).getActionView();
    notifCount = (Button) count.findViewById(R.id.notif_count);
    notifCount.setText(String.valueOf(mNotifCount));
    return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
}

private void setNotifCount(int count){
    mNotifCount = count;
    invalidateOptionsMenu();
}

Edit Since version 26 of the support library (or androidx) you no longer need to implement a custom OnLongClickListener to display the tooltip. Simply call this:

TooltipCompat.setTooltipText(menu_hotlist, getString(R.string.hint_show_hot_message));

I'll just share my code in case someone wants something like this: enter image description here

  • layout/menu/menu_actionbar.xml

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    
    <menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
        ...
        <item android:id="@+id/menu_hotlist"
            android:actionLayout="@layout/action_bar_notifitcation_icon"
            android:showAsAction="always"
            android:icon="@drawable/ic_bell"
            android:title="@string/hotlist" />
        ...
    </menu>
    
  • layout/action_bar_notifitcation_icon.xml

    Note style and android:clickable properties. these make the layout the size of a button and make the background gray when touched.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:clickable="true"
        style="@android:style/Widget.ActionButton">
    
        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/hotlist_bell"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_bell"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:gravity="center"
            android:layout_margin="0dp"
            android:contentDescription="bell"
            />
    
        <TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
            android:id="@+id/hotlist_hot"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:minWidth="17sp"
            android:textSize="12sp"
            android:textColor="#ffffffff"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:gravity="center"
            android:text="@null"
            android:layout_alignTop="@id/hotlist_bell"
            android:layout_alignRight="@id/hotlist_bell"
            android:layout_marginRight="0dp"
            android:layout_marginTop="3dp"
            android:paddingBottom="1dp"
            android:paddingRight="4dp"
            android:paddingLeft="4dp"
            android:background="@drawable/rounded_square"/>
    </RelativeLayout>
    
  • drawable-xhdpi/ic_bell.png

    A 64x64 pixel image with 10 pixel wide paddings from all sides. You are supposed to have 8 pixel wide paddings, but I find most default items being slightly smaller than that. Of course, you'll want to use different sizes for different densities.

  • drawable/rounded_square.xml

    Here, #ff222222 (color #222222 with alpha #ff (fully visible)) is the background color of my Action Bar.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    
    <shape
        xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:shape="rectangle">
        <corners android:radius="2dp" />
        <solid android:color="#ffff0000" />
        <stroke android:color="#ff222222" android:width="2dp"/>
    </shape>
    
  • com/ubergeek42/WeechatAndroid/WeechatActivity.java

    Here we make it clickable and updatable! I created an abstract listener that provides Toast creation on onLongClick, the code was taken from from the sources of ActionBarSherlock.

    private int hot_number = 0;
    private TextView ui_hot = null;
    
    @Override public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(final Menu menu) {
        MenuInflater menuInflater = getSupportMenuInflater();
        menuInflater.inflate(R.menu.menu_actionbar, menu);
        final View menu_hotlist = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_hotlist).getActionView();
        ui_hot = (TextView) menu_hotlist.findViewById(R.id.hotlist_hot);
        updateHotCount(hot_number);
        new MyMenuItemStuffListener(menu_hotlist, "Show hot message") {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                onHotlistSelected();
            }
        };
        return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
    }
    
    // call the updating code on the main thread,
    // so we can call this asynchronously
    public void updateHotCount(final int new_hot_number) {
        hot_number = new_hot_number;
        if (ui_hot == null) return;
        runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                if (new_hot_number == 0)
                    ui_hot.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
                else {
                    ui_hot.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                    ui_hot.setText(Integer.toString(new_hot_number));
                }
            }
        });
    }
    
    static abstract class MyMenuItemStuffListener implements View.OnClickListener, View.OnLongClickListener {
        private String hint;
        private View view;
    
        MyMenuItemStuffListener(View view, String hint) {
            this.view = view;
            this.hint = hint;
            view.setOnClickListener(this);
            view.setOnLongClickListener(this);
        }
    
        @Override abstract public void onClick(View v);
    
        @Override public boolean onLongClick(View v) {
            final int[] screenPos = new int[2];
            final Rect displayFrame = new Rect();
            view.getLocationOnScreen(screenPos);
            view.getWindowVisibleDisplayFrame(displayFrame);
            final Context context = view.getContext();
            final int width = view.getWidth();
            final int height = view.getHeight();
            final int midy = screenPos[1] + height / 2;
            final int screenWidth = context.getResources().getDisplayMetrics().widthPixels;
            Toast cheatSheet = Toast.makeText(context, hint, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
            if (midy < displayFrame.height()) {
                cheatSheet.setGravity(Gravity.TOP | Gravity.RIGHT,
                        screenWidth - screenPos[0] - width / 2, height);
            } else {
                cheatSheet.setGravity(Gravity.BOTTOM | Gravity.CENTER_HORIZONTAL, 0, height);
            }
            cheatSheet.show();
            return true;
        }
    }