Remove all constraints affecting a UIView

This approach worked for me:

@interface UIView (RemoveConstraints)

- (void)removeAllConstraints;

@end


@implementation UIView (RemoveConstraints)

- (void)removeAllConstraints
{
    UIView *superview = self.superview;
    while (superview != nil) {
        for (NSLayoutConstraint *c in superview.constraints) {
            if (c.firstItem == self || c.secondItem == self) {
                [superview removeConstraint:c];
            }
        }
        superview = superview.superview;
    }

    [self removeConstraints:self.constraints];
    self.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = YES;
}

@end

After it's done executing your view remains where it was because it creates autoresizing constraints. When I don't do this the view usually disappears. Additionally, it doesn't just remove constraints from superview but traversing all the way up as there may be constraints affecting it in ancestor views.

Swift 4 Version

extension UIView {
    
    public func removeAllConstraints() {
        var _superview = self.superview
        
        while let superview = _superview {
            for constraint in superview.constraints {
                
                if let first = constraint.firstItem as? UIView, first == self {
                    superview.removeConstraint(constraint)
                }
                
                if let second = constraint.secondItem as? UIView, second == self {
                    superview.removeConstraint(constraint)
                }
            }
            
            _superview = superview.superview
        }
        
        self.removeConstraints(self.constraints)
        self.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = true
    }
}

The only solution I have found so far is to remove the view from its superview:

[view removeFromSuperview]

This looks like it removes all constraints affecting its layout and is ready to be added to a superview and have new constraints attached. However, it will incorrectly remove any subviews from the hierarchy as well, and get rid of [C7] incorrectly.

You can remove all constraints in a view by doing this:

self.removeConstraints(self.constraints)

EDIT: To remove the constraints of all subviews, use the following extension in Swift:

extension UIView {
    func clearConstraints() {
        for subview in self.subviews {
            subview.clearConstraints()
        }
        self.removeConstraints(self.constraints)
    }
}