How do I change the color of icon of the selected tab of TabLayout?

I'm using a TabLayout with a ViewPager and I'm wondering how I can most efficiently change the color of the icon of the selected tab in the TabLayout.

A perfect reference for how this is implemented is Google's Youtube app. On the main page, there are four icons that are colored dark gray. When a specific tab is selected, the tab's icon becomes white.

Without any third party libraries, how can I achieve the same effect?

One possible solution is apparently with selectors. But in that case, I would have to find both a white and a gray version of the icon and then switch the icon when the tab becomes selected or deselected. I'm wondering if there's a more effective method where I can just highlight the icon color or something. I haven't been able to find this in any tutorial.

EDIT

The solution that I mention directly above requires the use of two drawables for each tab's icon. I'm wondering if there's a way I can do it programmatically with ONE drawable for each tab's icon.


I found a way that can be easy.

    viewPager = (ViewPager) findViewById(R.id.viewpager);
    setupViewPager(viewPager);

    tabLayout = (TabLayout) findViewById(R.id.tabs);
    tabLayout.setupWithViewPager(viewPager);
    tabLayout.setOnTabSelectedListener(
            new TabLayout.ViewPagerOnTabSelectedListener(viewPager) {

                @Override
                public void onTabSelected(TabLayout.Tab tab) {
                    super.onTabSelected(tab);
                    int tabIconColor = ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.tabSelectedIconColor);
                    tab.getIcon().setColorFilter(tabIconColor, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
                }

                @Override
                public void onTabUnselected(TabLayout.Tab tab) {
                    super.onTabUnselected(tab);
                    int tabIconColor = ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.tabUnselectedIconColor);
                    tab.getIcon().setColorFilter(tabIconColor, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
                }

                @Override
                public void onTabReselected(TabLayout.Tab tab) {
                    super.onTabReselected(tab);
                }
            }
    );

This can be done very simply, entirely in xml.

Add one line to your TabLayout in your xml, app:tabIconTint="@color/your_color_selector", as below:

 <android.support.design.widget.TabLayout
     android:id="@+id/tab_layout"
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
     app:tabIconTint="@color/your_color_selector"
     app:tabIndicatorColor="@color/selected_color"/>

Then, create a color selector file (named "your_color_selector.xml" above) in res/color directory:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:color="@color/selected_color" android:state_selected="true"/>
    <item android:color="@color/unselected_color"/>
</selector>

This assumes you have 2 colors, "selected_color" and "unselected_color" in your colors.xml file.


private void setupTabIcons() {
    tabLayout.getTabAt(0).setIcon(tabIcons[0]);
    tabLayout.getTabAt(1).setIcon(tabIcons[1]);
    tabLayout.getTabAt(2).setIcon(tabIcons[2]);
    tabLayout.getTabAt(3).setIcon(tabIcons[3]);

    tabLayout.getTabAt(0).getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.GREEN, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
    tabLayout.getTabAt(1).getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.parseColor("#a8a8a8"), PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
    tabLayout.getTabAt(2).getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.parseColor("#a8a8a8"), PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
    tabLayout.getTabAt(3).getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.parseColor("#a8a8a8"), PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);


    tabLayout.setOnTabSelectedListener(new TabLayout.OnTabSelectedListener() {
        @Override
        public void onTabSelected(TabLayout.Tab tab) {
            tab.getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.GREEN, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);

        }

        @Override
        public void onTabUnselected(TabLayout.Tab tab) {
            tab.getIcon().setColorFilter(Color.parseColor("#a8a8a8"), PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
        }

        @Override
        public void onTabReselected(TabLayout.Tab tab) {

        }
    });
}

You can use a ColorStateList.

First, create an xml file (e.g. /color/tab_icon.xml) that looks like this and defines the different tints for different states:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:color="@color/icon_light"
        android:state_selected="true" />

    <item android:color="@color/icon_light_inactive" />
</selector>

Then add this to your code:

ColorStateList colors;
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 23) {
    colors = getResources().getColorStateList(R.color.tab_icon, getTheme());
}
else {
    colors = getResources().getColorStateList(R.color.tab_icon);
}

for (int i = 0; i < tabLayout.getTabCount(); i++) {
    TabLayout.Tab tab = tabLayout.getTabAt(i);
    Drawable icon = tab.getIcon();

     if (icon != null) {
        icon = DrawableCompat.wrap(icon);
        DrawableCompat.setTintList(icon, colors);
    }
}

First, you grab the ColorStateList from your XML (the method without theme is deprecated, but necessary for pre-Marshmallow devices). Then you set for each tab's icon it's TintList to the ColorStateList; use DrawableCompat (support library) to support older versions as well.

That's it!


For it You'll have to customize tab icons using selector class for each Tab like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:drawable="@drawable/advisory_selected" android:state_selected="true" />
<item android:drawable="@drawable/advisory_normal" android:state_selected="false" />