How to disable user interaction while ProgressBar is visible in android?

I am using a custom ProgressBar. Now while a task is going on, I am showing the progress bar, but user can still interact with the views and controls. How do I disable the user interaction on whole view just like a ProgressDialog does , when it is visible.

Do I need to use a transparent view on top of main view and show the progress bar on that view and hide that view once a task is completed.

Or just get the id of my parentView and set it disabled ? But then I won't be able to dim the background, just like what happens when a dialog appears on the view/Activity/Fragment. Right?

I just want to know the way to disallow the user from any interaction while the progressbar is visible.

Thanks


Your question: How to disable the user interaction while ProgressBar is visible in android?

To disable the user interaction you just need to add the following code

getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE,
                    WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE);

To get user interaction back you just need to add the following code

getWindow().clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE);

Here is an example: Note:I am giving you just an example to show how to disable or retain user interaction

Add a progress bar in your xml.Something like this

<ProgressBar
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:id="@+id/progressBar"
    android:visibility="gone"/>

In MainActivity when a button pressed you show the progressbar and disable the user interaction.

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    mImageView = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.imageView);
    mProgressBar = (ProgressBar) findViewById(R.id.progressBar);
    mImageView.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
            mProgressBar.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
            getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE,
                    WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE);
        }
    });
}

And when user backPressed you remove the progressbar again retain the user interaction.Something like this

  @Override
public void onBackPressed() {
    super.onBackPressed();
    mProgressBar.setVisibility(View.GONE);
    getWindow().clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE);
}

If you want to add a feature of disable and greyed out display, you need to add in your xml layout file a linear layout that fills the parent. Set its background to #B0000000 and its visibilty to GONE. Then programmatically set its visibility to VISIBLE.

Hope this help!


I have fixed this issue by adding root layout to the ProgressBar.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:clickable="true"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:visibility="gone"
    android:id="@+id/progress">
    <ProgressBar
        style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleLarge"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_centerInParent="true"
        android:indeterminate="true"
        android:indeterminateTintMode="src_atop"
        android:indeterminateTint="@color/primary"/>
</LinearLayout>

Made the root layout clickable

android:clickable="true"

NOTE: In my main view, I had RelativeLayout as root and have added above-mentioned code inside the root layout at the last position (last child).

Hope this helps!!


just set:

android:clickable="true" 

in your xml

<ProgressBar...

Only this makes magic!


Make a dialog with transparent background. The issue with getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE, WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE); is that when app will go in background and come back user will be able to interact with UI components, a lot more handling. So for blocking UI make a transparent dialog and if you want to set time for hide/show. Do this in a runnable thread. So the solution will be

public class TransparentDialogHelper {

    private Dialog overlayDialog;

    @Inject
    public TransparentDialogHelper() {

    }

    public void showDialog(Context context) {
        if (AcmaUtility.isContextFinishing(context)) {
            return;
        }
        if (overlayDialog == null) {
            overlayDialog = new Dialog(context, android.R.style.Theme_Panel);
            overlayDialog.getWindow().setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_UNCHANGED);
        }
        overlayDialog.show();
    }

    public void hideDialog() {
        if (overlayDialog == null || AcmaUtility.isContextFinishing(overlayDialog.getContext())) {
            return;
        }
        overlayDialog.cancel();
    }
}

-------- Timer

Handler handler = new Handler();
handler.postDelayed( () -> {
    view.hideProgress();
}, 2000);

To extend (pun intended) on the accepted Answer :

When you use kotlin you can use extension functions. That way you have a quick and nice looking method for blocking and unblocking UI.

fun AppCompatActivity.blockInput() {
    window.setFlags(
        WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE,
        WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE)
}

fun AppCompatActivity.unblockInput() {
    window.clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCHABLE)
}

fun AppCompatActivity.blockInputForTask(task: () -> Unit) {
    blockInput()
    task.invoke()
    unblockInput()
}

You can use the blocking and unblocking functions in your activity. Also, you can add more functionality like showing a Toast or something.

When using it in a custom view or any other view, you can simply cast the context to activity and use the functions.

Use blockInputForTask to surround simple linear tasks and blockInputand unblockInput when they are needed in different scopes.

You can use blockInputForTask like this:

blockInputForTask { 
    // Your lines of code
    // Can be multiple lines
}