Android action bar not showing overflow

I have an action bar in my app with 3 items.

Only 2 can be displayed due to space issues, so I'd expect the first to be displayed and the rest to be displayed in the overflow. However in practice only the first 2 items are shown and there is no overflow detectable.

Here is the relevant code: list_menu.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
<item android:id="@+id/menu_insert"
    android:icon="@android:drawable/ic_menu_add"
    android:title="@string/menu_insert" 
    android:showAsAction="ifRoom|withText"/>
<item android:id="@+id/menu_call"
    android:icon="@android:drawable/ic_menu_call"
    android:title="@string/menu_call" 
    android:showAsAction="ifRoom|withText"/>
<item android:id="@+id/menu_agenda"
    android:icon="@android:drawable/ic_menu_agenda"
    android:title="@string/menu_agenda" 
    android:showAsAction="ifRoom|withText"/>
</menu>

Activity.java

public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    MenuInflater mi = getMenuInflater();
    mi.inflate(R.menu.list_menu, menu);
    return true;
}

Solution 1:

If you want to show the three dots, irrespective of device menu button! then you can call this method in your application class' onCreate method-

private void makeActionOverflowMenuShown() {
    //devices with hardware menu button (e.g. Samsung Note) don't show action overflow menu
    try {
        ViewConfiguration config = ViewConfiguration.get(this);
        Field menuKeyField = ViewConfiguration.class.getDeclaredField("sHasPermanentMenuKey");
        if (menuKeyField != null) {
            menuKeyField.setAccessible(true);
            menuKeyField.setBoolean(config, false);
        }
    } catch (Exception e) {
        Log.d(TAG, e.getLocalizedMessage());
    }
}

Solution 2:

Output

res/menu/menu.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >

    <!-- Search / will display always -->
    <item
        android:id="@+id/action_search"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_search"
        android:showAsAction="always"
        android:title="@string/action_search"/>

    <!-- Location Found -->
    <item
        android:id="@+id/action_location_found"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_location_found"
        android:showAsAction="always"
        android:title="@string/action_location_found"/>

    <!-- More -->
    <item
        android:id="@+id/a_More"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_overflow"
        android:showAsAction="always"
        android:title="More">
        <menu>

            <!-- Refresh -->
            <item
                android:id="@+id/action_refresh"
                android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_refresh"
                android:showAsAction="never"
                android:title="@string/action_refresh"/>

            <!-- Help -->
            <item
                android:id="@+id/action_help"
                android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_help"
                android:showAsAction="never"
                android:title="@string/action_help"/>

            <!-- Check updates -->
            <item
                android:id="@+id/action_check_updates"
                android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_refresh"
                android:showAsAction="never"
                android:title="@string/action_check_updates"/>
        </menu>
    </item>

</menu>

MainActivity.java

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    }
  
    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        MenuInflater inflater = getMenuInflater();
        inflater.inflate(R.menu.menu, menu);
 
        return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
    }

}

Download the Action Bar Icon Set

Solution 3:

I realize this is not an overflow menu, but it is similar. Okay, this is simple but was hard to figure out.

You first need a menu item you want to use as the overflow inflater. Example

<item
        android:id="@+id/a_More"
        android:icon="@drawable/more"
        android:showAsAction="always"
        android:title="More">
        </item>

Once you have your item, add a sub-menu containing your items you want in the overflow menu. Example:

<item
    android:id="@+id/a_More"
    android:icon="@drawable/more"
    android:showAsAction="always"
    android:title="More">
    <menu>
        <item
            android:id="@+id/aM_Home"
            android:icon="@drawable/home"
            android:title="Home"/>
    </menu>
</item>

On click this will inflate other items within. My application is using ActionBarSherlock 4.0 so before this will work for you, you will need to access the "SplitActionBar". (Will still work on default android Actionbar)

Here's how: In your AndroidManifest.xml file, you need to add this code under the activity you need the overflow menu in.

android:uiOptions="splitActionBarWhenNarrow"

NOTE: Your item that inflates your overflow menu MUST showAsAction="always"

Vwola! you have an overflow menu! Hope I helped you out. :)