Android: How to handle right to left swipe gestures

Question

I want my app to recognize when a user swipes from right to left on the phone screen.

How to do this?

Answer 1

OnSwipeTouchListener.java:

import android.content.Context;
import android.view.GestureDetector;
import android.view.GestureDetector.SimpleOnGestureListener;
import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnTouchListener;

public class OnSwipeTouchListener implements OnTouchListener {

    private final GestureDetector gestureDetector;

    public OnSwipeTouchListener (Context ctx){
        gestureDetector = new GestureDetector(ctx, new GestureListener());
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
        return gestureDetector.onTouchEvent(event);
    }

    private final class GestureListener extends SimpleOnGestureListener {

        private static final int SWIPE_THRESHOLD = 100;
        private static final int SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD = 100;

        @Override
        public boolean onDown(MotionEvent e) {
            return true;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean onFling(MotionEvent e1, MotionEvent e2, float velocityX, float velocityY) {
            boolean result = false;
            try {
                float diffY = e2.getY() - e1.getY();
                float diffX = e2.getX() - e1.getX();
                if (Math.abs(diffX) > Math.abs(diffY)) {
                    if (Math.abs(diffX) > SWIPE_THRESHOLD && Math.abs(velocityX) > SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD) {
                        if (diffX > 0) {
                            onSwipeRight();
                        } else {
                            onSwipeLeft();
                        }
                        result = true;
                    }
                }
                else if (Math.abs(diffY) > SWIPE_THRESHOLD && Math.abs(velocityY) > SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD) {
                    if (diffY > 0) {
                        onSwipeBottom();
                    } else {
                        onSwipeTop();
                    }
                    result = true;
                }
            } catch (Exception exception) {
                exception.printStackTrace();
            }
            return result;
        }
    }

    public void onSwipeRight() {
    }

    public void onSwipeLeft() {
    }

    public void onSwipeTop() {
    }

    public void onSwipeBottom() {
    }
}

Usage:

imageView.setOnTouchListener(new OnSwipeTouchListener(MyActivity.this) {
    public void onSwipeTop() {
        Toast.makeText(MyActivity.this, "top", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
    public void onSwipeRight() {
        Toast.makeText(MyActivity.this, "right", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
    public void onSwipeLeft() {
        Toast.makeText(MyActivity.this, "left", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
    public void onSwipeBottom() {
        Toast.makeText(MyActivity.this, "bottom", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

});

Answer 2

This code detects left and right swipes, avoids deprecated API calls, and has other miscellaneous improvements over earlier answers.

/**
 * Detects left and right swipes across a view.
 */
public class OnSwipeTouchListener implements OnTouchListener {

    private final GestureDetector gestureDetector;

    public OnSwipeTouchListener(Context context) {
        gestureDetector = new GestureDetector(context, new GestureListener());
    }

    public void onSwipeLeft() {
    }

    public void onSwipeRight() {
    }

    public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
        return gestureDetector.onTouchEvent(event);
    }

    private final class GestureListener extends SimpleOnGestureListener {

        private static final int SWIPE_DISTANCE_THRESHOLD = 100;
        private static final int SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD = 100;

        @Override
        public boolean onDown(MotionEvent e) {
            return true;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean onFling(MotionEvent e1, MotionEvent e2, float velocityX, float velocityY) {
            float distanceX = e2.getX() - e1.getX();
            float distanceY = e2.getY() - e1.getY();
            if (Math.abs(distanceX) > Math.abs(distanceY) && Math.abs(distanceX) > SWIPE_DISTANCE_THRESHOLD && Math.abs(velocityX) > SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD) {
                if (distanceX > 0)
                    onSwipeRight();
                else
                    onSwipeLeft();
                return true;
            }
            return false;
        }
    }
}

Use it like this:

view.setOnTouchListener(new OnSwipeTouchListener(context) {
    @Override
    public void onSwipeLeft() {
        // Whatever
    }
});

Answer 3

Here is simple Android Code for detecting gesture direction

In MainActivity.java and activity_main.xml, write the following code:

MainActivity.java

import java.util.ArrayList;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.gesture.Gesture;
import android.gesture.GestureLibraries;
import android.gesture.GestureLibrary;
import android.gesture.GestureOverlayView;
import android.gesture.GestureOverlayView.OnGesturePerformedListener;
import android.gesture.GestureStroke;
import android.gesture.Prediction;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class MainActivity extends Activity implements
        OnGesturePerformedListener {

    GestureOverlayView gesture;
    GestureLibrary lib;
    ArrayList<Prediction> prediction;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        lib = GestureLibraries.fromRawResource(MainActivity.this,
                R.id.gestureOverlayView1);
        gesture = (GestureOverlayView) findViewById(R.id.gestureOverlayView1);
        gesture.addOnGesturePerformedListener(this);
    }

    @Override
    public void onGesturePerformed(GestureOverlayView overlay, Gesture gesture) {
        ArrayList<GestureStroke> strokeList = gesture.getStrokes();
        // prediction = lib.recognize(gesture);
        float f[] = strokeList.get(0).points;
        String str = "";

        if (f[0] < f[f.length - 2]) {
            str = "Right gesture";
        } else if (f[0] > f[f.length - 2]) {
            str = "Left gesture";
        } else {
            str = "no direction";
        }
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), str, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

    }

}

activity_main.xml

<android.gesture.GestureOverlayView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    xmlns:android1="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:android2="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/gestureOverlayView1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android1:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Draw gesture"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium" />

</android.gesture.GestureOverlayView>

Answer 4

In order to have Click Listener, DoubleClick Listener, OnLongPress Listener, Swipe Left, Swipe Right, Swipe Up, Swipe Down on Single View you need to setOnTouchListener. i.e,

view.setOnTouchListener(new OnSwipeTouchListener(MainActivity.this) {

            @Override
            public void onClick() {
                super.onClick();
                // your on click here
            }

            @Override
            public void onDoubleClick() {
                super.onDoubleClick();
                // your on onDoubleClick here
            }

            @Override
            public void onLongClick() {
                super.onLongClick();
                // your on onLongClick here
            }

            @Override
            public void onSwipeUp() {
                super.onSwipeUp();
                // your swipe up here
            }

            @Override
            public void onSwipeDown() {
                super.onSwipeDown();
                // your swipe down here.
            }

            @Override
            public void onSwipeLeft() {
                super.onSwipeLeft();
                // your swipe left here.
            }

            @Override
            public void onSwipeRight() {
                super.onSwipeRight();
                // your swipe right here.
            }
        });

}

For this you need OnSwipeTouchListener class that implements OnTouchListener.

public class OnSwipeTouchListener implements View.OnTouchListener {

private GestureDetector gestureDetector;

public OnSwipeTouchListener(Context c) {
    gestureDetector = new GestureDetector(c, new GestureListener());
}

public boolean onTouch(final View view, final MotionEvent motionEvent) {
    return gestureDetector.onTouchEvent(motionEvent);
}

private final class GestureListener extends GestureDetector.SimpleOnGestureListener {

    private static final int SWIPE_THRESHOLD = 100;
    private static final int SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD = 100;

    @Override
    public boolean onDown(MotionEvent e) {
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onSingleTapUp(MotionEvent e) {
        onClick();
        return super.onSingleTapUp(e);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onDoubleTap(MotionEvent e) {
        onDoubleClick();
        return super.onDoubleTap(e);
    }

    @Override
    public void onLongPress(MotionEvent e) {
        onLongClick();
        super.onLongPress(e);
    }

    // Determines the fling velocity and then fires the appropriate swipe event accordingly
    @Override
    public boolean onFling(MotionEvent e1, MotionEvent e2, float velocityX, float velocityY) {
        boolean result = false;
        try {
            float diffY = e2.getY() - e1.getY();
            float diffX = e2.getX() - e1.getX();
            if (Math.abs(diffX) > Math.abs(diffY)) {
                if (Math.abs(diffX) > SWIPE_THRESHOLD && Math.abs(velocityX) > SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD) {
                    if (diffX > 0) {
                        onSwipeRight();
                    } else {
                        onSwipeLeft();
                    }
                }
            } else {
                if (Math.abs(diffY) > SWIPE_THRESHOLD && Math.abs(velocityY) > SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD) {
                    if (diffY > 0) {
                        onSwipeDown();
                    } else {
                        onSwipeUp();
                    }
                }
            }
        } catch (Exception exception) {
            exception.printStackTrace();
        }
        return result;
    }
}

public void onSwipeRight() {
}

public void onSwipeLeft() {
}

public void onSwipeUp() {
}

public void onSwipeDown() {
}

public void onClick() {

}

public void onDoubleClick() {

}

public void onLongClick() {

}
}

Answer 5

import android.content.Context
import android.view.GestureDetector
import android.view.GestureDetector.SimpleOnGestureListener
import android.view.MotionEvent
import android.view.View
import android.view.View.OnTouchListener

/**
 * Detects left and right swipes across a view.
 */
class OnSwipeTouchListener(context: Context, onSwipeCallBack: OnSwipeCallBack?) : OnTouchListener {

    private var gestureDetector : GestureDetector
    private var onSwipeCallBack: OnSwipeCallBack?=null

    init {

        gestureDetector = GestureDetector(context, GestureListener())
        this.onSwipeCallBack = onSwipeCallBack!!
    }
    companion object {

        private val SWIPE_DISTANCE_THRESHOLD = 100
        private val SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD = 100
    }

   /* fun onSwipeLeft() {}

    fun onSwipeRight() {}*/

    override fun onTouch(v: View, event: MotionEvent): Boolean {


        return gestureDetector.onTouchEvent(event)
    }

    private inner class GestureListener : SimpleOnGestureListener() {

        override fun onDown(e: MotionEvent): Boolean {
            return true
        }

        override fun onFling(eve1: MotionEvent?, eve2: MotionEvent?, velocityX: Float, velocityY: Float): Boolean {
            try {
                if(eve1 != null&& eve2!= null) {
                    val distanceX = eve2?.x - eve1?.x
                    val distanceY = eve2?.y - eve1?.y
                    if (Math.abs(distanceX) > Math.abs(distanceY) && Math.abs(distanceX) > SWIPE_DISTANCE_THRESHOLD && Math.abs(velocityX) > SWIPE_VELOCITY_THRESHOLD) {
                        if (distanceX > 0)
                            onSwipeCallBack!!.onSwipeLeftCallback()
                        else
                            onSwipeCallBack!!.onSwipeRightCallback()
                        return true
                    }
                }
            }catch (exception:Exception){
                exception.printStackTrace()
            }

            return false
        }


    }
}

Answer 6

I've been doing similar things, but for horizontal swipes only

import android.content.Context
import android.view.GestureDetector
import android.view.MotionEvent
import android.view.View

abstract class OnHorizontalSwipeListener(val context: Context) : View.OnTouchListener {    

    companion object {
         const val SWIPE_MIN = 50
         const val SWIPE_VELOCITY_MIN = 100
    }

    private val detector = GestureDetector(context, GestureListener())

    override fun onTouch(view: View, event: MotionEvent) = detector.onTouchEvent(event)    

    abstract fun onRightSwipe()

    abstract fun onLeftSwipe()

    private inner class GestureListener : GestureDetector.SimpleOnGestureListener() {    

        override fun onDown(e: MotionEvent) = true

        override fun onFling(e1: MotionEvent, e2: MotionEvent, velocityX: Float, velocityY: Float)
            : Boolean {

            val deltaY = e2.y - e1.y
            val deltaX = e2.x - e1.x

            if (Math.abs(deltaX) < Math.abs(deltaY)) return false

            if (Math.abs(deltaX) < SWIPE_MIN
                    && Math.abs(velocityX) < SWIPE_VELOCITY_MIN) return false

            if (deltaX > 0) onRightSwipe() else onLeftSwipe()

            return true
        }
    }
}

And then it can be used for view components

private fun listenHorizontalSwipe(view: View) {
    view.setOnTouchListener(object : OnHorizontalSwipeListener(context!!) {
            override fun onRightSwipe() {
                Log.d(TAG, "Swipe right")
            }

            override fun onLeftSwipe() {
                Log.d(TAG, "Swipe left")
            }

        }
    )
}