Constraint Layout Vertical Align Center

Question

How to vertically align and center objects in constraint layout? It is possible to align vertically or horizontally but I have not found a way to center at the same time bes

Answer 1

If you have a ConstraintLayout with some size, and a child View with some smaller size, you can achieve centering by constraining the child's two edges to the same two edges of the parent. That is, you can write:

app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"

or

app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"

Because the view is smaller, these constraints are impossible. But ConstraintLayout will do the best it can, and each constraint will "pull" at the child view equally, thereby centering it.

This concept works with any target view, not just the parent.

Update

Below is XML that achieves your desired UI with no nesting of views and no Guidelines (though guidelines are not inherently evil).

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="#eee">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/title1"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginBottom="12dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        android:text="10"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/divider1"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/label1"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        android:text="Streak"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/title1"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/divider1"/>

    <View
        android:id="@+id/divider1"
        android:layout_width="1dp"
        android:layout_height="55dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="12dp"
        android:background="#ccc"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/title1"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/title2"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/title2"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginBottom="12dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        android:text="243"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/divider1"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/divider2"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/label2"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        android:text="Calories Burned"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/title2"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/divider1"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/divider2"/>

    <View
        android:id="@+id/divider2"
        android:layout_width="1dp"
        android:layout_height="55dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="12dp"
        android:background="#ccc"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/title2"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/title3"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/title3"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginBottom="12dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        android:text="3200"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/divider2"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/label3"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        android:text="Steps"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/title3"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/divider2"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"/>

</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

Answer 2

It's possible to set the center aligned view as an anchor for other views. In the example below "@+id/stat_2" centered horizontally in parent and it serves as an anchor for other views in this layout.

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/stat_1"
        android:layout_width="80dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:text="10"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/divider_1" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/stat_detail_1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Streak"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/stat_1"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/stat_1"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="@+id/stat_1" />

    <View
        android:id="@+id/divider_1"
        android:layout_width="1dp"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:background="#ccc"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="@+id/stat_detail_2" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/stat_2"
        android:layout_width="80dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:text="243"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/stat_detail_2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:text="Calories Burned"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="@+id/stat_2" />

    <View
        android:id="@+id/divider_2"
        android:layout_width="1dp"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:background="#ccc"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="@+id/stat_detail_2"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toEndOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/stat_2" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/stat_3"
        android:layout_width="80dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:text="3200"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/stat_2"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toEndOf="@+id/divider_2" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/stat_detail_3"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:text="Steps"
        android:textColor="#777"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/stat_3"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/stat_3"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="@+id/stat_3" />

</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

Here's how it works on smallest smartphone (3.7 480x800 Nexus One) vs largest smartphone (5.5 1440x2560 Pixel XL)

Answer 3

I also had a requirement something similar to it. I wanted to have a container in the center of the screen and inside the container there are many views. Following is the xml layout code. Here i'm using nested constraint layout to create container in the center of the screen.

    <androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="@drawable/gradient_background"
tools:context=".activities.AppInfoActivity">

<ImageView
    android:id="@+id/ivClose"
    android:layout_width="30dp"
    android:layout_height="30dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="20dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
    android:src="@drawable/ic_round_close_24"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
    android:layout_width="300dp"
    android:layout_height="300dp"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.5">

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/ivAppIcon"
        android:layout_width="100dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/dead" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvAppName"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Birds Shooter Plane"
        android:textAlignment="center"
        android:textSize="30sp"
        android:textStyle="bold"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/ivAppIcon" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvAppVersion"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Version : 1.0"
        android:textAlignment="center"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvAppName" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvDevelopedBy"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="25dp"
        android:text="Developed by"
        android:textAlignment="center"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvAppVersion" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvDevelopedName"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:text="K Pradeep Kumar Reddy"
        android:textAlignment="center"
        android:textSize="14sp"
        android:textStyle="bold"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvDevelopedBy" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvContact"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:text="Contact : kpradeepkumarreddy@gmail.com"
        android:textAlignment="center"
        android:textSize="12sp"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvDevelopedName" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvCheckForUpdate"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="25dp"
        android:text="@string/check_for_update"
        android:textAlignment="center"
        android:textSize="14sp"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvContact" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

Here is the screenshot of the layout

Other solution is to remove the nested constraint layout and add constraint_vertical_bias = 0.5 attribute to the top element in the center of layout. I think this is called as chaining of views.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout 
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="@drawable/gradient_background"
tools:context=".activities.AppInfoActivity">

<ImageView
android:id="@+id/ivClose"
android:layout_width="30dp"
android:layout_height="30dp"
android:layout_marginStart="20dp"
android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
android:src="@drawable/ic_round_close_24"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

<ImageView
android:id="@+id/ivAppIcon"
android:layout_width="100dp"
android:layout_height="100dp"
app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.5"
app:srcCompat="@drawable/dead" />

<TextView
android:id="@+id/tvAppName"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="@string/app_display_name"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textSize="30sp"
android:textStyle="bold"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/ivAppIcon" />

<TextView
android:id="@+id/tvAppVersion"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="@string/version"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textSize="12sp"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvAppName" />

<TextView
android:id="@+id/tvDevelopedBy"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="25dp"
android:text="@string/developed_by"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textSize="12sp"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvAppVersion" />

<TextView
android:id="@+id/tvDevelopedName"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
android:text="@string/developer_name"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textSize="14sp"
android:textStyle="bold"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvDevelopedBy" />

<TextView
android:id="@+id/tvContact"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
android:text="@string/developer_email"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textSize="12sp"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvDevelopedName" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/tvCheckForUpdate"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="25dp"
android:text="@string/check_for_update"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textSize="14sp"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.5"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/tvContact" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

Here is the screenshot of the layout

Answer 4

You can easily center multiple things by creating a chain. It works both vertically and horizontally

Link to official documentation about chains

Edit to answer comment :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
>
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/first_score"
        android:layout_width="60dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="10"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/second_score"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/second_score"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/subtitle"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_chainStyle="spread"
        app:layout_constraintVertical_chainStyle="packed"
        android:gravity="center"
        />
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/subtitle"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Subtitle"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/first_score"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="@+id/second_score"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@id/first_score"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="@id/first_score"
        />
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/second_score"
        android:layout_width="60dp"
        android:layout_height="120sp"
        android:text="243"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/thrid_score"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toEndOf="@id/first_score"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        android:gravity="center"
        />
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/thrid_score"
        android:layout_width="60dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="3200"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toEndOf="@id/second_score"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@id/second_score"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="@id/second_score"
        android:gravity="center"
        />
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

You have the horizontal chain : first_score <=> second_score <=> third_score. second_score is centered vertically. The other scores are centered vertically according to it.

You can definitely create a vertical chain first_score <=> subtitle and center it according to second_score

Answer 5

 <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvName"
        style="@style/textViewBoldLarge"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
        android:text="Welcome"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

Answer 6

May be i did not fully understand the problem, but, centering all view inside a ConstraintLayout seems very simple. This is what I used:

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center">

Last two lines did the trick!