UITextField, automatically move to next after 1 character

Question

Scenario: I have 4 UITextFields that only accept 1 character. Easy.

Problem: After I enter the 1 character, I want the next TextField to become active automatically with

Answer 1

I arrived at a solution by modifying some code I found here: http://www.thepensiveprogrammer.com/2010/03/customizing-uitextfield-formatting-for.html

First set the your view controller to be the delegate of the textfields.

Then do something like this:

- (BOOL)textField:(UITextField *)textField shouldChangeCharactersInRange:(NSRange)range replacementString:(NSString *)string
{   
    BOOL shouldProcess = NO; //default to reject
    BOOL shouldMoveToNextField = NO; //default to remaining on the current field

    int insertStringLength = [string length];
    if(insertStringLength == 0){ //backspace
        shouldProcess = YES; //Process if the backspace character was pressed
    }
    else {
        if([[textField text] length] == 0) {
            shouldProcess = YES; //Process if there is only 1 character right now
        }
    }

    //here we deal with the UITextField on our own
    if(shouldProcess){
        //grab a mutable copy of what's currently in the UITextField
        NSMutableString* mstring = [[textField text] mutableCopy];
        if([mstring length] == 0){
            //nothing in the field yet so append the replacement string
            [mstring appendString:string];

            shouldMoveToNextField = YES;
        }
        else{
            //adding a char or deleting?
            if(insertStringLength > 0){
                [mstring insertString:string atIndex:range.location];
            }
            else {
                //delete case - the length of replacement string is zero for a delete
                [mstring deleteCharactersInRange:range];
            }
        }

        //set the text now
        [textField setText:mstring];

        [mstring release];

        if (shouldMoveToNextField) {
            //
            //MOVE TO NEXT INPUT FIELD HERE
            //
        }
    }

    //always return no since we are manually changing the text field
    return NO;
}

Answer 2

The following is for Swift 5 and handles textfields as an array instead of individual fields.

import UIKit

class MyViewController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate {

@IBOutlet var digitFields: [UITextField]!

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()

    digitFields.forEach {
        configureDigitField($0)
    }
}

override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(animated)
    digitFields[0].becomeFirstResponder()
}

fileprivate func configureDigitField(_ digitField: UITextField) {
    digitField.delegate = (self as UITextFieldDelegate)
    digitField.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: UIControl.Event.editingChanged)
}

// Move to next field in digit fields if the value is populated
@objc fileprivate func textFieldDidChange(textField: UITextField) {
    if textField.text?.count == 1 {
        let remaining = digitFields.filter { $0.text?.count == 0 }
        if remaining.count > 0 {
            remaining[0].becomeFirstResponder()
        } else {
            digitFields.forEach { $0.resignFirstResponder() }
        }
    }
}

Results in:

This is dependent on the textfields being grouped in an array. This can be achieved in interface builder by configuring the collection of fields in the Outlet configuration screen:

which can be reached from the view controller properties on the last tab item

Note that you need to manually add the

@IBOutlet var digitFields: [UITextField]!

to your view controller before you can add the text fields to it.

Summary of Code Behaviour

• The view controller needs to be a UITextFieldDelegate to allow it to receive textfield events.
• In the viewDidLoad function, each of the text fields in the array are initialised in the configureDigitField method
• In the viewWillAppear method the first field in the array is readied to handle input (i.e. the first entry will take place in it)
• The configureDigitalField function sets this view controller to receive events from the textfield (each of them as it is called for each textfield)
• It also sets up a selector to call the textFieldDidChange function on result of a textfield edit changed event
• textFieldDidChange method checks if the length of the text in the field is 1, and if so
• checks for the remaining text fields where there is no value entered
• takes the first remaining text field and sets it up to receive the next input
• if no remaining fields are empty, resigns its position as first responder, so any more keypresses will not occur in any of the digit fields

Answer 3

Although it is an old question, I just came cross it and I came with simpler solution. assuming we doing this for pass code so each box (UITextField) max length is one char.

- (BOOL) textField:(UITextField *)textField shouldChangeCharactersInRange:(NSRange)range replacementString:(NSString *)string{
    if (![string isEqualToString:@""]) {
        textField.text = string;
        if ([textField isEqual:self.txtField1]) {
            [self.txtField2 becomeFirstResponder];
        }else if ([textField isEqual:self.txtField2]){
            [self.txtField3 becomeFirstResponder];
        }else if ([textField isEqual:self.txtField3]){
            [self.txtField4 becomeFirstResponder];
        }else{
            [textField resignFirstResponder];
        }
        return NO;
    }
    return YES;
}

-(BOOL)textFieldShouldBeginEditing:(UITextField *)textField{
    if (textField.text.length > 0) {
        textField.text = @"";
    }
    return YES;
}

Answer 4

UPDATED CODE FOR SWIFT 3

@IBOutlet weak var tf1: UITextField!
@IBOutlet weak var tf2: UITextField!
@IBOutlet weak var tf3: UITextField!
@IBOutlet weak var tf4: UITextField!
override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    tf1.delegate = self
    tf2.delegate = self
    tf3.delegate = self
    tf4.delegate = self


    tf1.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: UIControlEvents.editingChanged)
    tf2.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: UIControlEvents.editingChanged)
    tf3.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: UIControlEvents.editingChanged)
    tf4.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: UIControlEvents.editingChanged)

}
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(true)
    tf1.becomeFirstResponder()

}
func textFieldDidChange(textField: UITextField){

    let text = textField.text

    if text?.utf16.count==1{
        switch textField{
        case tf1:
            tf2.becomeFirstResponder()
        case tf2:
            tf3.becomeFirstResponder()
        case tf3:
            tf4.becomeFirstResponder()
        case tf4:
            tf4.resignFirstResponder()
        default:
            break
        }
    }else{

    }
}

Answer 5

I know this is a very old question, but here's my approach for allowing a single numeric value only across four UITextFields, and automatically 'tabbing' to the next one (pin1-pin4 each represents a PIN number digit lol, and are retained as properties):

-(BOOL)textFieldShouldReturn:(UITextField*)textField;
{
    if (textField == pin1)
    {
        [pin2 becomeFirstResponder];
    }
    else if (textField == pin2)
    {
        [pin3 becomeFirstResponder];
    }
    else if (textField == pin3)
    {
        [pin4 becomeFirstResponder];
    }

    return NO;
}

- (BOOL)textField:(UITextField *)textField shouldChangeCharactersInRange:(NSRange)range replacementString:(NSString *)string
{
    // This allows numeric text only, but also backspace for deletes
    if (string.length > 0 && ![[NSScanner scannerWithString:string] scanInt:NULL])
        return NO;

    NSUInteger oldLength = [textField.text length];
    NSUInteger replacementLength = [string length];
    NSUInteger rangeLength = range.length;

    NSUInteger newLength = oldLength - rangeLength + replacementLength;

    // This 'tabs' to next field when entering digits
    if (newLength == 1) {
        if (textField == pin1)
        {
            [self performSelector:@selector(setNextResponder:) withObject:pin2 afterDelay:0.2];
        }
        else if (textField == pin2)
        {
            [self performSelector:@selector(setNextResponder:) withObject:pin3 afterDelay:0.2];
        }
        else if (textField == pin3)
        {
            [self performSelector:@selector(setNextResponder:) withObject:pin4 afterDelay:0.2];
        }
    }
    //this goes to previous field as you backspace through them, so you don't have to tap into them individually
    else if (oldLength > 0 && newLength == 0) {
        if (textField == pin4)
        {
            [self performSelector:@selector(setNextResponder:) withObject:pin3 afterDelay:0.1];
        }
        else if (textField == pin3)
        {
            [self performSelector:@selector(setNextResponder:) withObject:pin2 afterDelay:0.1];
        }
        else if (textField == pin2)
        {
            [self performSelector:@selector(setNextResponder:) withObject:pin1 afterDelay:0.1];
        }
    }

    return newLength <= 1;
}

- (void)setNextResponder:(UITextField *)nextResponder
{
    [nextResponder becomeFirstResponder];
}

Answer 6

Swift 4.x

textField.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: .editingChanged)

---

@objc func textFieldDidChange(textField: UITextField)
{
    let text = textField.text
    if text?.utf16.count == 1 {
        switch textField {
        case txtOtpNumber1:
            txtOtpNumber2.becomeFirstResponder()
        case txtOtpNumber2:
            txtOtpNumber3.becomeFirstResponder()
        case txtOtpNumber3:
            txtOtpNumber4.becomeFirstResponder()
        case txtOtpNumber4:
            txtOtpNumber4.resignFirstResponder()
        default:
            break
        }
    } else {
        switch textField {
        case txtOtpNumber4:
            txtOtpNumber3.becomeFirstResponder()
        case txtOtpNumber3:
            txtOtpNumber2.becomeFirstResponder()
        case txtOtpNumber2:
            txtOtpNumber1.becomeFirstResponder()
        case txtOtpNumber1:
            txtOtpNumber1.resignFirstResponder()
        default:
            break
        }
    }
}

_{PS. Chetan's answer updated for the current Swift.}