iPhone UITextField - Change placeholder text color

Question

I'd like to change the color of the placeholder text I set in my UITextField controls, to make it black.

I'd prefer to do this without using normal text as the placeholder and having to override all the methods to imitate the behaviour of a placeholder.

I believe if I override this method:

- (void)drawPlaceholderInRect:(CGRect)rect

then I should be able to do this. But I'm unsure how to access the actual placeholder object from within this method.

Answer 1

Since the introduction of attributed strings in UIViews in iOS 6, it's possible to assign a color to the placeholder text like this:

if ([textField respondsToSelector:@selector(setAttributedPlaceholder:)]) {
  UIColor *color = [UIColor blackColor];
  textField.attributedPlaceholder = [[NSAttributedString alloc] initWithString:placeholderText attributes:@{NSForegroundColorAttributeName: color}];
} else {
  NSLog(@"Cannot set placeholder text's color, because deployment target is earlier than iOS 6.0");
  // TODO: Add fall-back code to set placeholder color.
}

Answer 2

Easy and pain-free, could be an easy alternative for some.

_placeholderLabel.textColor

Not suggested for production, Apple may reject your submission.

Answer 3

You can override drawPlaceholderInRect:(CGRect)rect as such to manually render the placeholder text:

- (void) drawPlaceholderInRect:(CGRect)rect {
    [[UIColor blueColor] setFill];
    [[self placeholder] drawInRect:rect withFont:[UIFont systemFontOfSize:16]];
}

Answer 4

This works in Swift <3.0:

myTextField.attributedPlaceholder = 
NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder text", attributes: [NSForegroundColorAttributeName : UIColor.redColor()])

Tested in iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 beta 4.

Swift 3:

myTextfield.attributedPlaceholder =
NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder text", attributes: [NSForegroundColorAttributeName : UIColor.red])

Swift 4:

myTextfield.attributedPlaceholder =
NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder text", attributes: [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor: UIColor.red])

Swift 4.2:

myTextfield.attributedPlaceholder =
NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder text", attributes: [NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.red])

Answer 5

You can Change the Placeholder textcolor to any color which you want by using the below code.

UIColor *color = [UIColor lightTextColor];
YOURTEXTFIELD.attributedPlaceholder = [[NSAttributedString alloc] initWithString:@"PlaceHolder Text" attributes:@{NSForegroundColorAttributeName: color}];

Answer 6

Maybe you want to try this way, but Apple might warn you about accessing private ivar:

[self.myTextField setValue:[UIColor darkGrayColor] 
                forKeyPath:@"_placeholderLabel.textColor"];

NOTE
This is not working on iOS 7 anymore, according to Martin Alléus.

Answer 7

Swift 3.0 + Storyboard

In order to change placeholder color in storyboard, create an extension with next code. (feel free to update this code, if you think, it can be clearer and safer).

extension UITextField {
    @IBInspectable var placeholderColor: UIColor {
        get {
            guard let currentAttributedPlaceholderColor = attributedPlaceholder?.attribute(NSForegroundColorAttributeName, at: 0, effectiveRange: nil) as? UIColor else { return UIColor.clear }
            return currentAttributedPlaceholderColor
        }
        set {
            guard let currentAttributedString = attributedPlaceholder else { return }
            let attributes = [NSForegroundColorAttributeName : newValue]

            attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: currentAttributedString.string, attributes: attributes)
        }
    }
}

Swift 4 version

extension UITextField {
    @IBInspectable var placeholderColor: UIColor {
        get {
            return attributedPlaceholder?.attribute(.foregroundColor, at: 0, effectiveRange: nil) as? UIColor ?? .clear
        }
        set {
            guard let attributedPlaceholder = attributedPlaceholder else { return }
            let attributes: [NSAttributedStringKey: UIColor] = [.foregroundColor: newValue]
            self.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: attributedPlaceholder.string, attributes: attributes)
        }
    }
}

Swift 5 version

extension UITextField {
    @IBInspectable var placeholderColor: UIColor {
        get {
            return attributedPlaceholder?.attribute(.foregroundColor, at: 0, effectiveRange: nil) as? UIColor ?? .clear
        }
        set {
            guard let attributedPlaceholder = attributedPlaceholder else { return }
            let attributes: [NSAttributedString.Key: UIColor] = [.foregroundColor: newValue]
            self.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: attributedPlaceholder.string, attributes: attributes)
        }
    }
}

Answer 8

In Swift:

if let placeholder = yourTextField.placeholder {
    yourTextField.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string:placeholder, 
        attributes: [NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.blackColor()])
}

In Swift 4.0:

if let placeholder = yourTextField.placeholder {
    yourTextField.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string:placeholder, 
        attributes: [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor: UIColor.black])
}

Answer 9

The following only with iOS6+ (as indicated in Alexander W's comment):

UIColor *color = [UIColor grayColor];
nameText.attributedPlaceholder =
   [[NSAttributedString alloc]
       initWithString:@"Full Name"
       attributes:@{NSForegroundColorAttributeName:color}];

Answer 10

I had already faced this issue. In my case below code is correct.

Objective C

[textField setValue:[UIColor whiteColor] forKeyPath:@"_placeholderLabel.textColor"];

For Swift 4.X

tf_mobile.setValue(UIColor.white, forKeyPath: "_placeholderLabel.textColor")

For iOS 13 Swift Code

tf_mobile.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string:"PlaceHolder Text", attributes: [NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.red])

You can also use below code for iOS 13

let iVar = class_getInstanceVariable(UITextField.self, "_placeholderLabel")!
let placeholderLabel = object_getIvar(tf_mobile, iVar) as! UILabel
placeholderLabel.textColor = .red

Hope, this may help you.

Answer 11

With this we can change the color of textfield's placeholder text in iOS

[self.userNameTxt setValue:[UIColor colorWithRed:41.0/255.0 green:91.0/255.0 blue:106.0/255.0 alpha:1.0] forKeyPath:@"_placeholderLabel.textColor"];

Answer 12

in swift 3.X

textField.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder text", attributes:[NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.black])

in swift 5

textField.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder text", attributes: [NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor : UIColor.black])

Answer 13

Why don't you just use UIAppearance method:

[[UILabel appearanceWhenContainedIn:[UITextField class], nil] setTextColor:[UIColor whateverColorYouNeed]];

Answer 14

Also in your storyboard, without single line of code

Answer 15

For iOS 6.0 +

[textfield setValue:your_color forKeyPath:@"_placeholderLabel.textColor"];

Hope it helps.

Note: Apple may reject (0.01% chances) your app as we are accessing private API. I am using this in all my projects since two years, but Apple didn't ask for this.

Answer 16

For Xamarin.iOS developers, I found it from this document https://developer.xamarin.com/api/type/Foundation.NSAttributedString/

textField.AttributedPlaceholder = new NSAttributedString ("Hello, world",new UIStringAttributes () { ForegroundColor =  UIColor.Red });

Answer 17

Swift version. Probably it would help someone.

class TextField: UITextField {
   override var placeholder: String? {
        didSet {
            let placeholderString = NSAttributedString(string: placeholder!, attributes: [NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.whiteColor()])
            self.attributedPlaceholder = placeholderString
        }
    }
}

Answer 18

iOS 6 and later offers attributedPlaceholder on UITextField. iOS 3.2 and later offers setAttributes:range: on NSMutableAttributedString.

You can do the following:

NSMutableAttributedString *ms = [[NSMutableAttributedString alloc] initWithString:self.yourInput.placeholder];
UIFont *placeholderFont = self.yourInput.font;
NSRange fullRange = NSMakeRange(0, ms.length);
NSDictionary *newProps = @{NSForegroundColorAttributeName:[UIColor yourColor], NSFontAttributeName:placeholderFont};
[ms setAttributes:newProps range:fullRange];
self.yourInput.attributedPlaceholder = ms;

Answer 19

To handle both vertical and horizontal alignment as well as color of placeholder in iOS7. drawInRect and drawAtPoint no longer use current context fillColor.

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/StringsTextFonts/Conceptual/TextAndWebiPhoneOS/CustomTextProcessing/CustomTextProcessing.html

Obj-C

@interface CustomPlaceHolderTextColorTextField : UITextField

@end


@implementation CustomPlaceHolderTextColorTextField : UITextField


-(void) drawPlaceholderInRect:(CGRect)rect  {
    if (self.placeholder) {
        // color of placeholder text
        UIColor *placeHolderTextColor = [UIColor redColor];

        CGSize drawSize = [self.placeholder sizeWithAttributes:[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObject:self.font forKey:NSFontAttributeName]];
        CGRect drawRect = rect;

        // verticially align text
        drawRect.origin.y = (rect.size.height - drawSize.height) * 0.5;

        // set alignment
        NSMutableParagraphStyle *paragraphStyle = [[NSMutableParagraphStyle alloc] init];
        paragraphStyle.alignment = self.textAlignment;

        // dictionary of attributes, font, paragraphstyle, and color
        NSDictionary *drawAttributes = @{NSFontAttributeName: self.font,
                                     NSParagraphStyleAttributeName : paragraphStyle,
                                     NSForegroundColorAttributeName : placeHolderTextColor};


        // draw
        [self.placeholder drawInRect:drawRect withAttributes:drawAttributes];
    }
}

@end

Answer 20

This solution for Swift 4.1

    textName.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: textName.placeholder!, attributes: [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor : UIColor.red])

Answer 21

Swift 5 WITH CAVEAT.

let attributes = [ NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.someColor ]
let placeHolderString = NSAttributedString(string: "DON'T_DELETE", attributes: attributes)
txtField.attributedPlaceholder = placeHolderString

The caveat being that you MUST enter a non-empty String where "DON'T_DELETE" is, even if that string is set in code elsewhere. Might save you five minutes of head-sctratching.

• if subclassing you MUST do it in layoutSubviews (not in init)

• strangely you do NOT have to clear the normal placeholder. it knows to not draw placeholder if you're using the attributed placeholder.

Answer 22

Categories FTW. Could be optimized to check for effective color change.

---

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface UITextField (OPConvenience)

@property (strong, nonatomic) UIColor* placeholderColor;

@end

#import "UITextField+OPConvenience.h"

@implementation UITextField (OPConvenience)

- (void) setPlaceholderColor: (UIColor*) color {
    if (color) {
        NSMutableAttributedString* attrString = [self.attributedPlaceholder mutableCopy];
        [attrString setAttributes: @{NSForegroundColorAttributeName: color} range: NSMakeRange(0,  attrString.length)];
        self.attributedPlaceholder =  attrString;
    }
}

- (UIColor*) placeholderColor {
    return [self.attributedPlaceholder attribute: NSForegroundColorAttributeName atIndex: 0 effectiveRange: NULL];
}

@end

Answer 23

Overriding drawPlaceholderInRect: would be the correct way, but it does not work due to a bug in the API (or the documentation).

The method never gets called on an UITextField.

See also drawTextInRect on UITextField not called

You might use digdog's solution. As I am not sure if that gets past Apples review, I chose a different solution: Overlay the text field with my own label which imitates the placeholder behaviour.

This is a bit messy though. The code looks like this (Note I am doing this inside a subclass of TextField):

@implementation PlaceholderChangingTextField

- (void) changePlaceholderColor:(UIColor*)color
{    
    // Need to place the overlay placeholder exactly above the original placeholder
    UILabel *overlayPlaceholderLabel = [[[UILabel alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(self.frame.origin.x + 8, self.frame.origin.y + 4, self.frame.size.width - 16, self.frame.size.height - 8)] autorelease];
    overlayPlaceholderLabel.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
    overlayPlaceholderLabel.opaque = YES;
    overlayPlaceholderLabel.text = self.placeholder;
    overlayPlaceholderLabel.textColor = color;
    overlayPlaceholderLabel.font = self.font;
    // Need to add it to the superview, as otherwise we cannot overlay the buildin text label.
    [self.superview addSubview:overlayPlaceholderLabel];
    self.placeholder = nil;
}

Answer 24

Iam new to xcode and i found a way around to the same effect.

I placed a uilabel in place of place holder with the desired format and hide it in

- (void)textFieldDidBeginEditing:(UITextField *)textField
{
    switch (textField.tag)
    {
        case 0:
            lblUserName.hidden=YES;
            break;

        case 1:
            lblPassword.hidden=YES;
            break;
 
        default:
            break;
    }
}

I agree its a work around and not a real solution but the effect was same got it from this link

NOTE: Still works on iOS 7 :|

Answer 25

The best i can do for both iOS7 and less is:

- (CGRect)placeholderRectForBounds:(CGRect)bounds {
  return [self textRectForBounds:bounds];
}

- (CGRect)editingRectForBounds:(CGRect)bounds {
  return [self textRectForBounds:bounds];
}

- (CGRect)textRectForBounds:(CGRect)bounds {
  CGRect rect = CGRectInset(bounds, 0, 6); //TODO: can be improved by comparing font size versus bounds.size.height
  return rect;
}

- (void)drawPlaceholderInRect:(CGRect)rect {
  UIColor *color =RGBColor(65, 65, 65);
  if (SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(@"7.0")) {
    [self.placeholder drawInRect:rect withAttributes:@{NSFontAttributeName:self.font, UITextAttributeTextColor:color}];
  } else {
    [color setFill];
    [self.placeholder drawInRect:rect withFont:self.font];
  }
}

Answer 26

For those using Monotouch (Xamarin.iOS), here's Adam's answer, translated to C#:

public class MyTextBox : UITextField
{
    public override void DrawPlaceholder(RectangleF rect)
    {
        UIColor.FromWhiteAlpha(0.5f, 1f).SetFill();
        new NSString(this.Placeholder).DrawString(rect, Font);
    }
}

Answer 27

For set Attributed Textfield Placeholder with Multiple color ,

Just specify the Text ,

  //txtServiceText is your Textfield
 _txtServiceText.placeholder=@"Badal/ Shah";
    NSMutableAttributedString *mutable = [[NSMutableAttributedString alloc] initWithString:_txtServiceText.placeholder];
     [mutable addAttribute: NSForegroundColorAttributeName value:[UIColor whiteColor] range:[_txtServiceText.placeholder rangeOfString:@"Badal/"]]; //Replace it with your first color Text
    [mutable addAttribute: NSForegroundColorAttributeName value:[UIColor orangeColor] range:[_txtServiceText.placeholder rangeOfString:@"Shah"]]; // Replace it with your secondcolor string.
    _txtServiceText.attributedPlaceholder=mutable;

Output :-

Answer 28

I needed to keep the placeholder alignment so adam's answer was not enough for me.

To solve this I used a small variation that I hope will help some of you too:

- (void) drawPlaceholderInRect:(CGRect)rect {
    //search field placeholder color
    UIColor* color = [UIColor whiteColor];

    [color setFill];
    [self.placeholder drawInRect:rect withFont:self.font lineBreakMode:UILineBreakModeTailTruncation alignment:self.textAlignment];
}

Answer 29

[txt_field setValue:ColorFromHEX(@"#525252") forKeyPath:@"_placeholderLabel.textColor"];

Answer 30

In Swift 3

import UIKit

let TEXTFIELD_BLUE  = UIColor.blue
let TEXTFIELD_GRAY  = UIColor.gray

class DBTextField: UITextField {
    /// Tetxfield Placeholder Color
    @IBInspectable var palceHolderColor: UIColor = TEXTFIELD_GRAY
    func setupTextField () {
        self.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string:self.placeholder != nil ? self.placeholder! : "",
                                                            attributes:[NSForegroundColorAttributeName: palceHolderColor])
    }
}

class DBLocalizedTextField : UITextField {
    override func awakeFromNib() {
        super.awakeFromNib()
        self.placeholder = self.placeholder
    }
}