UISearchController iOS 11 Customization - ios

Question

I had been using the following code prior to iOS 11 to customize the appearance of the UISearchController search bar:
var searchController = UISearchController(searchResultsController: nil)
searchController.searchBar.setDefaultSearchBar()
searchController.searchResultsUpdater = self
if #available(iOS 11.0, *) {
navigationItem.searchController = searchController
} else {
tableView.tableHeaderView = searchController.searchBar
}
extension UISearchBar {
func setDefaultSearchBar() {
self.tintColor = UIColor.blue
self.searchBarStyle = .minimal
self.backgroundImage = UIImage(color: UIColor.clear)
let searchBarTextField = self.value(forKey: "searchField") as! UITextField
searchBarTextField.textColor = UIColor.white
searchBarTextField.tintColor = UIColor.blue
searchBarTextField = .dark
}
}
However, the appearance of the search bar fails to update when running the same code on iOS 11.
iOS 10:
iOS 11:
Much of the attention to this question so far has focused on the text color of the search bar. I am looking at more than this - the background color, tint color, the search indicator, clear button color, etc.

Answer 1

I just found out how to set them: (with some help of Brandon and Krunal, thanks!)
The "Cancel" text:
searchController.searchBar.tintColor = .white
The search icon:
searchController.searchBar.setImage(UIImage(named: "my_search_icon"), for: UISearchBarIcon.search, state: .normal)
The clear icon:
searchController.searchBar.setImage(UIImage(named: "my_search_icon"), for: UISearchBarIcon.clear, state: .normal)
The search text:
UITextField.appearance(whenContainedInInstancesOf: [UISearchBar.self]).defaultTextAttributes = [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor.rawValue: UIColor.white]
The placeholder:
UITextField.appearance(whenContainedInInstancesOf: [UISearchBar.self]).attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: "placeholder", attributes: [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor: UIColor.white])
The white background:
if #available(iOS 11.0, *) {
let sc = UISearchController(searchResultsController: nil)
sc.delegate = self
let scb = sc.searchBar
scb.tintColor = UIColor.white
scb.barTintColor = UIColor.white
if let textfield = scb.value(forKey: "searchField") as? UITextField {
textfield.textColor = UIColor.blue
if let backgroundview = textfield.subviews.first {
// Background color
backgroundview.backgroundColor = UIColor.white
// Rounded corner
backgroundview.layer.cornerRadius = 10;
backgroundview.clipsToBounds = true;
}
}
if let navigationbar = self.navigationController?.navigationBar {
navigationbar.barTintColor = UIColor.blue
}
navigationItem.searchController = sc
navigationItem.hidesSearchBarWhenScrolling = false
}
Taken from here.

Answer 2

To properly set the text typed into the search bar to white use (when using a dark field color):
searchController.searchBar.barStyle = .black
To set the textfield background color
if #available(iOS 11.0, *) {
if let textfield = searchController.searchBar.value(forKey: "searchField") as? UITextField {
if let backgroundview = textfield.subviews.first {
// Background color
backgroundview.backgroundColor = UIColor.white
// Rounded corner
backgroundview.layer.cornerRadius = 10;
backgroundview.clipsToBounds = true;
}
}
}
However using something like
textfield.textColor = UIColor.blue
in the above does not seem to work.

Answer 3

Try setting the search bar's bar style.
searchController.searchBar.barStyle = UIBarStyleBlack;

Answer 4

Moving the call to setDefaultSearchBar into viewDidAppear should fix this.

Answer 5

You need to find the UISearchBar's underlying UITextField and change its text color.
Notice this only have effect when search controller is going to present (UISearchControllerDelegate.willPresentSearchController) or presented.
class ViewController : UIViewController {
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// setup your search controller...
// set search controller's delegate
navigationItem.searchController?.delegate = self
}
}
extension ViewController : UISearchControllerDelegate {
func willPresentSearchController(_ searchController: UISearchController) {
// update text color
searchController.searchBar.textField?.textColor = .white
}
}
extension UISearchBar {
var textField: UITextField? {
for subview in subviews.first?.subviews ?? [] {
if let textField = subview as? UITextField {
return textField
}
}
return nil
}
}

Answer 6

UITextField.appearance(whenContainedInInstancesOf: [UISearchBar.self]).defaultTextAttributes = [NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.white]

Answer 7

Try it: searchController.<YOUR SEARCHBAR>.barStyle = .blackOpaque instead of self.searchBarStyle = .minimal.
Thus:
var searchController = UISearchController(searchResultsController: nil)
searchController.searchBar.setDefaultSearchBar()
//Add this line below
searchController.searchBar.barStyle = .blackOpaque
searchController.searchResultsUpdater = self
if #available(iOS 11.0, *) {
navigationItem.searchController = searchController
} else {
tableView.tableHeaderView = searchController.searchBar
}
extension UISearchBar {
func setDefaultSearchBar() {
self.tintColor = UIColor.blue
//Delete this line below
self.searchBarStyle = .minimal
self.backgroundImage = UIImage(color: UIColor.clear)
let searchBarTextField = self.value(forKey: "searchField") as! UITextField
searchBarTextField.textColor = UIColor.white
searchBarTextField.tintColor = UIColor.blue
searchBarTextField = .dark
}
}

Answer 8

If you need to change the background colour of the textField in the searchBar, see my answer here:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/46315974/1109892

Answer 9

You have to access the UITextField inside the UISearchBar. You can do that by using
let textFieldInsideSearchBar = yourSearchbar.value(forKey: "searchField") as? UITextField
textFieldInsideSearchBar?.textColor = yourcolor
OR