iOS10: Hide status bar when using a UITabBarController() - ios

Question

I have a UITabBarController() that I use and assign in AppDelegate:
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
showTabBar()
return true
}
func showTabBar() {
let tabBarVC = TabBarVC()
if let window = self.window {
window.rootViewController = tabBarVC
}
}
I have the following key is in info.plist:
In my Target under General, I have the following setting:
I use the following code in one of my tabs to hide the Status Bar:
class ViewController: UIViewController {
var statusBarShouldBeHidden = false
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
}
override var prefersStatusBarHidden: Bool {
return statusBarShouldBeHidden
}
override var preferredStatusBarUpdateAnimation: UIStatusBarAnimation {
return .slide
}
#IBAction func buttonHideShowStatusBarTapped(_ sender: UIButton) {
statusBarShouldBeHidden = !statusBarShouldBeHidden
UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.25) {
self.setNeedsStatusBarAppearanceUpdate()
print("animating")
}
}
}
When the button is tapped, "animating" prints in the log; however, the status bar does not hide.
I am not sure if this is related to UITabBarController(), but the code above seems to work fine in a project without it.
How can I hide the status bar in iOS10 when using UITabBarController()?

Answer 1

You have taken TabBarVC as UIViewController subclass rather than UITabBarController subclass and then initialised and added the UITabBarController instance to it's view, I think TabBarVC should be subclass of UITabBarController and should be the rootViewController of the window. If you change the TabBarVC to subclass of UITabbarViewController status bar is working fine. Check the code below
class TabBarVC: UITabBarController, UITabBarControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate {
//var mainTabBarController = UITabBarController() //not needed
init() {
super.init(nibName: nil, bundle: nil)
self.delegate = self
self.navigationController?.delegate = self
self.selectedIndex = 0
self.customizableViewControllers = []
self.setViewControllers(self.topLevelControllers(), animated: false)
}

Answer 2

You need to setNeedsStatusBarAppearanceUpdate() in your root view controller, i.e. TabBarVC. Here is the solution:
Override prefersStatusBarHidden in TabBarVC to return value of selectedViewController
override var prefersStatusBarHidden: Bool {
return mainTabBarController.selectedViewController?.prefersStatusBarHidden ?? false
}
Add reference to TabBarVC in ViewController class
var tabBarVC: UIViewController?
Set tabBarVC variable on topLevelControllers() method
let one = self.viewControllerFromStoryBoard(storyboardName: "One",
sceneName: "Initial",
iconName: "",
title: "Tab One") as! ViewController
one.tabBarVC = self
Finally, on your #IBAction update your status bar
self.tabBarVC?.setNeedsStatusBarAppearanceUpdate()