What are the different bars (status bar, action bar, navigation bar, tool bar etc.) available in android?

Question

What are the different bars available in android and where are they located? Pics to support each type would be highly appreciated and helpful for beginners.

Answer 1

The status bar is where the clock, battery icon, notification icons, and the like reside. Most of the time, it is at the top of the screen. This is provided by the system; the app does not directly manipulate the contents of this bar.

The action bar (sometimes referred to as the app bar), if it exists for an activity, will be at the top of the activity's content area, typically directly underneath the status bar. Activities control whether there is an action bar and, if so, what it looks and works like.

The navigation or system bar is where the HOME, BACK, etc. buttons are. This is usually on the opposite side of the screen from the status bar, and therefore usually is at the bottom of the screen. This is provided by the system; the app does not directly manipulate the contents of this bar.

Answer 2

Avoid confusion and call them:

• status bar
• app bar (action bar is also ok)
• navigation bar

 

 

Synonyms

action bar, app bar, and title bar all refer to the same thing. A Toolbar is a certain implementation of this bar.

One of the purposes of the status bar is to show notifications. Therefor some call it the notification bar.

The navigation bar is sometimes called the system bar, but the latter name should be avoided. It's too easy to mistakenly think that the system bar contains system information like battery level and network connection, while that's actually the job of the status bar to show these things. The term navigation bar is much clearer. I've also seen it getting called home bar.

Note that iOS also has a navigation bar where it serves a slightly different purpose compared to android - the purpose overlaps with android's navigation and action bars. Moreover, the navigation bar in iOS is typically (always?) located at the top, just below the status bar. See Navigation Bars on developer.apple.com.

 

References

• Android bars at material.io (status bar, app bar, navigation bar)
• Add the app bar at developer.android.com (app bar, action bar, Toolbar)
• @android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar is a theme without an app bar. It was later called action bar in the code, e.g. in @android:style/Theme.Holo.NoActionBar. (title bar, action bar)
• Navigation Bars in iOS on developer.apple.com (different purpose of navigation bar in iOS)