Iphone: Is it possible to hide the TabBar? (Pre-iOS 8) - iphone

Question

I have an application that uses a UITabBarController to switch between modes. When in a certain mode, I'd like to hide the tab bar until the steps of that mode have been completed. Note that I'm not using a navigation controller so I can't use the setHidesBottomBarWhenPushed method on the navigation controller to hide the tab bar.
Prior to iOS 8, When I attempt to hide the tarbar using:
self.tabBarController.tabBar.hidden = YES
the tab bar goes away, but it leaves a 50 pixel blank area at the bottom of the screen where the tab bar used to be. I can't seem to figure out how to fill that area. Anything in the UI that is in that area is clipped and cannot be seen.
Any ideas if this is even possible? I'd really like to stay away from the navigation controller.

Answer 1

Here's my code for that:
This is, of course, mucking with the goings on in the controller's view hierarchy. It could change/break. This uses defined APIs, so Apple won't care, but they won't care about breaking your code, either.
- (void)hideTabBar {
UITabBar *tabBar = self.tabBarController.tabBar;
UIView *parent = tabBar.superview; // UILayoutContainerView
UIView *content = [parent.subviews objectAtIndex:0]; // UITransitionView
UIView *window = parent.superview;
[UIView animateWithDuration:0.5
animations:^{
CGRect tabFrame = tabBar.frame;
tabFrame.origin.y = CGRectGetMaxY(window.bounds);
tabBar.frame = tabFrame;
content.frame = window.bounds;
}];
// 1
}
- (void)showTabBar {
UITabBar *tabBar = self.tabBarController.tabBar;
UIView *parent = tabBar.superview; // UILayoutContainerView
UIView *content = [parent.subviews objectAtIndex:0]; // UITransitionView
UIView *window = parent.superview;
[UIView animateWithDuration:0.5
animations:^{
CGRect tabFrame = tabBar.frame;
tabFrame.origin.y = CGRectGetMaxY(window.bounds) - CGRectGetHeight(tabBar.frame);
tabBar.frame = tabFrame;
CGRect contentFrame = content.frame;
contentFrame.size.height -= tabFrame.size.height;
}];
// 2
}
Edit:
An anonymous user has suggested the following addition for 7.0 (i have not tested this, and could not say whether it is a workaround or an ideal implementation):
// 1. To Hide the black line in IOS7 only, this extra bit is required
if (SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(#"7.0")) {
[self.tabBarController.tabBar setTranslucent:YES];
}
// 2. For IOS 7 only
if (SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(#"7.0")) {
[self.tabBarController.tabBar setTranslucent:NO];
}
Edit: Entirely untested in 8.x and likely lacking in some layouts.

Answer 2

Like Steve, I haven't found a clean way to do this (even though Apple Photopicker does something similar). Here is what I have done:
if (systemAction)
{
// Reveal tab bar back
CGRect bounds = [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds];
CGRect tabBarFrame = self.tabBarController.tabBar.frame;
self.tabBarController.view.frame = CGRectMake(0,0,bounds.size.width,bounds.size.height);
self.toolBar.hidden = YES;
systemAction = NO;
}
else
{
//hide tab bar
CGRect bounds = [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds];
CGRect tabBarFrame = self.tabBarController.tabBar.frame;
CGRect navigationBarFrame = self.navigationController.navigationBar.frame;
self.tabBarController.view.frame = CGRectMake(0,0,bounds.size.width,bounds.size.height+tabBarFrame.size.height);
self.toolBar.hidden = NO;
CGRect frame = self.toolBar.frame;
frame.origin.y = bounds.size.height - frame.size.height - navigationBarFrame.size.height;
self.toolBar.frame = frame;
systemAction = YES;
}
What it is doing is pushing the view down so I can display a toolbar (and not hiding it). Obviously this is for only the 'root view' of a tabbar + navigation controller. For any subsequent views you can set the 'hidesBottomBarWhenPushed' on the viewcontroller you are pushing.

Answer 3

I tried a number of the solutions above, but no joy in iOS 8. I find that setting in viewWillAppear the following works for me. Should work in iOS 7 as the extendedLayoutIncludesOpaqueBars was introduced then.
self.extendedLayoutIncludesOpaqueBars = true
self.tabBarController?.tabBar.isHidden = true
self.tabBarController?.tabBar.isOpaque = true
and if you need to turn tabBars on again when you leave to use the following in viewWillDisappear.
self.tabBarController?.tabBar.isHidden = false
self.tabBarController?.tabBar.isOpaque = false
I use this to allow a return from a transition to keep the TabBar hidden. Not used it in a button action but if like me you find nothing above now works, this could be the basis of a programmable solution.

Answer 4

It's a bit late in the day, but of all the answers to the question that I've trawled through this afternoon, this is the one that worked best for me.
How to hide uitabbarcontroller
// Method call
[self hideTabBar:self.tabBarController];
// Method implementations
- (void)hideTabBar:(UITabBarController *) tabbarcontroller
{
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
[UIView setAnimationDuration:0.5];
for(UIView *view in tabbarcontroller.view.subviews)
{
if([view isKindOfClass:[UITabBar class]])
{
[view setFrame:CGRectMake(view.frame.origin.x, 480, view.frame.size.width, view.frame.size.height)];
}
else
{
[view setFrame:CGRectMake(view.frame.origin.x, view.frame.origin.y, view.frame.size.width, 480)];
}
}
[UIView commitAnimations];
}
- (void)showTabBar:(UITabBarController *) tabbarcontroller
{
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
[UIView setAnimationDuration:0.5];
for(UIView *view in tabbarcontroller.view.subviews)
{
NSLog(#"%#", view);
if([view isKindOfClass:[UITabBar class]])
{
[view setFrame:CGRectMake(view.frame.origin.x, 431, view.frame.size.width, view.frame.size.height)];
}
else
{
[view setFrame:CGRectMake(view.frame.origin.x, view.frame.origin.y, view.frame.size.width, 431)];
}
}
[UIView commitAnimations];
}

Answer 5

I use only this single line to achieve this. I use prepareForSegue method before showing the view controller having the tab bar.
-(void) prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender{
if([segue.identifier isEqualToString:#"showLogin"]){
[segue.destinationViewController setHidesBottomBarWhenPushed:YES];
}
}

Answer 6

I had worked on almost the same case, actually used the code from http://www.developers-life.com/hide-uitabbarcontrolleruitabbar-with-animation.html and made it better according to my needs, this might help others too.
I am using a UISplitViewController as the root view controller and its detail portion is a UITabBarController, I had to hide the tabbar in portrait mode:
// In UITabBarController's custom implementation add following method,
// this method is all that will do the trick, just call this method
// whenever tabbar needs to be hidden/shown
- (void) hidetabbar:(NSNumber*)isHidden {
UITabBarController *tabBarController=self;
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
[UIView setAnimationDuration:0.5];
CGRect tabbarFrame=CGRectZero;
for(UIView *theView in tabBarController.view.subviews) {
//NSLog(#"%#", view);
if([theView isKindOfClass:[UITabBar class]]) {
tabbarFrame=theView.frame;
if ([isHidden boolValue]) {
tabbarFrame=CGRectMake(tabbarFrame.origin.x,
tabBarController.view.frame.size.height,
tabbarFrame.size.width,
tabbarFrame.size.height);
} else {
tabbarFrame=CGRectMake(tabbarFrame.origin.x,
tabBarController.view.frame.size.height - tabbarFrame.size.height,
tabbarFrame.size.width,
tabbarFrame.size.height);
}
theView.frame=tabbarFrame;
break;
}
}
for(UIView *theView in tabBarController.view.subviews) {
if(![theView isKindOfClass:[UITabBar class]]) {
CGRect theViewFrame=theView.frame;
if ([isHidden boolValue]) {
theViewFrame=CGRectMake(theViewFrame.origin.x,
theViewFrame.origin.y,
theViewFrame.size.width,
theViewFrame.size.height + tabbarFrame.size.height);
} else {
theViewFrame=CGRectMake(theViewFrame.origin.x,
theViewFrame.origin.y,
theViewFrame.size.width,
theViewFrame.size.height - tabbarFrame.size.height);
}
theView.frame=theViewFrame;
}
}
[UIView commitAnimations];
}
I used following code to call the hidetabbar: method
//In my UISplitViewController's custom implementation
- (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
#synchronized(self){
//change the self.splitDetailController to your UITabBarController's object
[self.splitDetailController
performSelector:#selector(hidetabbar:)
withObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:UIInterfaceOrientationIsLandscape(interfaceOrientation)]
afterDelay:0.5];
}
return YES;
}
I tested this code to work in simulator only, let me know if it works on device too ;-)

Answer 7

Do you have the autoResizingMask set on the sub view?
view.autoresizingMask = UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleWidth | UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleHeight;
Something like that should do the trick and allow the view sitting atop the stack to re-size.

Answer 8

The obvious solution, keeping your original architecture, would have been to present that view modally:
- (void)tabBarController:(UITabBarController *)tb
didSelectViewController:(UIViewController *)vc {
if (tb.selectedIndex == MODALONE) {
UIViewController* mod =
[[UIViewController alloc] initWithNibName: #"ModalView"
bundle: nil];
[tb presentModalViewController:mod animated:NO];
[mod release];
}
}
The view now covers the entire screen (except for the status bar is there is one) including the tab bar, so it looks as if the tab bar has gone away in response to the user pressing that tab bar item.

Answer 9

autoresizing mask has an enumeration. Try to set all the options and check if autoresize subviews option is checked in parent view

Answer 10

You can create Tabbar Category and show/Hide easily. and you can access full view.
create category #import "UITabBarController+HideTabBar.h"
#implementation UITabBarController (HideTabBar)
- (void)hideTabBarAnimated:(BOOL)animated
{
CGRect statusbarFrame = [UIApplication sharedApplication].statusBarFrame;
CGRect tabBarControllerFrame = self.view.frame;
if (statusbarFrame.size.height>20)
{
tabBarControllerFrame.size.height = screenSize.size.height + self.tabBar.frame.size.height - 20.0;
}
else
{
tabBarControllerFrame.size.height = screenSize.size.height + self.tabBar.frame.size.height ;
}
if (animated) {
[UIView animateWithDuration:0.2 animations:^{
[self.view setFrame:tabBarControllerFrame];
} completion:^(BOOL finished) {
}];
}
else
[self.view setFrame:tabBarControllerFrame];
}
- (void)showTabBarAnimated:(BOOL)animated {
CGRect statusbarFrame = [UIApplication sharedApplication].statusBarFrame;
CGRect tabBarControllerFrame = self.view.frame;
if (statusbarFrame.size.height>20)
{
tabBarControllerFrame.size.height = screenSize.size.height - 20.0;
}
else
{
tabBarControllerFrame.size.height = screenSize.size.height ;
}
if (animated) {
[UIView animateWithDuration:0.2 animations:^{
[self.view setFrame:tabBarControllerFrame];
} completion:^(BOOL finished) {
}];
}
else
[self.view setFrame:tabBarControllerFrame];
}
#end
Note : use statusbarFrame is used when hotspot or call is ON so tabbar would not cut down.
Now Import category in which you class you want to use methods and just call below methods to hide or show tabbar.
[self.tabBarController hideTabBarAnimated:YES];
[self.tabBarController showTabBarAnimated:YES];
Hope this Helps.

Answer 11

Hope this works.
#interface UITabBarController (Additions)
-(void)setTabBarHidden:(BOOL)hidden animated:(BOOL)animated;
#end
#implementation UITabBarController (Additions)
-(void)setTabBarHidden:(BOOL)hidden animated:(BOOL)animated
{
if (animated)
{
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:nil];
}
if (hidden)
{
self.tabBar.frame = CGRectMake(self.tabBar.frame.origin.x, self.tabBar.superview.frame.size.height, self.tabBar.bounds.size.width, self.tabBar.bounds.size.height);
}
else
{
self.tabBar.frame = CGRectMake(self.tabBar.frame.origin.x, self.tabBar.superview.frame.size.height - self.tabBar.frame.size.height + 10, self.tabBar.bounds.size.width, self.tabBar.bounds.size.height);
}
if (animated)
{
[UIView commitAnimations];
}
}

Answer 12

Here is my solution (my tab view controller is inside navigation controller for good measure)... So I have subclassed UITabBarController and did this... exposing -setTabBarHidden: method
- (void)setTabBarHidden:(BOOL)hidden {
_tabBarHidden = hidden;
[UIView performWithoutAnimation:^{
[self adjustViews];
}];
}
- (void)adjustViews {
if ( _tabBarHidden ) {
CGRect f = self.tabBar.frame;
// move tab bar offscreen
f.origin.y = CGRectGetMaxY(self.view.frame);
self.tabBar.frame = f;
// adjust current view frame
self.selectedViewController.view.frame = self.view.frame;
} else {
CGRect f = self.tabBar.frame;
// move tab bar on screen
f.origin.y = CGRectGetMaxY(self.view.frame) - (CGRectGetMaxY(self.tabBar.bounds) + CGRectGetMaxY(self.navigationController.navigationBar.frame));
self.tabBar.frame = f;
// adjust current view frame
f = self.view.bounds;
f.size.height -= CGRectGetMaxY(self.tabBar.bounds);
self.selectedViewController.view.frame = f;
}
}
- (void)viewWillLayoutSubviews {
[super viewWillLayoutSubviews];
[UIView performWithoutAnimation:^{
[self adjustViews];
}];
}
- (void)viewDidLayoutSubviews {
[super viewDidLayoutSubviews];
[UIView performWithoutAnimation:^{
[self adjustViews];
}];
}

Answer 13

put the statement in the init method of the UIViewController
override init(nibName nibNameOrNil: String?, bundle nibBundleOrNil: Bundle?) {
super.init(nibName: nibNameOrNil, bundle: nibBundleOrNil)
self.hidesBottomBarWhenPushed = true
setupDependencyConfigurator()
}

Answer 14

See this thread:
Show/Hide TabBarController in iphone
In summary, you can see an example of this behavior in this sample code:
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/samplecode/TheElements/index.html

Answer 15

Why are you not using a navigation controller. It's a lot easier to hide the nav bar than the tab bar...

Answer 16

Just made the following code in Monotouch inside a subclass of UITabBarController:
public void ShowTabBar()
{
UIView.BeginAnimations("Anim");
UIView.SetAnimationDuration(0.25f);
this.View.Subviews[0].Frame = new RectangleF(0f, 0f, 320f, 431f);
this.TabBar.Frame = new RectangleF(0f, 431f, 320f, 49f);
this.TabBar.Hidden = false;
UIView.CommitAnimations();
}
public void HideTabBar()
{
UIView.BeginAnimations("Anim");
UIView.SetAnimationDuration(0.25f);
this.View.Subviews[0].Frame = new RectangleF(0f, 0f, 320f, 480f);
this.TabBar.Frame = new RectangleF(0f, 481f, 320f, 510f);
this.TabBar.Hidden = true;
UIView.CommitAnimations();
}