How to Implement Bottom Navigation With Activities in Android?
Last Updated :
18 Apr, 2025
We all have come across apps that have a Bottom Navigation Bar. Some popular examples include Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. Below is the preview of a sample Bottom Navigation Bar:
You must have seen the implementation of Bottom Navigation with the help of fragments. But, here we are going to implement Bottom Navigation with the help of activities in Android Studio.
What we are going to build in this application?
Here is a sample video of what we are going to build in this application. Note that we will be using Java language to make this application.
Step by Step Implementation
Step 1: Create a New Project
If you don’t know how to create a new project in Android Studio then you can refer to How to Create/Start a New Project in Android Studio?
Step 2: Working on XML files
Navigate to app > res > drawable, right-click, new > drawable resource file and name it as “selector“. Use the following code in selector.xml file-
XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item
android:state_selected="true"
android:color="@color/white"/>
<item
android:state_selected="false"
android:color="@color/black"/>
</selector>
Navigate to app, right-click, new > android resource file of type menu and name it as “menu_navigation“. Use the following code in menu_navigation.xml file-
XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item
android:id="@+id/dashboard"
android:title="Dashboard"
android:icon="@drawable/dashboard"/>
<item
android:id="@+id/home"
android:title="Home"
android:icon="@drawable/home"/>
<item
android:id="@+id/about"
android:title="About"
android:icon="@drawable/about"/>
</menu>
Step 3: Working with MainActivity files
MainActivity.java
package org.geeksforgeeks.demo;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView;
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
// Initialize and assign variable
BottomNavigationView bottomNavigationView=findViewById(R.id.bottom_navigation);
// Set Home selected
bottomNavigationView.setSelectedItemId(R.id.home);
// Perform item selected listener
bottomNavigationView.setOnItemSelectedListener(item -> {
int id = item.getItemId();
if (id == R.id.dashboard) {
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(), DashboardActivity.class));
overridePendingTransition(0, 0);
return true;
} else if (id == R.id.home) {
return true;
} else if (id == R.id.about) {
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(), AboutActivity.class));
overridePendingTransition(0, 0);
return true;
}
return false;
});
}
}
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".MainActivity">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Home"
android:textSize="50sp"
android:textStyle="bold"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"/>
<com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView
android:id="@+id/bottom_navigation"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
app:itemBackground="@color/colorPrimary"
app:itemIconTint="@drawable/selector"
app:itemTextColor="@drawable/selector"
app:menu="@menu/menu_navigation" />
</RelativeLayout>
Step 4: Create a new activity for Dashboard Screen
Navigate to the DashBoardActivity.java and it’s layout file and use the following code in it. Comments are added to the code to have a better understanding.
DashboardActivity.java
package org.geeksforgeeks.demo;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView;
public class DashboardActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_dashboard);
// Initialize and assign variable
BottomNavigationView bottomNavigationView=findViewById(R.id.bottom_navigation);
// Set Home selected
bottomNavigationView.setSelectedItemId(R.id.dashboard);
// Perform item selected listener
bottomNavigationView.setOnItemSelectedListener(item -> {
int id = item.getItemId();
if (id == R.id.dashboard) {
return true;
} else if (id == R.id.home) {
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(),MainActivity.class));
overridePendingTransition(0,0);
return true;
} else if (id == R.id.about) {
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(), AboutActivity.class));
overridePendingTransition(0, 0);
return true;
}
return false;
});
}
}
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".DashboardActivity">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Dashboard"
android:textSize="50sp"
android:textStyle="bold"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"/>
<com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView
android:id="@+id/bottom_navigation"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
app:itemBackground="@color/teal_700"
app:itemIconTint="@drawable/selector"
app:itemTextColor="@drawable/selector"
app:menu="@menu/menu_navigation" />
</RelativeLayout>
Step 5: Create a new activity for About Screen
Navigate to the AboutActivity.java and it’s layout file and use the following code in it. Comments are added to the code to have a better understanding.
AboutActivity.java
package org.geeksforgeeks.demo;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView;
public class AboutActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_about);
// Initialize and assign variable
BottomNavigationView bottomNavigationView=findViewById(R.id.bottom_navigation);
// Set Home selected
bottomNavigationView.setSelectedItemId(R.id.about);
// Perform item selected listener
bottomNavigationView.setOnItemSelectedListener(item -> {
int id = item.getItemId();
if (id == R.id.dashboard) {
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(), DashboardActivity.class));
overridePendingTransition(0, 0);
return true;
} else if (id == R.id.home) {
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(),MainActivity.class));
overridePendingTransition(0,0);
return true;
} else return id == R.id.about;
});
}
}
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".AboutActivity">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="About"
android:textSize="50sp"
android:textStyle="bold"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"/>
<com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView
android:id="@+id/bottom_navigation"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
app:itemBackground="@color/teal_700"
app:itemIconTint="@drawable/selector"
app:itemTextColor="@drawable/selector"
app:menu="@menu/menu_navigation" />
</RelativeLayout>
Output:
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