Changing default android action bar icons

Question

I am using an action bar with the latest sdk and api (4.4.2). I am using my own theme; custom black and white. I cannot figure out how to change the default "back" and "share" icons. They are a greyish, I want it to be pure black. How can I do this? Other questions and answers posted ain't helping.

I tried using and setting a drawable for the share icon but it doesn't change... I have no idea how to change the back button as well.

<item
    android:id="@+id/share_option"
    android:actionProviderClass="android.widget.ShareActionProvider"
    android:showAsAction="ifRoom"
    <!-- android:icon="@drawable/action_share" | This doesn't do the trick -->
    android:title="@string/Share"/>

Answer 1

The "up" indicator can be themed using the attribute android:homeAsUpIndicator.

The ShareActionProvider icon can be themed using the attribute *android:actionModeShareDrawable. It's important that you include the * prefix because this attribute isn't public.

But if you're using Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar, you'll have to subclass ShareActionProvider and use reflection to change the icon.

Here are examples for both cases:

Using a theme

<style name="Your.Theme" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">
    <item name="android:homeAsUpIndicator">@drawable/your_up_indicator</item>
    <item name="*android:actionModeShareDrawable">@drawable/your_share_icon</item>
</style>

Using reflection

public class YourShareActionProvider extends ShareActionProvider {

    private final Drawable mYourShareIcon;

    /**
     * Constructor for <code>YourShareActionProvider</code>
     * 
     * @param context The {@link Context} to use
     */
    public YourShareActionProvider(Context context) {
        super(context);
        mYourShareIcon = context.getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.your_share_icon);
    }

    @Override
    public View onCreateActionView(MenuItem forItem) {
        final View actionView = super.onCreateActionView(forItem);
        try {
            final Class<?> acv = Class.forName("android.widget.ActivityChooserView");
            final Method setExpandActivityOverflowButtonDrawable = acv.getMethod(
                    "setExpandActivityOverflowButtonDrawable", Drawable.class);
            setExpandActivityOverflowButtonDrawable.invoke(actionView, mYourShareIcon);
        } catch (final Exception ignored) {
            // Nothing to do
        }
        return actionView;
    }

}

MenuItem

<item
    android:id="@+id/share_option"
    android:actionProviderClass="your.path.to.YourShareActionProvider"
    android:showAsAction="ifRoom"
    android:title="@string/Share"/>

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