How to change the background color of a UIButton while it's highlighted?

At some point in my app I have a highlighted `UIButton` (for example when a user has his finger on the button) and I need to change the background color while the button is highlighted (so while the finger of the user is still on the button).

I tried the following:

_button.backgroundColor = [UIColor redColor];

But it is not working. The color remains the same. I tried the same piece of code when the button is not highlighted and it works fine. I also tried calling `-setNeedsDisplay` after changing the color, it didn't have any effect.

How to force the button to change the background color?

Try `tintColor`:

_button.tintColor = [UIColor redColor];

Try this if you have an image:

-(void)setBackgroundImage:(UIImage *)image forState:(UIControlState)state;

or see if `showsTouchWhenHighlighted` is enough for you.

You can subclass the UIButton and make a nice forState.

**colourButton.h**

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface colourButton : UIButton

-(void)setBackgroundColor:(UIColor *)backgroundColor forState:(UIControlState)state;

@end



**colourButton.m**

#import "colourButton.h"

@implementation colourButton
{
NSMutableDictionary *colours;
}

-(id)initWithCoder:(NSCoder *)aDecoder
{
self = [super initWithCoder:aDecoder];

// If colours does not exist
if(!colours)
{
colours = [NSMutableDictionary new]; // The dictionary is used to store the colour, the key is a text version of the ENUM
colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateNormal]] = (UIColor*)self.backgroundColor; // Store the original background colour
}

return self;
}

-(void)setBackgroundColor:(UIColor *)backgroundColor forState:(UIControlState)state
{
// If it is normal then set the standard background here
if(state & UIControlStateNormal)
{
[super setBackgroundColor:backgroundColor];
}

// Store the background colour for that state
colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", state]]= backgroundColor;
}

-(void)setHighlighted:(BOOL)highlighted
{
// Do original Highlight
[super setHighlighted:highlighted];

// Highlight with new colour OR replace with orignial
if (highlighted && colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateHighlighted]])
{
self.backgroundColor = colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateHighlighted]];
}
else
{
self.backgroundColor = colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateNormal]];
}
}

-(void)setSelected:(BOOL)selected
{
// Do original Selected
[super setSelected:selected];

// Select with new colour OR replace with orignial
if (selected && colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateSelected]])
{
self.backgroundColor = colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateSelected]];
}
else
{
self.backgroundColor = colours[[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", UIControlStateNormal]];
}
}

@end

**Notes** (This is an example, I know there are problems and here are some)

I have used an NSMutableDictionay to store the UIColor for each State, I have to do a nasty text conversion for the Key as the UIControlState is not a nice straight Int. If it where you could init an Array with that many objects and use the State as an index.

Because of this you many have difficulties with e.g. a selected & disabled button, some more logic is needed.

Another problem is if you try and set multiple colours at the same time, I have not tried with a button but if you can do this it may not work

[btn setBackgroundColor:colour forState:UIControlStateSelected & UIControlStateHighlighted];

I have assumed this is StoryBoard, there is no init, initWithFrame so add them if you need them.

You can use this category which add the method **setBackgroundColor:forState:**

[To see links please register here]

-

Override highlighted variable.
Adding `@IBInspectable` makes you edit the highlighted backgroundColor in storyboard, which is nifty too.

class BackgroundHighlightedButton: UIButton {
@IBInspectable var highlightedBackgroundColor :UIColor?
@IBInspectable var nonHighlightedBackgroundColor :UIColor?
override var highlighted :Bool {
get {
return super.highlighted
}
set {
if newValue {
self.backgroundColor = highlightedBackgroundColor
}
else {
self.backgroundColor = nonHighlightedBackgroundColor
}
super.highlighted = newValue
}
}
}

Here's an approach in Swift, using a UIButton extension to add an IBInspectable, called highlightedBackgroundColor. Similar to subclassing, without requiring a subclass.

private var HighlightedBackgroundColorKey = 0
private var NormalBackgroundColorKey = 0

extension UIButton {

@IBInspectable var highlightedBackgroundColor: UIColor? {
get {
return objc_getAssociatedObject(self, &HighlightedBackgroundColorKey) as? UIColor
}

set(newValue) {
objc_setAssociatedObject(self,
&HighlightedBackgroundColorKey, newValue, UInt(OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN))
}
}

private var normalBackgroundColor: UIColor? {
get {
return objc_getAssociatedObject(self, &NormalBackgroundColorKey) as? UIColor
}

set(newValue) {
objc_setAssociatedObject(self,
&NormalBackgroundColorKey, newValue, UInt(OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN))
}
}

override public var backgroundColor: UIColor? {
didSet {
if !highlighted {
normalBackgroundColor = backgroundColor
}
}
}

override public var highlighted: Bool {
didSet {
if let highlightedBackgroundColor = self.highlightedBackgroundColor {
if highlighted {
backgroundColor = highlightedBackgroundColor
} else {
backgroundColor = normalBackgroundColor
}
}
}
}
}

I hope this helps.

UPDATE:

Use the [UIButtonBackgroundColor][1] Swift library.

OLD:

Use the helpers below to create a 1 px x 1 px image with a grayscale fill color:

UIImage *image = ACUTilingImageGray(248/255.0, 1);

or an RGB fill color:

UIImage *image = ACUTilingImageRGB(253/255.0, 123/255.0, 43/255.0, 1);

Then, use that `image` to set the button's background image:

[button setBackgroundImage:image forState:UIControlStateNormal];

### Helpers

#pragma mark - Helpers

UIImage *ACUTilingImageGray(CGFloat gray, CGFloat alpha)
{
return ACUTilingImage(alpha, ^(CGContextRef context) {
CGContextSetGrayFillColor(context, gray, alpha);
});
}

UIImage *ACUTilingImageRGB(CGFloat red, CGFloat green, CGFloat blue, CGFloat alpha)
{
return ACUTilingImage(alpha, ^(CGContextRef context) {
CGContextSetRGBFillColor(context, red, green, blue, alpha);
});
}

UIImage *ACUTilingImage(CGFloat alpha, void (^setFillColor)(CGContextRef context))
{
CGRect rect = CGRectMake(0, 0, 0.5, 0.5);
UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(rect.size, alpha == 1, 0);
CGContextRef context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();
setFillColor(context);
CGContextFillRect(context, rect);
UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
return image;
}

Note: `ACU` is the class prefix of my Cocoa Touch Static Library called Acani Utilities, where AC is for Acani, and U is for Utilities.


[1]:

[To see links please register here]

I have open-sourced a UIButton subclass, [STAButton][1], to fill in this gaping functionality hole. Available under the MIT license. Works for iOS 7+ (I have not tested with older iOS versions).


[1]:

[To see links please register here]

Try this !!!!

For TouchedDown Event set One color and for TouchUpInside set the other.


- (IBAction)touchedDown:(id)sender {
NSLog(@"Touched Down");
btn1.backgroundColor=[UIColor redColor];
}

- (IBAction)touchUpInside:(id)sender {
NSLog(@"TouchUpInside");
btn1.backgroundColor=[UIColor whiteColor];
}