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

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

Answer 1

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 2

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 3

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

Answer 4

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.