Equal column spacing for Android RecyclerView GridLayoutManager by using custom ItemDecoration

gistfile1.md

ItemOffsetDecoration

public class ItemOffsetDecoration extends RecyclerView.ItemDecoration {

    private int mItemOffset;

    public ItemOffsetDecoration(int itemOffset) {
        mItemOffset = itemOffset;
    }

    public ItemOffsetDecoration(@NonNull Context context, @DimenRes int itemOffsetId) {
        this(context.getResources().getDimensionPixelSize(itemOffsetId));
    }

    @Override
    public void getItemOffsets(Rect outRect, View view, RecyclerView parent,
            RecyclerView.State state) {
        super.getItemOffsets(outRect, view, parent, state);
        outRect.set(mItemOffset, mItemOffset, mItemOffset, mItemOffset);
    }
}

Implementation

In your source code, add ItemOffsetDecoration to your recyclerview.
Item offset value should be half size of the actual value you want to add as space between items.

mRecyclerView.setLayoutManager(new GridLayoutManager(context, NUM_COLUMNS);
ItemOffsetDecoration itemDecoration = new ItemOffsetDecoration(context, R.dimen.item_offset);
mRecyclerView.addItemDecoration(itemDecoration);

Also, set item offset value as padding for its recyclerview, and specify android:clipToPadding=false.

<android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView
    android:id="@+id/recyclerview_grid"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:clipToPadding="false"
    android:padding="@dimen/item_offset"/>

DONE. You will get an equal spaces around items.

Thanks, works like a charm !

Thanks, I need some help on other problem.
I want to make items equally spaced in a RecyclerView. Items are not displayed in Grid but are displayed Linearly.
Suppose screen can hold 5 items. Now if list contains less than 5 items then they should take up the whole screen by equally increasing space between them. And if no of items are greater than 5 then user can scroll and the minimum space is maintained between 2 items.
How can I achieve this.

It is working fine but I am calling new Activity from the recyclerview and when I am coming back to my previous activity the space automatically becomes 2 times every time. Any solution for that ?

@krishnameena: have you tried calling RecyclerView.removeItemDecoration() in the onStop method? :-)

@tiwiz You just saved me loads of fruitless searching. Thank you very much!

Thanks! I spent whole day trying to find a solution.

Thank you, it is work for my apps.

This is amazing.

amazing! Thank you very much :-) 👍 💯

what is the offset value that u mentioned?

R.dimen.item_offset what value should I put in this?

Thanks, It's Awesome!

@vivekpanchal you can put any value, bases on your design. I used 4dp!

i need only right side space.please help me

@daxeshvekariya make this change in getItemOffsets method
outRect.set(0, 0, mItemOffset, 0);

what is the value of R.dimen.item_offset

This worked like a charm! Thank you 👍

U rock!

What a nice class you made. Good work!

hey just i want to leave space below end of recyclerview with grid view.

God bless u! Perfect solution....works in case of LinearLayout as well.
@ygritc Can u please explain the whole code a bit more? We might be able to customize it then according to our needs.
Thanks a million!

So simple.. Thank you!

When the orientation changes, things are not getting changed? help@

Don't works: GridLayout still adds default spacing (30dp) between elements

Thank You! Works Like a charm!

I have spanCount = 2, it still takes right spacing of left-side item and left spacing of right-side item which increases space between the two !!!

Awesome-worked perfect!

Thanks!

Perfect with (itemoffest = 10dp) !! Thank you !!

Worked-perfect! Thank you very much!

this is not something that can be called "equally spaced items". You get your offset on the left and on the right only. Between the items it is doubled. Take a look at YouTube in landscape orientation on tablet, this is what is called equally spaced items.