Ultimate Guide to Material 3 Dividers in Android XML (2025 Tutorial + Examples)

Ultimate Guide to Material 3 Dividers in Android: Tutorial & Examples for 2025 🚀

Overview 📖

Material 3 Dividers separate content into clear groups, enhancing visual organization in layouts or lists. This guide covers divider types (full-bleed, inset, middle), their implementation using MaterialDivider and MaterialDividerItemDecoration, and theming for 2025. ➖

Design and API Documentation 🔗

• Google Material 3 Divider Spec
• API Reference

Using Dividers 🤖

Add the Material Components for Android library dependency to use Material 3 Dividers. See the Get Started guide. Use MaterialDivider for static layouts or MaterialDividerItemDecoration for RecyclerView lists. Ensure android:layout_height="wrap_content" for correct sizing. Use a Theme.Material3.* theme for proper styling. 🛠️

Making Dividers Accessible ♿

Dividers are decorative and require no special accessibility precautions, as they are not interactive. Ensure surrounding content follows accessibility guidelines. See the Android accessibility guide. 🗣️

Configuration and Behavior 🎬

Adjust divider insets or hide the last divider in lists using attributes or methods like setDividerInsetStart or setLastItemDecorated. Example:

      
divider.setDividerInsetStart(16) // Set start inset
divider.setDividerInsetEnd(16) // Set end inset
dividerItemDecoration.setLastItemDecorated(false) // Hide last divider
      
      
    

Divider Types ➖

Material 3 Dividers come in three types: Full-bleed (edge-to-edge), Inset (indented from edges), and Middle (indented, often for lists). Each suits specific layout needs. 📏

1. Full-bleed Divider: Spans the entire width for maximum separation.
2. Inset Divider: Indented from edges for a refined look.
3. Middle Divider: Indented, used between list items.

Full-bleed Divider 📐

Full-bleed Dividers span the entire width of the layout, ideal for separating major sections. ➖

Full-bleed Divider Example 💻

API and source code:

• MaterialDivider
  • Class description
  • Class source

The following example shows a full-bleed divider in a layout.

Anatomy and Key Properties 📏

A full-bleed divider is a horizontal or vertical line spanning the layout width. ➖

• Line: 1dp thick (regular) or 8dp (heavy), full width.
• Insets: None by default. 📐

Inset Divider 📍

Inset Dividers are indented from the start and/or end, suitable for refined separation. 🔲

Inset Divider Example 💻

The following example shows an inset divider in a layout.

      
divider.setDividerInsetStart(16)
divider.setDividerInsetEnd(16)
      
      
    

Anatomy and Key Properties 📏

An inset divider is a line with start and/or end indentation. 🔲

• Line: 1dp thick, indented from edges.
• Insets: Configurable via dividerInsetStart/End. 📏

Middle Divider (RecyclerView) 📋

Middle Dividers separate items in a RecyclerView using MaterialDividerItemDecoration, often inset for lists. 📑

Middle Divider Example 💻

API and source code:

• MaterialDividerItemDecoration
  • Class description
  • Class source

The following example shows a middle divider in a RecyclerView.

      
val divider = MaterialDividerItemDecoration(context, LinearLayoutManager.VERTICAL)
divider.setDividerInsetStart(16)
divider.setDividerInsetEnd(16)
divider.setLastItemDecorated(false)
recyclerView.addItemDecoration(divider)
      
      
    

Anatomy and Key Properties 📏

A middle divider separates RecyclerView items, often inset. 📑

• Line: 1dp thick, between items.
• Insets: Optional, for list alignment. 📏

Attributes (All Dividers) 📋

Element	Attribute	Related method(s)	Default value
Divider	app:dividerThickness	setDividerThickness, getDividerThickness	1dp (regular), 8dp (heavy)
	app:dividerColor	setDividerColor, getDividerColor	?attr/colorOutlineVariant
	app:dividerInsetStart	setDividerInsetStart, getDividerInsetStart	0dp
	app:dividerInsetEnd	setDividerInsetEnd, getDividerInsetEnd	0dp
	app:lastItemDecorated	setLastItemDecorated, isLastItemDecorated	true

Styles 🎨

• Default style: Widget.Material3.MaterialDivider
• Default style theme attribute: ?attr/materialDividerStyle

See the full list of styles and attrs. 🔗

Theming Dividers 🖌️

Material Theming allows customization of divider color and thickness. 🎨

Theming Example 💻

Theming example for dividers:

Specific styles for dividers without affecting other components:

FAQ ❓

What are Material 3 Dividers? 🤔

Lines that separate content into clear groups in layouts or lists. ✅

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How many divider types are there? 🔢

Three types: Full-bleed, Inset, and Middle (for lists). ➖

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When to use an Inset Divider? 🖋️

Use for refined separation, like indenting from layout edges. 🔲

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Do dividers need accessibility? ♿

No, they’re decorative; ensure surrounding content is accessible. 🗣️

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Can I customize divider appearance? 🎨

Yes, adjust color and thickness via res/values/styles.xml. 🖌️

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How to add the Material 3 library? 📦

Include the Material Components for Android library. See the Get Started guide. 🛠️

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Are there updates for dividers in 2025? 🗓️

This guide reflects 2025 Material 3 standards for dividers. 🚀