How to override web view text selection menu in android

In Android, customizing the text selection menu for WebView primarily involves implementing the ActionMode.Callback interface. This interface allows us to control the behavior of the text selection toolbar (i.e., the text selection menu), including modifying menu items and handling click events for menu items.

The following are the specific steps and example code:

Step 1: Create a Custom ActionMode.Callback

We should create a class implementing the ActionMode.Callback interface. Within this class, we can define the menu items we want to add or modify.

java
class MyActionModeCallback implements ActionMode.Callback {
    private Context context;

    public MyActionModeCallback(Context context) {
        this.context = context;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateActionMode(ActionMode mode, Menu menu) {
        // Clear default menu items
        menu.clear();

        // Add custom menu items
        mode.getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.my_custom_menu, menu);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onPrepareActionMode(ActionMode mode, Menu menu) {
        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onActionItemClicked(ActionMode mode, MenuItem item) {
        switch (item.getItemId()) {
            case R.id.custom_item1:
                // Handle click event
                Toast.makeText(context, "Custom item 1 clicked", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                mode.finish();  // Close Action Mode
                return true;
            default:
                return false;
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroyActionMode(ActionMode mode) {
    }
}

Step 2: Set the WebView's Custom ActionMode.Callback

In your Activity or Fragment, you need to set the custom ActionMode.Callback for your WebView.

java
webView.setCustomActionModeCallback(new MyActionModeCallback(this));

Step 3: Define the Menu Resource

Create a new menu resource file (e.g., my_custom_menu.xml) in the res/menu directory to define the menu items you want to add.

xml
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:id="@+id/custom_item1"
        android:title="Custom item 1"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_custom_icon"
        android:showAsAction="ifRoom|withText"/>
</menu>

Combining the Above Code

By doing this, when a user long-presses to select text in the WebView, your custom menu items will be displayed. You can add different menu items as needed and set corresponding behaviors for them.

This custom approach is particularly suitable for providing special features in the WebView (such as translation, search, etc.).