How to Create a Simple Text Input Field in Android Studio?

[Talaalnow]

Body

I'm a beginner in Android Studio, and I want to create a basic text input field where a user can type a message, similar to a chat app. It doesn't need to send messages or have a backend—just a simple input field and a way to display the text.

I'm using Java/Kotlin , and later, I will connect it to a chatbot. For now, I just need to learn how to set up the input field.

Can someone guide me on the best way to do this or recommend a simple tutorial?

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[coltenthefirst]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiw5kRObUS0

[jeria93]

Since you’re just starting with Android Studio and want a simple text input field, I’ll try to explain step by step how to do it using Kotlin.

you will be using:

A TextView to display the message
An EditText where the user types the message
A Button that updates the TextView with what the user typed

Start by open your activity_main.xml file and add this:

<!-- Text Input Field -->
<EditText
    android:id="@+id/inputField"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:hint="Enter text" />

<!-- Button to Submit -->
<Button
    android:id="@+id/sendButton"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Submit" />

<!-- TextView to Display the Message -->
<TextView
    android:id="@+id/displayText"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="18sp"
    android:paddingTop="20dp" />

What happens?

•	EditText → A field where the user types text
•	Button → When clicked, it updates the TextView
•	TextView → Displays what the user typed

I guess step 2(?)

In your MainActivity.kt:

import android.os.Bundle
import android.widget.Button
import android.widget.EditText
import android.widget.TextView
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main) // Connects to the XML layout

    // Find UI elements by their ID
    val inputField = findViewById<EditText>(R.id.inputField)
    val sendButton = findViewById<Button>(R.id.sendButton)
    val displayText = findViewById<TextView>(R.id.displayText)

    // When the button is clicked
    sendButton.setOnClickListener {
        val userInput = inputField.text.toString() // Get text from EditText
        displayText.text = userInput // Set text in TextView
    }
}

}

Final step:

Run your app 😊