App crashes when changing theme to noTitle

Question

I've got a little app where I have a title bar present. I want to get rid of it and read that I should change the theme in the manifest to @android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen. (It was @style/AppTheme

I had to browse the noTitle theme from the system resources and added it.

Now, if I boot up the app it says it 'unfortunately stopped working'.

My manifest:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.esrmdesign"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="8"
        android:targetSdkVersion="19" />

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen" >
        <activity
            android:name="com.example.esrmdesign.MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

activity_main.xml:

<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:id="@+id/container"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context="com.example.esrmdesign.MainActivity"
    tools:ignore="MergeRootFrame" />

logcat:

05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.esrmdesign/com.example.esrmdesign.MainActivity}: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2195)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2245)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:135)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1196)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5017)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:779)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:595)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908): Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.onCreate(ActionBarActivityDelegate.java:111)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateICS.onCreate(ActionBarActivityDelegateICS.java:58)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.onCreate(ActionBarActivity.java:98)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at com.example.esrmdesign.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:18)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5231)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1087)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2159)
05-15 05:15:03.670: E/AndroidRuntime(908):  ... 11 more

Answer 1

Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.

This exception is thrown when you are using appcompat library for ActionBar and not setting a compatible theme in your manifest file. The compatible themes can be for e.g

android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light"

If you are using appcompat library to support ActionBar from API 7 or more, you need to keep track of the following info,

1.Always use the latest appcompat library.

2.Don't forget to add compatible theme like below as per your need. e.g:

android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light"
android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar"

3.Don't use requestWindowFeature(Window.FEATURE_NO_TITLE); in the Java file i.e don't hide the TitleBar. Because ActionBar is the replacement of it.

Answer 2

It seems you are trying to use an ActionBar in your Activity which is the reason you are getting the IllegalStateException.

Change the theme to android:theme="@style/ThemeAppCompat.Light" as suggested in the Exception stacktrace