How to Use Custom Fonts in Android TextView via XML?

How do I apply a custom font to a TextView in my Android XML layout?

TextView text = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.textview03);
Typeface tf = Typeface.createFromAsset(getAssets(), "fonts/Molot.otf");
text.setTypeface(tf);

Using custom fonts in Android can enhance the visual appeal of your application. While you can easily apply a custom font programmatically, there is currently no direct way to use a font stored in the 'assets/fonts' directory directly in XML attributes. However, this guide explores alternatives and common practices for achieving custom fonts in your Android TextViews.

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textview03"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:fontFamily="@font/molot" />

Causes

• Android XML does not natively support loading fonts from assets directly using android:typeface attribute.
• The android:typeface attribute only accepts predefined font styles like 'sans', 'serif', or 'monospace', but not custom fonts.

Solutions

• For direct XML usage, place your custom font in the 'res/font' folder (available in Android 8.0 and above).
• Use the font resource in XML like this: <TextView android:id="@+id/textview03" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:fontFamily="@font/molot" />
• If using an earlier version of Android, you can define a custom font in Java or Kotlin as shown in the provided code snippet.

Mistake: Attempting to use assets fonts via android:typeface in XML.

Solution: Instead, use the res/font directory for Android 8.0 and above or initialize the Font programmatically.

Mistake: Forgetting to include the custom font files in the correct location (assets/fonts or res/font).

Solution: Ensure your fonts are correctly placed under 'assets/fonts' or 'res/font' directory in your project.