How to create responsive GridView to cover whole screen?

Question

I have the following layout in an Activity of my Android app:

There are 3 sections and 10 buttons, with icon and text. As you can see on large screen (most of phones nowadays) I get a lot of blank space at the bottom of the screen. Do you know how to make the GridView using all the room and filling that white part? Is it possible to make it responsive so every row and column of the grid could adapt according to screen size?

Here are my XML files:

my_activity.xml (used by my Activity)

<ImageView
    android:id="@+id/imageView1"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
    android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
    android:contentDescription="@string/logo"
    android:src="@drawable/company_logo" />

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="26dp"
    android:background="#4d4d4d"
    android:textColor="#ffffff"
    android:text="@string/menu1"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:textSize="16sp" />

<GridView
    android:id="@+id/gridView1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:horizontalSpacing="5dp"
    android:numColumns="3"
    android:verticalSpacing="5dp" >
</GridView>

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView2"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="26dp"
    android:background="#4d4d4d"
    android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
    android:textColor="#ffffff"        
    android:text="@string/menu2"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:textSize="16sp" />    

<GridView
    android:id="@+id/gridView2"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:horizontalSpacing="5dp"
    android:numColumns="auto_fit"
    android:verticalSpacing="5dp" >
</GridView>

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView3"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="26dp"
    android:background="#4d4d4d"
    android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
    android:textColor="#ffffff"        
    android:text="@string/menu3"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:textSize="16sp" />    

<GridView
    android:id="@+id/gridView3"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:horizontalSpacing="5dp"
    android:numColumns="2"
    android:verticalSpacing="5dp" >
</GridView>    

gridview_row.xml (used by a GridViewAdapter)

    <ImageView
        android:layout_height="32dp"
        android:id="@+id/imageView1"
        android:layout_width="32dp"    
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true">
    </ImageView>

    <TextView
        android:text="TextView"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/imageView1"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:textSize="18sp"
        android:ellipsize="marquee">
    </TextView>
</RelativeLayout>

Answer 1

You better use ConstraintLayout if you want to have a responsive layout for all devices, here is an example of constraint layout with some guidelines:

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:id="@+id/frameLayout2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".Fragments.MenusDesign.ExpandableCategoriesMenu.ExpandableCategoriesMenu"
tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="81dp">


<Button
    android:id="@+id/logo"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="logo"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline2"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline2"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.1" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline3"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.5" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/firstsection"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="first section"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline4"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/logo" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button3"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="5"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline3"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/guideline6"
    app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.548"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/guideline7"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button6" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button7"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="1"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline5"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/guideline7"
    app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/guideline4" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button8"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="6"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline3"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/guideline6"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/button3" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button4"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="4"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline3"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/guideline7"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button7" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button5"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="3"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline5"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/guideline6"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/guideline4" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button6"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="2"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline5"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/guideline6"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/guideline7"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/guideline4" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline6"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.66" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline7"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.33" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:text="second section"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/guideline3" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline4"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.2" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline5"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.35" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button2"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="7"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline9"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/guideline8"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button9"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="8"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline9"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/guideline8"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline8"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.5" />

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.Guideline
    android:id="@+id/guideline9"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.75" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button10"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:text="third section"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="@+id/guideline9" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button11"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="9"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="@+id/guideline8"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button10" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button12"
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:text="10"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/guideline8"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button10" />

Here is how the layout will look on your screen:

Remember that this is just an example and you can change the ratio/height/width of the views as you like.

A small note on guidelines - they are very comfortable to use and in the above example you can see that I gave the guidelines Percents in order to tell them how to be placed (relatively to the screen) on the screen.