How to Programmatically Change the Text of a UIButton in Swift

28 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Xcode

When working with UIButtons in Swift, a common task is to change the text of a button programmatically. This guide will walk you through the steps needed to achieve this, ensuring your code is efficient and up-to-date with the latest Swift versions.

Understanding UIButton Text Assignment

To change the text of a UIButton, you must use the setTitle(_:for:) method. This method allows you to specify the title for a particular state of the button, such as .normal.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Declare an IBOutlet:

   First, ensure you have an IBOutlet for your UIButton. This allows you to reference the button in your code.

   @IBOutlet weak var currencySelector: UIButton!

2. Set the Button Title:

   Use the setTitle(_:for:) method to change the button’s text. For example:

   currencySelector.setTitle("New Title", for: .normal)

3. Using in Actions:

   If you want to change the title in response to an action, ensure the action’s parameter is a UIButton:

   @IBAction func buttonTapped(_ sender: UIButton) {
     sender.setTitle("Tapped!", for: .normal)
   }

Considerations for Attributed Titles

If your button uses attributed titles, remember that you should use setAttributedTitle(_:for:) instead. This ensures that your changes are visible if the button is already configured to use attributed titles.

let attributedString = NSAttributedString(string: "Attributed Title")
currencySelector.setAttributedTitle(attributedString, for: .normal)

Enhancing Your Testing with Repeato

When implementing UI changes such as modifying UIButton titles, it’s crucial to ensure these changes are tested thoroughly. This is where Repeato, our no-code test automation tool, can be incredibly beneficial. Repeato allows you to create, run, and maintain automated tests for iOS apps efficiently.

With Repeato, you can quickly record test cases using its test recorder, ensuring that your button text changes are captured and verified across various scenarios. Repeato supports both data-driven and keyword-driven testing, allowing you to automate complex tasks with ease. Additionally, all tests and workspace data are saved in text and JSON format, simplifying version control and collaboration.

Explore how Repeato can streamline your testing process by visiting our Getting Started guide.

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