How to Add a Circular Gradient to an Android Vector Drawable: A UI Design Guide

In modern mobile app development, vector drawables are a powerful way to create scalable, resolution-independent UI elements without bloating your APK with large image files. But if you’ve ever wanted to add a circular gradient—like a soft glowing overlay—to your vector graphic, you might have hit a wall with Android’s limited vector support.

In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to add a radial (circular) gradient to a vector drawable in Android using XML. This approach is lightweight, scalable, and maintains full compatibility with Android’s rendering system.

📌 Why Use Gradients in UI Design?

Gradients are a subtle yet effective way to add depth and focus to UI elements. A circular gradient, especially, is useful for:

• Creating glow or spotlight effects
• Emphasizing buttons or icons
• Adding visual polish without external image files
• Keeping assets scalable and resolution-independent

📐 Vector Drawable Basics

Here’s a quick example of a vector drawable with a red play button on a circular background:

<vector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:width="50dp"
    android:height="50dp"
    android:viewportWidth="50"
    android:viewportHeight="50">
    
    <!-- Background circle and play icon -->
    <path
        android:pathData="M50,25C50,11.191 38.809,0 25,0C11.191,0 0,11.191 0,25C0,38.809 11.191,50 25,50C38.809,50 50,38.809 50,25ZM33.75,25L20,33.75L20,16.25L33.75,25Z"
        android:fillColor="@color/soundis_red"
        android:fillType="evenOdd" />
</vector>

This creates a red circular button with a triangle “play” icon in the center.

🎯 Adding a Circular Gradient Overlay

Android does not support gradients directly in <path> tags like SVG does. Instead, we can use the <aapt:attr> element and wrap it in a <group>.

Here’s how to add a radial gradient overlay on top of the red circle:

<vector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:aapt="http://schemas.android.com/aapt"
    android:width="50dp"
    android:height="50dp"
    android:viewportWidth="50"
    android:viewportHeight="50">

    <!-- Base red play button -->
    <path
        android:pathData="M50,25C50,11.191 38.809,0 25,0C11.191,0 0,11.191 0,25C0,38.809 11.191,50 25,50C38.809,50 50,38.809 50,25ZM33.75,25L20,33.75L20,16.25L33.75,25Z"
        android:fillColor="@color/soundis_red"
        android:fillType="evenOdd" />

    <!-- Circular gradient overlay -->
    <group>
        <path
            android:pathData="M25,15 A10,10 0 1,1 24,15"
            android:fillType="evenOdd">
            <aapt:attr name="android:fillColor">
                <gradient
                    android:type="radial"
                    android:centerX="25"
                    android:centerY="25"
                    android:gradientRadius="10"
                    android:startColor="#FFFFFFFF"
                    android:endColor="#00FFFFFF"
                    android:tileMode="clamp" />
            </aapt:attr>
        </path>
    </group>
</vector>

🔍 Explanation:

• android:type="radial" – creates a circular gradient.
• centerX and centerY – center of the gradient (in viewport coordinates).
• gradientRadius – radius of the gradient circle.
• startColor – color at the center (white with full opacity).
• endColor – color at the edge (transparent white).
• tileMode="clamp" – ensures the gradient fades at the radius edge.

🧪 Where Can You Use This?

You can apply this vector anywhere you’d use a drawable, such as:

• <ImageView android:src="@drawable/play_button_gradient" />
• <Button android:background="@drawable/play_button_gradient" />
• As an icon in custom views or toolbars

Because it’s XML-based, it’s resolution-independent and theme-friendly.

⚠️ Caveats and Compatibility

• Gradient support in vector drawables requires API 24+.
• Use aapt:attr only inside Android Studio projects (it won’t work in plain SVG).
• Always test on real devices and emulators for rendering quirks.

For older Android versions, consider rendering the gradient at build time and shipping it as a PNG fallback using VectorDrawableCompat.

💡 Final Tips

• Keep your gradients subtle for modern UI.
• Combine with shadows and motion for dynamic effects.
• Use Material You or theme attributes if you want the gradient to adapt to light/dark mode.🧩 Conclusion

Adding a circular gradient to Android vector drawables is a great way to elevate your UI without sacrificing performance or scalability. With a few lines of XML, you can create glowing icons, stylish buttons, and polished effects that look great on every screen.

Whether you’re building a music app, a smart home dashboard, or a game UI, vector gradients are a lightweight design secret you can use today.

🔔 Need Help with Android UI/UX?

Our team specializes in scalable mobile UI design, Flutter/Android development, and custom graphics implementation. Contact us to get your UI looking sharp and professional.