How to create ripple effect in simple layout

Set these properties on your layout (if your layout has the default white/light background):

          android:clickable="true"          android:focusable="true"          android:background="?attr/selectableItemBackground"

You don't need a custom drawable in this case.

However, if your layout has a black/dark background, you'd have to create your own ripple drawable like this one:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!-- An white rectangle ripple. --><ripple xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"    android:color="@android:color/white">    <item        android:id="@android:id/mask"        android:gravity="center">        <shape android:shape="rectangle">            <solid android:color="@android:color/white"/>        </shape>    </item></ripple>

And then set this ripple drawable as your android:background property.

You can see many examples of these types of ripples in AOSP: in here

I'm adding this in addition to Igor Ganapolsky's answer in case anyone wants to have a layout with different color and also have a ripple effect. You simply create a ripple effect in drawables like this:

ripple.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><ripple xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"    android:color="@color/rippleColor"    tools:targetApi="lollipop"> <!-- ripple effect color -->    <item android:id="@android:id/background">        <shape android:shape="rectangle">            <solid android:color="@color/backgroundColor" /> <!-- background color -->        </shape>    </item></ripple>

then give it as your layout's background or any button as Igor Ganapolsky mentioned in his answer.

android:clickable="true"android:background="@drawable/ripple"

You have to alter following code snippet in any widget(TextView/Button) and you can implement Ripple Effect:

android:clickable="true"android:focusable="true"android:foreground="?attr/selectableItemBackground"

And you are good to go.