# RTL Support

The Android SDK supports RTL configuration. The default behavior is `TEXT_DIRECTION_FIRST_STRONG_LTR`, which means that it follow the first strong directional character and defaults to left-to-right if finds none.

### MessageInputView configuration

In case you prefer a different configuration for `MessageInputView`, you can select the direction of text using `MessageInputView.setInputTextDirection`. Example:

| `TEXT_DIRECTION_FIRST_STRONG_LTR`                      | `TEXT_DIRECTION_FIRST_STRONG_RTL`                      |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| ![left to right](/data/docs/chat-sdk/android/v5/_assets/ltr.png) | ![right to left](/data/docs/chat-sdk/android/v5/_assets/rtl.png) |

### MessageListView configuration

To change RTL support for the messages in the `MessageListView` you can use custom view holders with a different text direction. You can check how to implement custom view holders [here](/chat/docs/sdk/android/v5/ui/message-components/message-list/#custom-message-views/)

### ChannelListView configuration

To change RTL support for the channels in the `ChannelListView` you can use custom view holders with a different text direction. You can check how to implement custom view holders [here](/chat/docs/sdk/android/v5/ui/channel-components/channel-list/#creating-a-custom-viewholder-factory/)


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This page was last updated at 2026-03-13T13:12:23.759Z.

For the most recent version of this documentation, visit [https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/android/v5/ui/general-customization/rtlsupport/](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/android/v5/ui/general-customization/rtlsupport/).