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With new android API 22 getResources().getDrawable() is now deprecated. Now the best approach is to use only getDrawable() .

What changed?

A) drawables with theme attributes

ContextCompat.getDrawable(getActivity(), R.drawable.name);
You'll obtain a styled Drawable as your Activity theme instructs.
This is probably what you need.
B) drawables without theme attributes
ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(getResources(), R.drawable.name, null);
You'll get your unstyled drawable the old way. Please note: ResourcesCompat.getDrawable() is not deprecated!
EXTRA) drawables with theme attributes from another theme
ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(getResources(), R.drawable.name, anotherTheme);
                My app crashes using suggestion B. It doesn't like the call Drawable originalIcon = ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(ctxt.getResources(), iconResId, null);
– FractalBob
                May 29, 2017 at 21:54
                I declare it this way:     public static void setImageButtonEnabled(Context ctxt, boolean enabled,                                              ImageButton item, int iconResId) {          item.setEnabled(enabled);         Drawable originalIcon = ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(ctxt.getResources(), iconResId, null);         Drawable icon = enabled ? originalIcon : convertDrawableToGrayScale(originalIcon);         item.setImageDrawable(icon);     } and call it like this:         Utility.setImageButtonEnabled(getContext(), false, back, R.drawable.arrow_left);
– FractalBob
                May 29, 2017 at 21:58
You should use the following code from the support library instead:
ContextCompat.getDrawable(context, R.drawable.***)
Using this method is equivalent to calling:
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) {
    return resources.getDrawable(id, context.getTheme());
} else {
    return resources.getDrawable(id);
As of API 21, you should use the getDrawable(int, Theme) method instead of getDrawable(int), as it allows you to fetch a drawable object associated with a particular resource ID for the given screen density/theme. Calling the deprecated getDrawable(int) method is equivalent to calling getDrawable(int, null).
                I think that the OP also refers to the getDrawable (int id) method of the Context class. This is the same as getResources().getDrawable(id, getTheme()); and also uses the new API.
– code monkey
                Mar 13, 2015 at 21:04
                According to documentation, min API level 21 is required to use getDrawable(int, Resources.Theme).
– Prince
                May 4, 2015 at 5:47
                Android doc also recommends using Context::getDrawable(int) method but since it was introduced only in API 21 seems that ContextCompat is the best choice.
– goRGon
                Jan 12, 2016 at 1:22
                This answer does not work with .svg files, in versions older than API 21. There is a bug in the library.
– Jorge Rodríguez
                Mar 17, 2016 at 20:47
    getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.your_drawable)

with ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(getResources(), R.drawable.your_drawable, null)
ResourcesCompat is also deprecated now. But you can use this:
ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.your_drawable) (Here this is the context)
for more details follow this link: ContextCompat
                see this link please : developer.android.com/reference/android/support/v4/content/…, int)
– vincent091
                May 18, 2015 at 17:41
                what to write in "your drawable" if i want to input images to a list view on clicking list items stored in drawable
– 0x0001
                Dec 5, 2016 at 8:35
getResources().getDrawable() was deprecated in API level 22. Now we must add the theme:
getDrawable (int id, Resources.Theme theme)  (Added in API level 21)
This is an example:
myImgView.setImageDrawable(getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.myimage, getApplicationContext().getTheme()));
This is an example how to validate for later versions:
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) { //>= API 21
     myImgView.setImageDrawable(getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.myimage, getApplicationContext().getTheme()));
   } else { 
     myImgView.setImageDrawable(getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.myimage));
                Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP is API 21, so shouldn't this be if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP_MR1) or if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP)? Never mind. From below "The method was added in API 21 but it wasn't deprecated until API 22. :)"
– Mark Cramer
                May 17, 2016 at 18:16
getDrawable(int drawable) is deprecated in API level 22.
For reference see this link.
Now to resolve this problem we have to pass a new constructer along  with id like as :-
getDrawable(int id, Resources.Theme theme)
For Solutions Do like this:-
In Java:-
ContextCompat.getDrawable(getActivity(), R.drawable.name);   
 imgProfile.setImageDrawable(getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.img_prof, getApplicationContext().getTheme()));
In Kotlin :-
rel_week.background=ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.color.colorWhite)
rel_week.background=ContextCompat.getDrawable(requireContext(), R.color.colorWhite)
 rel_day.background=resources.getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_home, context?.theme)
Hope this will help you.Thanks.
                It is worth mentioning, that getDrawable(DrawableRes int id, Theme theme)  can throw an exception if the resource is not found while, getDrawable(Context context, int id) is nullable, so it has to be returned with Drawable? in Kotlin.
– Pitos
                May 26, 2020 at 5:55
fun Context.getMyDrawable(id : Int) : Drawable?{
    return  ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, id)
then  use like
context.getMyDrawable(R.drawable.my_icon)
                Using application context to load vector drawable crashes on pre lollipop. Any fix for this?
– muthuraj
                Feb 9, 2018 at 7:05
                @muthuraj I don't remember my testing for the code with lollipop case, but you can try getActivity() or getResources() instead then, does that goes well with your code ?
– Dasser Basyouni
                Feb 24, 2018 at 11:24
                I'm using MVVM pattern and I need to inflate drawables inside ViewModels which don't have activity context. It only has application context. That's what my issue is.
– muthuraj
                Feb 24, 2018 at 20:46
Just an example of how I fixed the problem in an array to load a listView, hope it helps.
 mItems = new ArrayList<ListViewItem>();
//    Resources resources = getResources();
//    mItems.add(new ListViewItem(resources.getDrawable(R.drawable.az_lgo), getString(R.string.st_az), getString(R.string.all_nums)));
//    mItems.add(new ListViewItem(resources.getDrawable(R.drawable.ca_lgo), getString(R.string.st_ca), getString(R.string.all_nums)));
//    mItems.add(new ListViewItem(resources.getDrawable(R.drawable.co_lgo), getString(R.string.st_co), getString(R.string.all_nums)));
    mItems.add(new ListViewItem(ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(getResources(), R.drawable.az_lgo, null), getString(R.string.st_az), getString(R.string.all_nums)));
    mItems.add(new ListViewItem(ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(getResources(), R.drawable.ca_lgo, null), getString(R.string.st_ca), getString(R.string.all_nums)));
    mItems.add(new ListViewItem(ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(getResources(), R.drawable.co_lgo, null), getString(R.string.st_co), getString(R.string.all_nums)));
public static List<ProductActivity> getCatalog(Resources res){
    if(catalog == null) {
        catalog.add(new Product("Dead or Alive", res
                .getDrawable(R.drawable.product_salmon),
                "Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy with Grant Blackwood", 29.99));
        catalog.add(new Product("Switch", res
                .getDrawable(R.drawable.switchbook),
                "Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath", 24.99));
        catalog.add(new Product("Watchmen", res
                .getDrawable(R.drawable.watchmen),
                "Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons", 14.99));
                While this code may answer the question, providing additional context regarding why and/or how this code answers the question improves its long-term value.
– Donald Duck
                Feb 9, 2017 at 15:06
If you are targeting SDK > 21 (lollipop or 5.0) use
context.getDrawable(R.drawable.your_drawable_name)
See docs
Now you need to implement like this
  if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) { //>= API 21
    } else {
Following single line of code is enough, everything will take care by ContextCompat.getDrawable
ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.your_drawable_file)
For some who still got this issue to solve even after applying the suggestion of this thread(i used to be one like that) add this line on your Application class, onCreate() method
AppCompatDelegate.setCompatVectorFromResourcesEnabled(true)
As suggested here and here sometimes this is required to access vectors from resources especially when you're dealing with menu items, etc
In case you need drawable from other app targeting SDK 23 and up
PackageManager manager = getApplicationContext().getPackageManager();
Resources resources = null;
try {
    resources = manager.getResourcesForApplication("com.anyapp");
catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
   e.printStackTrace();
assert resources != null;
Drawable notiIcon = ResourcesCompat.getDrawable(resources, current.iconId/* drawable resource id */, null);
if (Build.VERSION.SdkInt >= BuildVersionCodes.Lollipop) {
    this.Control.Background = this.Resources.GetDrawable(Resource.Drawable.AddBorder, Context.Theme);
} else {
    this.Control.Background = this.Resources.GetDrawable(Resource.Drawable.AddBorder);