Kotlin Glide Not Loading Image From URL

One common issue Android developers face is when Glide does not load an image from a URL in Kotlin. Glide is one of the most popular image loading libraries for Android, known for its fast performance and memory management. However, sometimes images simply won’t show up. This article will guide you through all possible reasons and solutions with full Kotlin code examples.

Why Glide Is Not Loading the Image

There are several possible causes for Glide not loading an image from a URL:

Problem	Description
Invalid URL	The URL is incorrect, empty, or null
Internet Permission	Missing permission in AndroidManifest.xml
HTTP vs HTTPS	Android 9+ blocks HTTP by default
ImageView Size	If not measured, Glide might not load
Context Issue	Wrong context used (e.g., application instead of activity)
ProGuard/R8 Rules	Missing keep rules for Glide
Mixed Content	If WebView or hybrid apps are used, security may block resources

1. Add Internet Permission

Make sure your app can access the internet. Add this in your AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

2. Basic Glide Example in Kotlin

Here’s the most basic and working example to load an image from a URL using Glide:

import android.os.Bundle
import android.widget.ImageView
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
import com.bumptech.glide.Glide

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

        val imageView: ImageView = findViewById(R.id.imageView)
        val imageUrl = "https://example.com/image.jpg"

        Glide.with(this)
            .load(imageUrl)
            .into(imageView)
    }
}

Layout: activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/imageView"
        android:layout_width="200dp"
        android:layout_height="200dp"
        android:layout_centerInParent="true" />
</RelativeLayout>

3. Use HTTPS Instead of HTTP

Starting from Android 9 (API 28), cleartext (HTTP) traffic is blocked. Either:

• Change your image URLs to https://
• Or add network config to allow HTTP:

<application
    android:usesCleartextTraffic="true" ... >

Not recommended for production.

4. Handle Errors with Placeholders

To better understand if an error occurs, add error listeners or placeholder/error images:

Glide.with(this)
    .load(imageUrl)
    .placeholder(R.drawable.loading)
    .error(R.drawable.image_error)
    .into(imageView)

This helps you identify broken links or connection issues visually.

5. Make Sure the Context is Correct

Using the wrong context can cause Glide to silently fail.

Don’t do this:

Glide.with(applicationContext)

Use:

Glide.with(this) // or with(activity)

6. Check ImageView Size

If the ImageView size is not measured, Glide may skip loading. You can use:

Glide.with(this)
    .load(imageUrl)
    .override(300, 300) // force size
    .into(imageView)

7. Enable Logging for Debugging

Enable logs to check if Glide throws any warnings:

Glide.with(this)
    .load(imageUrl)
    .listener(object : RequestListener<Drawable> {
        override fun onLoadFailed(
            e: GlideException?,
            model: Any?,
            target: Target<Drawable>?,
            isFirstResource: Boolean
        ): Boolean {
            Log.e("Glide", "Image load failed", e)
            return false
        }

        override fun onResourceReady(
            resource: Drawable?,
            model: Any?,
            target: Target<Drawable>?,
            dataSource: DataSource?,
            isFirstResource: Boolean
        ): Boolean {
            Log.d("Glide", "Image loaded successfully")
            return false
        }
    })
    .into(imageView)

8. Update Dependencies

Make sure you’re using the latest version of Glide in build.gradle:

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.github.bumptech.glide:glide:4.16.0'
    kapt 'com.github.bumptech.glide:compiler:4.16.0'
}

Also apply KAPT if needed:

apply plugin: 'kotlin-kapt'

9. ProGuard / R8 Rules

If you are using ProGuard or R8, add these rules:

-keep public class * implements com.bumptech.glide.module.GlideModule
-keep public enum com.bumptech.glide.load.resource.bitmap.ImageHeaderParser$** {
    **[] $VALUES;
    public *;
}

10. Test on Real Device

Sometimes emulator does not have real network connection, especially older Android versions. Always test with a real device for better debugging.

Final Troubleshooting Checklist

Check	Fix
Internet permission	Add in manifest
Context used	Use activity/fragment
URL format	Use HTTPS
Placeholder image	Helps debugging
Glide version	Use latest
ProGuard rules	Add keep rules
ImageView size	Use override if necessary

Conclusion

When Glide fails to load an image from a URL in Kotlin, the issue is usually minor — such as permissions or an incorrect context. By following the debugging steps and using proper configuration, you can get your image loading smoothly in no time.

For official documentation and updates, visit the Glide GitHub Repository.