Android widget SearchView in onCreateOptionsMenu is null

If your class extends AppCompatActivity

public class SearchableActivity extends AppCompatActivity

Check if linked appropriate library for:

import android.support.v4.view.MenuItemCompat;

import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;

import android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar;

Check if you have to properly sett SearchView in menu xml for onCreateOptionsMenu menu_main.xml

<menu xmlns:android="//schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" xmlns:app="//schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="//schemas.android.com/tools"
tools:context=".SearchableActivity">
<item


  android:id="@+id/menu_search_my"

        android:title="@string/menu_search"

        android:icon="@drawable/ic_menu_search"

        app:showAsAction="collapseActionView|ifRoom"

        app:actionViewClass="android.support.v7.widget.SearchView"

/></menu>

Check your SearchableActivity onCreateOptionsMenu

   @TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) @SuppressLint("NewApi") @Override

    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {

        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.

        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_main, menu);

        if(Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {



            android.support.v7.widget.SearchView searchView = (android.support.v7.widget.SearchView)

                    MenuItemCompat.getActionView(menu.findItem(R.id.menu_search_my));

            SearchManager searchManager = (SearchManager) getSystemService(Context.SEARCH_SERVICE);

            if(null!=searchManager ) {

                searchView.setSearchableInfo(searchManager.getSearchableInfo(getComponentName()));

            }

            searchView.setIconifiedByDefault(false);

        }

        return true;

    }