StaggeredGridLayoutManager and moving items

Change this line

mLayoutManager.setGapStrategy(
        StaggeredGridLayoutManager.GAP_HANDLING_MOVE_ITEMS_BETWEEN_SPANS); 

to this line

mLayoutManager.setGapStrategy(
        StaggeredGridLayoutManager.GAP_HANDLING_NONE);           

This is happening because SGLM does not keep any w/h information about the views. So each time a View is rebound, it gets the place holder size first and then the final size when the image is loaded.

Loading the actual image w/ different size (than place holder) triggers a new layout request, and during that layout request, SGLM detects that there will be gaps in the UI (or some item w/ higher position appears below an item w/ lower position) thus re-orders items w/ an animation.

You can avoid it by setting your place holder image to the dimensions of the actual image. If you don't have it ahead of time, you can save them after the image is loaded for the first-time and use it in the next onBind call.

You can try this

    StaggeredGridLayoutManager manager = new StaggeredGridLayoutManager(2, OrientationHelper.VERTICAL);
    manager.setGapStrategy(StaggeredGridLayoutManager.GAP_HANDLING_NONE);
    mRecyclerView.setLayoutManager(manager);

after you set this, you'll find there is a blank at the top when you scroll to the top. continue to set this

    mRecyclerView.addOnScrollListener(new RecyclerView.OnScrollListener() {
        @Override
        public void onScrollStateChanged(RecyclerView recyclerView, int newState) {
            super.onScrollStateChanged(recyclerView, newState);
            ((StaggeredGridLayoutManager)recyclerView.getLayoutManager()).invalidateSpanAssignments();
        }
    });

It's work for me, I get this way somewhere. I hope it can help you!

What worked for me was to disable all animation on the recycle view when using StaggeredGridLayoutManager.

mRecyclerView.setItemAnimator(null);

You can create your own animator if you only want to restrict moving animations and keep the add and remove item animations.