cannot scroll a custom view

Wrapping it in a scrollview should work

<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" <view xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:id="@+id/etContentJoke" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:layout_below="@+id/toplayout" class="ie.myjokes.LineEditText" android:background="@android:color/transparent" android:capitalize="sentences" android:fadingEdge="vertical" android:gravity="top" android:padding="5dp" android:scrollbars="vertical" android:textColor="#000000" android:textSize="22sp" > <requestFocus /> </view> </ScrollView > 

more everything in your view into the scrollview that is scrollable, such as android:scrollbars

A simple View is not scrollable. You need to wrap it in a ScrollView.