MainActivity.java

package com.bschwind.bottombarnativetest;

import android.content.res.ColorStateList;
import android.graphics.Color;
import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable;
import android.graphics.drawable.ShapeDrawable;
import android.graphics.drawable.shapes.OvalShape;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
import android.support.design.widget.BottomNavigationView;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.mikepenz.google_material_typeface_library.GoogleMaterial;
import com.mikepenz.iconics.IconicsDrawable;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private TextView mTextMessage;

    private BottomNavigationView.OnNavigationItemSelectedListener mOnNavigationItemSelectedListener
            = new BottomNavigationView.OnNavigationItemSelectedListener() {

        @Override
        public boolean onNavigationItemSelected(@NonNull MenuItem item) {
            switch (item.getItemId()) {
                case R.id.navigation_home:
                    mTextMessage.setText(R.string.title_home);
                    return true;
                case R.id.navigation_dashboard:
                    mTextMessage.setText(R.string.title_dashboard);
                    return true;
                case R.id.navigation_notifications:
                    mTextMessage.setText(R.string.title_notifications);
                    return true;
            }
            return false;
        }

    };

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        mTextMessage = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.message);
        BottomNavigationView navigation = (BottomNavigationView) findViewById(R.id.navigation);


        Menu menu = navigation.getMenu();

// This doesn't work
//        menu.clear();
//        menu.add("List");
//        menu.add("Map");
//        menu.add("Filter");

        navigation.setItemTextColor(ColorStateList.valueOf(Color.BLACK));
        navigation.setItemIconTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(Color.BLACK));

        ShapeDrawable drawable1 = new ShapeDrawable(new OvalShape());
        drawable1.setIntrinsicWidth (200);
        drawable1.setIntrinsicHeight (200);
        drawable1.getPaint().setColor(Color.RED);

        Drawable drawable2 = new IconicsDrawable(this.getApplicationContext())
                .icon(GoogleMaterial.Icon.gmd_map);

        Drawable drawable3 = new IconicsDrawable(this.getApplicationContext())
                .icon(GoogleMaterial.Icon.gmd_filter);

        menu.getItem(0).setIcon(drawable1);
        menu.getItem(1).setIcon(drawable2);
        menu.getItem(2).setIcon(drawable3);

        navigation.setOnNavigationItemSelectedListener(mOnNavigationItemSelectedListener);
    }

}