diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 87c964dc..538be696 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ buildscript {
     jcenter()
   }
   dependencies {
-    classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:1.2.0'
+    classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.0.0'
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 696ad761..1af6033c 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@ POM_DEVELOPER_ID=rengwuxian
 POM_DEVELOPER_NAME=Kai Zhu
 
 ANDROID_BUILD_TARGET_SDK_VERSION=22
-ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS_VERSION=22.0.1
+ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS_VERSION=26.0.2
 ANDROID_BUILD_SDK_VERSION=22
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index c8208cfb..03ccbcda 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-2.2.1-all.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.1-all.zip
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/rengwuxian/materialedittext/MaterialEditText.java b/library/src/main/java/com/rengwuxian/materialedittext/MaterialEditText.java
index 51d9d7c8..b41ec4a1 100755
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/rengwuxian/materialedittext/MaterialEditText.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/rengwuxian/materialedittext/MaterialEditText.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 import android.support.annotation.IntDef;
 import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.support.annotation.Nullable;
-import android.support.v7.widget.AppCompatEditText;
 import android.text.Editable;
 import android.text.Layout;
 import android.text.StaticLayout;
@@ -57,6 +56,7 @@ public class MaterialEditText extends MaterialBaseEditText {
     public static final int FLOATING_LABEL_NONE = 0;
     public static final int FLOATING_LABEL_NORMAL = 1;
     public static final int FLOATING_LABEL_HIGHLIGHT = 2;
+    public static final int FLOATING_LABEL_BOTTOM = 3;
 
     final int DRAWABLE_LEFT = 0;
     final int DRAWABLE_TOP = 1;
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ public class MaterialEditText extends MaterialBaseEditText {
      */
     private int floatingLabelTextSize;
 
+    /**
+     * the floating label's text size.
+     */
+    private int floatingLabelMode;
+
     /**
      * the floating label's text color.
      */
@@ -387,7 +392,8 @@ private void init(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
         }
 
         primaryColor = typedArray.getColor(R.styleable.MaterialEditText_met_primaryColor, defaultPrimaryColor);
-        setFloatingLabelInternal(typedArray.getInt(R.styleable.MaterialEditText_met_floatingLabel, 0));
+        floatingLabelMode = typedArray.getInt(R.styleable.MaterialEditText_met_floatingLabel, 0);
+        setFloatingLabelInternal(floatingLabelMode);
         errorColor = typedArray.getColor(R.styleable.MaterialEditText_met_errorColor, Color.parseColor("#e7492E"));
         disabledUnderlineColor = typedArray.getColor(R.styleable.MaterialEditText_met_disabledBottomLineColor, -1);
         minCharacters = typedArray.getInt(R.styleable.MaterialEditText_met_minCharacters, 0);
@@ -828,11 +834,11 @@ private boolean adjustBottomLines() {
         }
         int destBottomLines;
         textPaint.setTextSize(bottomTextSize);
-        if (tempErrorText != null || helperText != null) {
-            Layout.Alignment alignment = (getGravity() & Gravity.RIGHT) == Gravity.RIGHT || isRTL() ?
-                    Layout.Alignment.ALIGN_OPPOSITE : (getGravity() & Gravity.LEFT) == Gravity.LEFT ?
+        if (getBottomText() != null) {
+            Layout.Alignment alignment = (getGravity() & Gravity.END) == Gravity.END || isRTL() ?
+                    Layout.Alignment.ALIGN_OPPOSITE : (getGravity() & Gravity.START) == Gravity.START ?
                     Layout.Alignment.ALIGN_NORMAL : Layout.Alignment.ALIGN_CENTER;
-            textLayout = new StaticLayout(tempErrorText != null ? tempErrorText : helperText, textPaint, getWidth() - getBottomTextLeftOffset() - getBottomTextRightOffset() - getPaddingLeft() - getPaddingRight(), alignment, 1.0f, 0.0f, true);
+            textLayout = new StaticLayout(getBottomText(), textPaint, getWidth() - getBottomTextLeftOffset() - getBottomTextRightOffset() - getPaddingLeft() - getPaddingRight(), alignment, 1.0f, 0.0f, true);
             destBottomLines = Math.max(textLayout.getLineCount(), minBottomTextLines);
         } else {
             destBottomLines = minBottomLines;
@@ -844,6 +850,19 @@ private boolean adjustBottomLines() {
         return true;
     }
 
+    private CharSequence getBottomText() {
+        if (tempErrorText != null)
+            return tempErrorText;
+
+        if (floatingLabelMode == FLOATING_LABEL_BOTTOM && getHint() != null)
+            return getHint();
+
+        if (helperText != null)
+            return helperText;
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * get inner top padding, not the real paddingTop
      */
@@ -1355,8 +1374,8 @@ protected void onDraw(@NonNull Canvas canvas) {
 
         // draw the bottom text
         if (textLayout != null) {
-            if (tempErrorText != null || ((helperTextAlwaysShown || hasFocus()) && !TextUtils.isEmpty(helperText))) { // error text or helper text
-                textPaint.setColor(tempErrorText != null ? errorColor : helperTextColor != -1 ? helperTextColor : (baseColor & 0x00ffffff | 0x44000000));
+            if (shouldDrawBottomText()) { // error text or helper text
+                textPaint.setColor(getBottomTextColor());
                 canvas.save();
                 if (isRTL()) {
                     canvas.translate(endX - textLayout.getWidth(), lineStartY + bottomSpacing - bottomTextPadding);
@@ -1417,6 +1436,39 @@ protected void onDraw(@NonNull Canvas canvas) {
         super.onDraw(canvas);
     }
 
+    private boolean shouldDrawBottomText() {
+
+        if (tempErrorText != null) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if (((helperTextAlwaysShown || hasFocus()) && !TextUtils.isEmpty(helperText))) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if (floatingLabelMode == FLOATING_LABEL_BOTTOM && !TextUtils.isEmpty(getText())) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private Integer getBottomTextColor() {
+        if (tempErrorText != null) {
+            return errorColor;
+        }
+
+        if (floatingLabelMode == FLOATING_LABEL_BOTTOM) {
+            return floatingLabelTextColor;
+        }
+
+        if (helperTextColor != -1) {
+            return helperTextColor;
+        } else {
+            return (baseColor & 0x00ffffff | 0x44000000);
+        }
+    }
+
     private void showClearButton() {
         setCompoundDrawablesWithIntrinsicBounds(0, 0, clearButtonDrawable, 0);
     }
diff --git a/library/src/main/res/values/attrs.xml b/library/src/main/res/values/attrs.xml
index 4e48ba19..ac380868 100644
--- a/library/src/main/res/values/attrs.xml
+++ b/library/src/main/res/values/attrs.xml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
       <enum name="none" value="0" />
       <enum name="normal" value="1" />
       <enum name="highlight" value="2" />
+      <enum name="bottom" value="3" />
     </attr>
     <!-- The color for when something is wrong.(e.g. exceeding max characters) -->
     <attr name="met_errorColor" format="color" />
diff --git a/sample/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml b/sample/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
index ade204ed..ef55f9d9 100644
--- a/sample/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
+++ b/sample/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
@@ -246,7 +246,9 @@
                     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                     android:layout_weight="1"
                     android:hint="Helper/Error Text"
-                    app:met_helperText="helper is here" />
+                    app:met_floatingLabel="bottom"
+                    app:met_floatingLabelTextColor="@android:color/black"
+                    android:gravity="center"/>
 
                 <Button
                     android:id="@+id/setErrorBt"
@@ -329,9 +331,8 @@
                 android:hint="Custom Colors"
                 app:met_baseColor="#007688"
                 app:met_errorColor="#ddaa00"
-                app:met_floatingLabel="normal"
+                app:met_floatingLabel="bottom"
                 app:met_floatingLabelTextColor="#8805ad"
-                app:met_helperText="Helper Text"
                 app:met_helperTextColor="#795548"
                 app:met_maxCharacters="5"
                 app:met_primaryColor="#2196F3"
@@ -361,6 +362,7 @@
                 app:met_accentTypeface="fonts/Roboto-LightItalic.ttf"
                 app:met_floatingLabel="normal"
                 app:met_helperText="Helper Text"
+                android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
                 app:met_maxCharacters="5"
                 app:met_typeface="fonts/Roboto-LightItalic.ttf" />