Change Background of UICollectionView Cell on Tap

I have a UICollectionView that I have created programmatically. I would like for the collection view to behave in the following way:

1. User touches cell
2. Cell background color changes
3. User releases touch
4. Cell background color changes

This should be a quick color change that happens just before the selector related to the tap action is executed in which the viewcontroller containing the collection view is popped off the stack.

I have been looking at this question: UICollectionView cell change background while tap

in which there is the following summary of methods to use for this purpose:

// Methods for notification of selection/deselection and highlight/unhighlight events.
// The sequence of calls leading to selection from a user touch is:
//
// (when the touch begins)
// 1. -collectionView:shouldHighlightItemAtIndexPath:
// 2. -collectionView:didHighlightItemAtIndexPath:
//
// (when the touch lifts)
// 3. -collectionView:shouldSelectItemAtIndexPath: or -    collectionView:shouldDeselectItemAtIndexPath:
// 4. -collectionView:didSelectItemAtIndexPath: or -collectionView:didDeselectItemAtIndexPath:
// 5. -collectionView:didUnhighlightItemAtIndexPath:

I am assuming I only need to implement one of the above methods from 'when touch begins' and 'when touch ends.' But no matter what I do, it appears that a background color changes and then remains changed. Here is an example of something I attempted which did not work:

- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didSelectItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
   //pop vc 
 }

- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didHighlightItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
  UICollectionViewCell* cell = [collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
  cell.contentView.backgroundColor = [UIColor redColor];
}

- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didDeselectItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
  UICollectionViewCell *cell = [collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
  cell.contentView.backgroundColor = [UIColor greenColor];
}

This results in the cell background color being changed only to red. I also looked at this question: UICollectionView Select and Deselect issue and tried implementing [UICollectionView selectItemAtIndexPath:animated:scrollPosition:] and calling it inside of didSelectItemAtIndexPath, but this did not work either. Collection view data source and delegate are set.

The problem is that you are changing the color on highlight and changing it back on deselect instead that on unhighlight

You should simply change this:

- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didDeselectItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
  UICollectionViewCell *cell = [collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
  cell.contentView.backgroundColor = [UIColor greenColor];
}

to this:

- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didUnhighlightItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
  UICollectionViewCell *cell = [collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
  cell.contentView.backgroundColor = [UIColor greenColor];
}

Also, if you don't want to wait a bit before getting your highlight happen you should set the delaysContentTouches property of the collection view to NO

Edit: also ensure that you call

[collectionView deselectItemAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:NO];

inside the -didSelectItemAtIndexPath method