Kotlin Android app has a BottomNavigationView on the initial fragment. When the app is run the first icon of 5 in the view shows but the remaining icons/labels only show when that (blank) part of the navigation bar is clicked. app:labelVisibilityMode=”labeled” is set as indicated.

Here is the main fragment containing the BottomNavigationView:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
    android:id="@+id/StartPage"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@color/colorPrimary"
    tools:context=".StartPage">

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/ivBackgroundImage"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnSendCard"
        style="@style/btnTheme"
        android:layout_width="175dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:layout_centerVertical="true"
        android:textSize="24dp"
        android:text="Send Card!"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@id/bottomNavigationView"/>

        <com.google.android.material.bottomnavigation.BottomNavigationView
            android:id="@+id/bottomNavigationView"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
            app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
            app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
            app:labelVisibilityMode="labeled"
            app:menu="@menu/bottom_nav_menu"
            app:itemIconSize="24dp"
            />

    </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>


</layout>

And here is the bottom_nav_menu.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">

    <item
        android:id="@+id/PaymentFragment"
        android:visible="true"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/baseline_contact_mail_24"
        android:title="@string/buyCards" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/bottomNavPhotos"
        android:visible="true"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/baseline_insert_photo_24"
        android:title="@string/photos" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/bottomNavContacts"
        android:visible="true"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/baseline_contact_page_24"
        android:title="@string/contacts" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/bottomNavSchedulingDays"
        android:visible="true"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/baseline_calendar_month_24"
        android:title="@string/scheduling" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/bottomNavSetOwner"
        android:visible="true"
        android:enabled="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/baseline_account_circle_24"
        android:title="@string/account" />

</menu>