Error:Program type already present: android.arch.l

Question

When I press the play button in Android Studio, my app compiles but is shows this error (redacted):

Error:Program type already present: android.arch.lifecycle.LiveData

(Full log)

I've tried deleting the .gradle folder, then going to Build > Clean Project and Build > Rebuilt Project. However, it doesn't work. I've also tried deleting the source code, then cloning again from git and importing the folder to Android Studio. However, it still produces that error.

Here's my app's app/build.gradle:

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

android {
    compileSdkVersion 27
    buildToolsVersion '27.0.3'
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.edricchan.studybuddy"
        minSdkVersion 24
        targetSdkVersion 27
        versionCode 8
        versionName "1.0.0-rc.503"
        testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
        resConfigs "en"
        multiDexEnabled true
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
    dataBinding {
        enabled = true
    }
}

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.android.support:support-v4:27.1.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support:support-annotations:27.1.0'
    implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    androidTestImplementation('com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:2.2.2', {
        exclude group: 'com.android.support', module: 'support-annotations'
    })
    implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:27.1.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.0.2'
    implementation 'com.android.support:design:27.1.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:27.1.0'
    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'
    // Firebase stuff
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-storage:11.8.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-firestore:11.8.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:11.8.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:11.8.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth:11.8.0'
    implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-auth:3.1.0'
    implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-firestore:3.1.0'
    implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-storage:3.1.0'
    // Provide a way to update the app
    implementation 'com.github.javiersantos:AppUpdater:2.6.4'
    // Chrome Custom Tabs
    implementation 'com.android.support:customtabs:27.1.0'
    // The app's intro screen
    implementation 'com.heinrichreimersoftware:material-intro:1.6.2'
    // Use for new Material Text field boxes recently introduced
    implementation 'com.github.HITGIF:TextFieldBoxes:1.3.7'
    // Report an issue to Github without having to open a new tab and so on...
    implementation 'com.heinrichreimersoftware:android-issue-reporter:1.3.1'
}
apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

Answer 1

@Edric: since I couldn't replay with images in the thread I am answering your question here.

Changes that worked for me:

PS: I also upgraded distributionUrl in gradle-wrapper.properties to http://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.6-all.zip

Answer 2

I also had the error posted in the original question, namely:

Error:Program type already present: android.arch.lifecycle.LiveData

It wasn't clear which libraries were causing the problem. With a hint from @lienmt above I realized that it may be related Firebase.

In my case, I am using Firebase and was also using firebase-ui library 3.2.2:

implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-database:3.2.2'

I had upgraded all my other Firebase libraries to 15.0.0 but realized my firebase-ui library was incompatible and confirmed it here:

https://github.com/firebase/FirebaseUI-Android#compatibility-with-firebase--google-play-services-libraries

Be sure to match your firebase-ui version to the exact Firebase versions that for which they are fixed for pairing.

Bumping my firebase-ui version to 3.3.1 was what resolved the error:

implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-database:3.3.1'

For reference here are the versions I'm using now and my app is running with no errors:

implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-wearable:15.0.0'
implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth:15.0.0'
implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:27.1.1'
implementation 'com.android.support:design:27.1.1'
implementation 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:27.1.1'
implementation 'com.android.support:support-v4:27.1.1'
implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.1.0'
implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-database:15.0.0'
implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:15.0.0'
implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:15.0.0'
implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:15.0.0'
implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-database:3.3.1'

Answer 3

This post is the top search result for the very similar error: "Program type already present: android.arch.lifecycle.ViewModelProvider$Factory"

My project uses Room and LiveData, but not firebase. The following changes removed the error:

FROM:

implementation 'android.arch.persistence.room:runtime:1.0.0'
annotationProcessor 'android.arch.persistence.room:compiler:1.0.0'
implementation 'android.arch.lifecycle:extensions:1.0.0'
annotationProcessor 'android.arch.lifecycle:compiler:1.0.0'

TO:

implementation 'android.arch.persistence.room:runtime:1.1.1'
annotationProcessor 'android.arch.persistence.room:compiler:1.1.1'
implementation 'android.arch.lifecycle:extensions:1.1.1'
annotationProcessor 'android.arch.lifecycle:compiler:1.1.1'

--- UPDATED ANSWER ---

My previous answer was aimed at solving this error. However, I thought it would be worth presenting it again using best practises:

App level build.gradle file:

// Room components
implementation "android.arch.persistence.room:runtime:$rootProject.roomVersion"
annotationProcessor "android.arch.persistence.room:compiler:$rootProject.roomVersion"
androidTestImplementation "android.arch.persistence.room:testing:$rootProject.roomVersion"

// Lifecycle components
implementation "android.arch.lifecycle:extensions:$rootProject.archLifecycleVersion"
annotationProcessor "android.arch.lifecycle:compiler:$rootProject.archLifecycleVersion"

Project level build.gradle file:

ext {
   roomVersion = '1.1.1'
   archLifecycleVersion = '1.1.1'
}

Reference:
https://codelabs.developers.google.com/codelabs/android-room-with-a-view/#2

Answer 4

Please add following dependencies in your app build.gradel file

implementation "android.arch.core:runtime:1.1.1"
implementation "android.arch.core:common:1.1.1"

Answer 5

I had the very same problem today when I raised the support library version.

Try to replace all '27.1.0' with '27.0.2'

---

Later on I did manage to remove the error by upgrading other libraries as well. THis is my current working state: root gradle:

buildscript {
    ext.kotlin_version = '1.2.21'
    ext.support_version = '27.1.0'
    ext.anko_version = '0.10.4'
    ext.android_plugin_version = '3.0.1'
    ext.google_services_version = '11.8.0'

    repositories {
        google()
        jcenter()
        maven { url 'https://maven.fabric.io/public' }
    }

    dependencies {
        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:$kotlin_version"
        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-android-extensions:$kotlin_version"

        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.1.0-beta4'

        // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
        // in the individual module build.gradle files
        classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:3.1.1'
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        jcenter()
        maven { url "https://jitpack.io" }
    }
}

////////////////// app gradle libraries:

dependencies {
    implementation fileTree(include: ['*.jar'], dir: 'libs')
    implementation('com.crashlytics.sdk.android:crashlytics:2.9.1@aar') {
        transitive = true
    }

    // kotlin:
    implementation "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib-jre7:$kotlin_version"
    implementation "org.jetbrains.anko:anko-common:$anko_version"
    implementation "org.jetbrains.anko:anko-commons:$anko_version"
    implementation 'org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-coroutines-core:0.22.3'

    // support libraries:
    implementation "com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:$support_version"
    implementation "com.android.support:support-v4:$support_version"
    implementation "com.android.support:design:$support_version"
    implementation "com.android.support:appcompat-v7:$support_version"
    implementation "com.android.support:cardview-v7:$support_version"
    implementation "com.android.support:support-vector-drawable:$support_version"

    // misc:
    implementation 'com.github.d-max:spots-dialog:0.7@aar'
    implementation 'com.squareup.picasso:picasso:2.5.2'
    implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.1.0-beta5'
    implementation 'com.backendless:backendless:4.4.0'
    implementation 'io.nlopez.smartlocation:library:3.3.3'

    // Google services:
    implementation "com.google.firebase:firebase-core:$google_services_version"
    implementation "com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:$google_services_version"
    implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-auth:3.2.2'

    implementation "com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:$google_services_version"
    implementation "com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth:$google_services_version"

    implementation('com.google.api-client:google-api-client:1.23.0') {
        exclude group: 'com.google.code.findbugs', module: 'jsr305'
    }
}

///////////////

I also upgraded graddle-wrapper.properties to:

#Wed Dec 20 15:08:34 CET 2017
distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
distributionPath=wrapper/dists
zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.6-all.zip

Answer 6

Firebase-UI 3.1.0 isn't compatible with Firebase / Google Services 11.8.0

You will need to upgrade or downgrade according to https://github.com/firebase/FirebaseUI-Android#compatibility-with-firebase--google-play-services-libraries

• Firebase-UI 3.1.0 with Firebase / Google Services 11.4.2
• Firebase / Google Services 11.8.0 with Firebase-UI 3.1.3

Hope this help ;)