Android Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) token generation crash after Firebase-related Google Play Services update

Question

My Android application started crashing today when generating a token for Google Cloud Messaging (GCM). This happens on multiple devices and version of Android. I think it may have to do with the new Firebase features announced by Google yesterday at Google IO.

I wasn't working around the code related to GCM when this started happening so it was unexpected. If I uninstall Google Play Services updates from Android system settings, the app no longer crashes. As soon as I re-install the latest, the app starts crashing again every time.

FATAL EXCEPTION: IntentService[MyGCMRegistrationIntentService] Process: <my process>, PID: 26036 java.lang.IncompatibleClassChangeError: The method 'java.io.File android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat.getNoBackupFilesDir(android.content.Context)' was expected to be of type virtual but instead was found to be of type direct (declaration of 'java.lang.reflect.ArtMethod' appears in /system/framework/core-libart.jar)     at com.google.android.gms.iid.zzd.zzeb(Unknown Source)     at com.google.android.gms.iid.zzd.<init>(Unknown Source)     at com.google.android.gms.iid.zzd.<init>(Unknown Source)     at com.google.android.gms.iid.InstanceID.zza(Unknown Source)     at com.google.android.gms.iid.InstanceID.getInstance(Unknown Source)     at <package>.MyGCMRegistrationIntentService.onHandleIntent(MyGCMRegistrationIntentService.java:<line number>);     at android.app.IntentService$ServiceHandler.handleMessage(IntentService.java:65)     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)     at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:61) 

Here is my registration service:

public class MyGCMRegistrationIntentService extends IntentService {     public static final String KEY_GCM_TOKEN = "gcm_token";      public static final String KEY_GCM_INSTANCE_ID = "gcm_instance_id";      private static final String NAME = MyGCMRegistrationIntentService.class.getSimpleName();      public MyGCMRegistrationIntentService()     {         super(NAME);     }      @Override     protected void onHandleIntent(final Intent intent)     {         try         {             final InstanceID instanceId = InstanceID.getInstance(this);             final String token = instanceId.getToken(getGCMSenderID(), GoogleCloudMessaging.INSTANCE_ID_SCOPE, null);             final String instanceIdId = instanceId.getId();             sendTokenToMyServer(token, instanceIdId);         }         catch (final IOException e)         {             Timber.e(e, "Error getting GCM token.");         }     } } 

Top-level Gradle build file:

buildscript {     repositories {         jcenter()     }     dependencies {         classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:2.1.0'         classpath 'de.felixschulze.gradle:gradle-hockeyapp-plugin:3.3'         classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:2.1.0'         classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:2.1.0'         classpath 'com.github.dcendents:android-maven-gradle-plugin:1.3'     } }  allprojects {     repositories {         jcenter()         maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }     } } 

App-level Gradle build dependencies dealing with Google:

dependencies {     compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.1'     compile 'com.android.support:design:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:support-annotations:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:support-v13:23.3.0'     compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-analytics:8.4.0'     compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-gcm:8.4.0'      ...(and then the rest of my dependecies) } 

Library dependencies dealing with Google (I know this is all messy and some things are redundant, sorry):

dependencies {     compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:23.3.0'     compile 'com.android.support:support-v13:23.3.0'     compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:8.4.0'     compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-analytics:8.4.0'     compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-gcm:8.4.0'      ...(and then the rest of my dependecies) } 

I thought maybe upgrading the versions would help. Here is what I upgraded:

com.google.gms:google-services:2.1.0 -> com.google.gms:google-services:3.0.0 com.google.android.gms:play-services-XXX:8.4.0' -> com.google.android.gms:play-services-XXX:9.0.0 

The application still crashes, but in a different way. First it logs the following, but does not crash.

Firebase API initialization failure.  java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)      at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.zza(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.initializeApp(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.initializeApp(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.zzbu(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.provider.FirebaseInitProvider.onCreate(Unknown Source)      at android.content.ContentProvider.attachInfo(ContentProvider.java:1696)      at android.content.ContentProvider.attachInfo(ContentProvider.java:1671)      at com.google.firebase.provider.FirebaseInitProvider.attachInfo(Unknown Source)      at android.app.ActivityThread.installProvider(ActivityThread.java:4999)      at android.app.ActivityThread.installContentProviders(ActivityThread.java:4594)      at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:4534)      at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1500(ActivityThread.java:151)      at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1364)      at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)      at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)      at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5254)      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:903)      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:698)   Caused by: java.lang.IncompatibleClassChangeError: The method 'java.io.File android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat.getNoBackupFilesDir(android.content.Context)' was expected to be of type virtual but instead was found to be of type direct (declaration of 'java.lang.reflect.ArtMethod' appears in /system/framework/core-libart.jar)      at com.google.firebase.iid.zzg.zzeC(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.iid.zzg.<init>(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.iid.zzg.<init>(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.iid.zzd.zzb(Unknown Source)      at com.google.firebase.iid.FirebaseInstanceId.getInstance(Unknown Source)      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)       at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)       at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.zza(Unknown Source)       at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.initializeApp(Unknown Source)       at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.initializeApp(Unknown Source)       at com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp.zzbu(Unknown Source)       at com.google.firebase.provider.FirebaseInitProvider.onCreate(Unknown Source)       at android.content.ContentProvider.attachInfo(ContentProvider.java:1696)       at android.content.ContentProvider.attachInfo(ContentProvider.java:1671)       at com.google.firebase.provider.FirebaseInitProvider.attachInfo(Unknown Source)       at android.app.ActivityThread.installProvider(ActivityThread.java:4999)       at android.app.ActivityThread.installContentProviders(ActivityThread.java:4594)       at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:4534)       at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1500(ActivityThread.java:151)       at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1364)       at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)       at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)       at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5254)       at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)       at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:903)       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:698)  

After I move around in the app which triggers the GCM registration, I get the same stack as before along with this line before crashing:

E/FA: Task exception on worker thread: java.lang.IncompatibleClassChangeError: The method 'java.io.File android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat.getNoBackupFilesDir(android.content.Context)' was expected to be of type virtual but instead was found to be of type direct (declaration of 'java.lang.reflect.ArtMethod' appears in /system/framework/core-libart.jar): com.google.android.gms.measurement.internal.zzt.zzEd(Unknown Source) 

Answer 1

So the issue is that you have dependencies that inlcude old versions of the support library. Check this thread out:

Android UrbanAirship Crash in takeOff

Doing this might help (from the thread):

configurations.all {     resolutionStrategy {         force 'com.android.support:design:23.4.0'         force 'com.android.support:support-v4:23.4.0'         force 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.4.0'     } }