Could not get unknown property 'instantRunManifestOutputDirectory' for task ':app:processDebugManifest'

Question

I keep getting the error "ERROR: Could not get unknown property 'instantRunManifestOutputDirectory' for task ':app:processDebugManifest' of type com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessApplicationManifest. " under gradle sync issues ever since I upgraded android studio to 3.5. I can't find any result on google to fix the problem. I need help. Thanks.

I opened a new project and only added the below build.gradle and the error still comes up.

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
apply plugin: 'com.google.firebase.firebase-perf'
apply plugin: 'im.getsocial'

getsocial {
    appId "11111111"
}

android {
    compileSdkVersion 29
    buildToolsVersion "29.0.2"
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.app.ej"
        minSdkVersion 16
        targetSdkVersion 29
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
        testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
        vectorDrawables.useSupportLibrary = true
        multiDexEnabled true
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility = '1.8'
        targetCompatibility = '1.8'
    }
}

dependencies {
    implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'
    androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test:runner:1.2.0'
    androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.2.0'

    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.1.0'
    implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:1.1.3'

    implementation 'androidx.arch.core:core-runtime:2.1.0'
    implementation 'androidx.recyclerview:recyclerview:1.0.0'
    implementation 'androidx.cardview:cardview:1.0.0'
    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.1.0'
    implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1' // 2.0.1 throws errors
    implementation 'androidx.legacy:legacy-support-v4:1.0.0'
    implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:1.1.3'
    implementation 'androidx.vectordrawable:vectordrawable:1.1.0'
    implementation "androidx.preference:preference:1.1.0"

    // style="@style/Widget.MaterialComponents.TextInputLayout.OutlinedBox"
    // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57134070/error-inflating-class-com-google-android-material-textfield-textinputlayout
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.0.0'

    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-firestore:21.1.1'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-storage:19.1.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:20.0.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:17.2.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-perf:19.0.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-vision:18.0.0'
    implementation 'com.firebase:firebase-client-android:2.3.1'

    // Firebase UI
    // Used in FirebaseUIActivity.
    implementation 'com.firebaseui:firebase-ui-auth:4.3.2'

    //Google sign in dependencies
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:19.1.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth:17.0.0'
    implementation 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.8.5'

    // Facebook Android SDK (only required for Facebook Login)
    // Used in FacebookLoginActivity.
    implementation 'com.facebook.android:facebook-login:5.5.1'
    implementation 'com.facebook.android:facebook-android-sdk:5.5.1'
    implementation 'androidx.browser:browser:1.0.0'

    // Twitter Android SDK (only required for Twitter Login)
    implementation 'com.twitter.sdk.android:twitter-core:3.3.0'
    implementation 'com.twitter.sdk.android:twitter:3.3.0'

    implementation 'com.karumi:dexter:5.0.0'
    implementation 'com.github.yalantis:ucrop:2.2.2'
    implementation 'io.github.inflationx:calligraphy3:3.1.1'
    implementation 'de.hdodenhof:circleimageview:3.0.0'
    implementation 'com.github.GrenderG:Toasty:1.4.1'
    implementation 'com.github.marcoscgdev:DialogSheet:2.0.5'
    implementation 'com.github.marlonlom:timeago:3.0.2'
    implementation 'com.github.clans:fab:1.6.4'
    implementation 'com.afollestad.material-dialogs:commons:0.8.6.1'
    implementation 'io.michaelrocks:libphonenumber-android:8.10.16'

    implementation 'com.kakao.sdk:kakaolink:1.14.0'
    implementation 'com.kakao.sdk:kakaotalk:1.14.0'
    implementation 'com.kakao.sdk:kakaostory:1.14.0'

    implementation('com.vk:androidsdk:1.6.9') {
        transitive = false
    }

    implementation 'com.jakewharton:butterknife:10.1.0'
    implementation 'com.google.code.findbugs:jsr305:3.0.2'

    // Don't update these two
    implementation 'com.squareup.picasso:picasso:2.5.2'
    implementation 'com.android.billingclient:billing:2.0.2'

    /*implementation('com.crashlytics.sdk.android:crashlytics:2.10.1@aar') {
        transitive = true
    }*/

    //adjust partnership
    implementation 'com.adjust.sdk:adjust-android:4.12.0'

    //appsflyer
    implementation 'com.appsflyer:af-android-sdk:4.8.6@aar'

    //needed for adjust and appsflyer
    implementation 'com.android.installreferrer:installreferrer:1.0'
}

apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

The error is as follows

groovy.lang.MissingPropertyException: Could not get unknown property 'instantRunManifestOutputDirectory' for task ':app:processDebugManifest' of type com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessApplicationManifest.
    at org.gradle.internal.metaobject.AbstractDynamicObject.getMissingProperty(AbstractDynamicObject.java:84)
    at org.gradle.internal.metaobject.AbstractDynamicObject.getProperty(AbstractDynamicObject.java:61)
    at com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessApplicationManifest_Decorated.getProperty(Unknown Source)
    at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PogoGetPropertySite.getProperty(PogoGetPropertySite.java:49)
    at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callGetProperty(AbstractCallSite.java:298)
    at im.getsocial.plugin.Utils.filterManifestsNew(Utils.groovy:60)
    at im.getsocial.plugin.Utils$filterManifestsNew$4.callStatic(Unknown Source)
    at im.getsocial.plugin.Utils$_allManifests_closure3.doCall(Utils.groovy:35)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.CachedMethod.invoke(CachedMethod.java:104)
    at groovy.lang.MetaMethod.doMethodInvoke(MetaMethod.java:326)
    at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.metaclass.ClosureMetaClass.invokeMethod(ClosureMetaClass.java:264)
    at groovy.lang.MetaClassImpl.invokeMethod(MetaClassImpl.java:1041)
    at groovy.lang.Closure.call(Closure.java:411)
    at groovy.lang.Closure.call(Closure.java:427)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$ClosureTaskAction.execute(AbstractTask.java:660)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$ClosureTaskAction.execute(AbstractTask.java:633)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$5.run(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:476)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:402)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:394)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$1.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:165)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:250)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:158)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:92)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.run(DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.java:31)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:461)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:444)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.access$200(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:93)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$TaskExecution.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:237)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ExecuteStep.lambda$execute$0(ExecuteStep.java:32)
    at java.util.Optional.map(Optional.java:215)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ExecuteStep.execute(ExecuteStep.java:32)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ExecuteStep.execute(ExecuteStep.java:26)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CleanupOutputsStep.execute(CleanupOutputsStep.java:58)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CleanupOutputsStep.execute(CleanupOutputsStep.java:35)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ResolveInputChangesStep.execute(ResolveInputChangesStep.java:48)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ResolveInputChangesStep.execute(ResolveInputChangesStep.java:33)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CancelExecutionStep.execute(CancelExecutionStep.java:39)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.TimeoutStep.executeWithoutTimeout(TimeoutStep.java:73)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.TimeoutStep.execute(TimeoutStep.java:54)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CatchExceptionStep.execute(CatchExceptionStep.java:35)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CreateOutputsStep.execute(CreateOutputsStep.java:51)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SnapshotOutputsStep.execute(SnapshotOutputsStep.java:45)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SnapshotOutputsStep.execute(SnapshotOutputsStep.java:31)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CacheStep.executeWithoutCache(CacheStep.java:208)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CacheStep.execute(CacheStep.java:70)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CacheStep.execute(CacheStep.java:45)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.BroadcastChangingOutputsStep.execute(BroadcastChangingOutputsStep.java:49)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.StoreSnapshotsStep.execute(StoreSnapshotsStep.java:43)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.StoreSnapshotsStep.execute(StoreSnapshotsStep.java:32)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.RecordOutputsStep.execute(RecordOutputsStep.java:38)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.RecordOutputsStep.execute(RecordOutputsStep.java:24)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipUpToDateStep.executeBecause(SkipUpToDateStep.java:96)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipUpToDateStep.lambda$execute$0(SkipUpToDateStep.java:89)
    at java.util.Optional.map(Optional.java:215)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipUpToDateStep.execute(SkipUpToDateStep.java:54)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipUpToDateStep.execute(SkipUpToDateStep.java:38)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ResolveChangesStep.execute(ResolveChangesStep.java:76)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ResolveChangesStep.execute(ResolveChangesStep.java:37)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.legacy.MarkSnapshottingInputsFinishedStep.execute(MarkSnapshottingInputsFinishedStep.java:36)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.legacy.MarkSnapshottingInputsFinishedStep.execute(MarkSnapshottingInputsFinishedStep.java:26)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ResolveCachingStateStep.execute(ResolveCachingStateStep.java:90)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.ResolveCachingStateStep.execute(ResolveCachingStateStep.java:48)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.execute(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:69)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.execute(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:47)
    at org.gradle.internal.execution.impl.DefaultWorkExecutor.execute(DefaultWorkExecutor.java:33)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:140)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:62)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:108)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveBeforeExecutionOutputsTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveBeforeExecutionOutputsTaskExecuter.java:67)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveAfterPreviousExecutionStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveAfterPreviousExecutionStateTaskExecuter.java:46)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.execute(CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.java:94)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.FinalizePropertiesTaskExecuter.execute(FinalizePropertiesTaskExecuter.java:46)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskExecutionModeExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskExecutionModeExecuter.java:95)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:57)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:56)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:36)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.executeTask(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:77)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.call(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:55)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.call(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:416)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:406)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$1.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:165)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:250)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:158)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.call(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:102)
    at org.gradle.internal.operations.DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.call(DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.java:36)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter.execute(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.execution.plan.LocalTaskNodeExecutor.execute(LocalTaskNodeExecutor.java:43)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$InvokeNodeExecutorsAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:355)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$InvokeNodeExecutorsAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:343)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$BuildOperationAwareExecutionAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:336)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$BuildOperationAwareExecutionAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:322)
    at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:134)
    at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:129)
    at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:202)
    at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.executeNextNode(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:193)
    at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.run(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:129)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:64)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:48)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:56)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)

// Top-level build file where you can add configuration options common to all sub-projects/modules.

buildscript {
    repositories {
        maven { url 'https://maven.fabric.io/public' }
        maven { url "https://maven.google.com" }
        maven { url "https://jitpack.io" }
        maven { url "https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots" }
        maven { url "https://dl.bintray.com/qiscustech/maven" }
        maven { url "https://plugins.gradle.org/m2/" }
        maven { url "https://jcenter.bintray.com" }
        maven { url 'http://devrepo.kakao.com:8088/nexus/content/groups/public/' }
        mavenCentral()
        google()
        jcenter()

    }
    dependencies {
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.5.0'
        classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:4.3.2'
        classpath 'com.google.firebase:perf-plugin:1.3.1'
        classpath 'io.fabric.tools:gradle:1.31.0'
        classpath "im.getsocial:plugin:0.0.17"

        // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
        // in the individual module build.gradle files
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        maven { url 'https://maven.fabric.io/public' }
        maven { url "https://maven.google.com" }
        maven { url "https://jitpack.io" }
        maven { url "https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots" }
        maven { url  "https://dl.bintray.com/qiscustech/maven" }
        maven { url "https://plugins.gradle.org/m2/" }
        maven { url "https://jcenter.bintray.com" }
        maven { url 'http://devrepo.kakao.com:8088/nexus/content/groups/public/' }
        mavenCentral()
        google()
        jcenter()

    }
}

task clean(type: Delete) {
    delete rootProject.buildDir
}

Answer 1

I found out by trial and error that the answer was to downgrade from

classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.5.0'

to

classpath  'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.4.2'

in the project gradle file.

Answer 2

In case you use Huawei Mobile Services，please update:

classpath 'com.huawei.agconnect:agcp:1.3.1.300'

to

classpath 'com.huawei.agconnect:agcp:1.4.1.300'