How to fix INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK error in Android Studio?

Question

I have recently updated my Android Studio to 3.6.1, thereby also updating gradle plugin to 3.6.1 and the gradle wrapper to 5.6.4

When running the debug build, I keep getting this error

Install failed: The application could not be installed: 
INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK 
The APKs are invalid. 

• I have checked my package and applicationId and it is the same
• I tried using android:extractNativeLibs="true" on the manifest <application> tag and it is still does not work
• Kept on cleaning and rebuilding still doesn't work
• Invalidated caches, deleted .gradle, idea, and build files and it still does not work
• I have also used this on gradle.properties file org.gradle.caching=false but still does not work I checked the idea.log file and here is what it is saying:

2020-03-22 00:49:04,191 [4654427]   INFO - ild.invoker.GradleBuildInvoker - Gradle build finished in 1 m 37 s 411 ms 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,213 [4654449]   INFO - ools.idea.run.tasks.DeployTask - Installing application: PACKAGE_NAME 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,451 [4654687]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675813ms TRC_BEG [12861][12861] : installer 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,451 [4654687]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675814ms TRC_BEG [12861][12861] : Command Dump 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,451 [4654687]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675814ms TRC_BEG [12861][12861] : get process ids 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,451 [4654687]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675872ms LOG_ERR [12861][12861] : Could not get package user id: /system/bin/run-as: unknown package: PACKAGE_NAME 

2020-03-22 00:49:04,451 [4654687]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675874ms TRC_END [12861][12861] :  
2020-03-22 00:49:04,451 [4654687]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675874ms TRC_BEG [12861][12861] : retrieve_apk_path 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675874ms TRC_BEG [12861][12861] : apk_path_via_cmd_package_dump 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675923ms TRC_END [12861][12861] :  
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675923ms TRC_END [12861][12861] :  
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675923ms LOG_ERR [12861][12861] : Could not find apks for package: PACKAGE_NAME 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675923ms TRC_END [12861][12861] :  
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - 20675923ms TRC_END [12861][12861] :  
2020-03-22 00:49:04,452 [4654688]   INFO - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - DUMP_UNKNOWN_PACKAGE 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,967 [4655203]   INFO -            #com.android.ddmlib - Created install session 969164047 with options -r -t -S 14667707 
2020-03-22 00:49:04,967 [4655203]   INFO -            #com.android.ddmlib - Uploading APK C:\Projects\PROJECT_FOLDER\source\PROJECT_NAME\app\build\outputs\apk\debug\app-debug.apk to session 969164047 
2020-03-22 00:49:08,055 [4658291]   INFO - WindowsPerformanceHintsChecker - Windows Defender status: NONE_EXCLUDED; projectDirExcluded? false 
2020-03-22 00:49:17,686 [4667922]   WARN -            #com.android.ddmlib - Failed to commit install session 969164047 with command cmd package install-commit 969164047. Error: INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK: Package couldn't be installed in /data/app/PACKAGE_NAME -d9UfJVvKMP9-OA81TwCVvQ==: Package /data/app/PACKAGE_NAME -d9UfJVvKMP9-OA81TwCVvQ==/base.apk code is missing 
2020-03-22 00:49:17,687 [4667923]   WARN - a.run.tasks.AbstractDeployTask - Install failed: The application could not be installed: INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK The APKs are invalid. 
2020-03-22 00:49:17,689 [4667925]   INFO - run.AndroidLogcatOutputCapture - stopAll() 
2020-03-22 00:49:21,408 [4671644]   INFO - rationStore.ComponentStoreImpl - Saving appEditorColorsManagerImpl took 12 ms 

*Take note I replaced my package name with PACKAGE_NAME and project names

I have run out of options. Worst case is I will downgrade gradle and gradle wraper and even Android Studio, which I deliberately hate as it is a step backwards

Answer 1

One other solution would be just remove the ../android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk file and then run "npm run android" / "yarn android"

Answer 2

I tried updating the Android Studio but it still get the INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_APK error. Then I updated the firebase dependencies and still to no avail

Interestingly though, it worked smoothly on another project that I have. Which led me to check which dependencies they differ in and realized that the only major dependency is the AppDynamics gradle plugin

I remove the AppDynamics instrumentation and it worked! I am assuming that even before, the AppDynamics instrumentation in gradle was the cause that prevented the app from running properly. I have confirmed it is an issue with the AppDynamics plugin. See link for reference: https://community.appdynamics.com/t5/End-User-Monitoring-EUM/AppDynamic-EUM-setup-for-Android-Cordova-project/td-p/38864

For the meantime, I will be downgrading until AppDynamics provides a fix

Answer 3

Deleting existing app on the phone with same bundle ID worked for me.