Android Studio 3.0 Execution failed for task: unable to merge dex

Question

android studio was getting build error while build execution with following:

Error:Execution failed for task \':app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLi

Answer 1

I was receiving the same error and in my case, the error was resolved when I fixed a build error which was associated with a different build variant than the one I was currently building.

I was building the build variant I was looking at just fine with no errors, but attempting to debug caused a app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug error. Once I switched to build the other build variant, I caught my error in the build process and fixed it. This seemed to resolve my app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug issue for all build variants.

Note that this error wasn't within the referenced external module but within a distinct source set of a build variant which referenced an external module. Hope that's helpful to someone who may be seeing the same case as me!

Answer 2

When the version of Android Studio is 3.0.1, Gradle Version is 4.1 and Android PluginVersion is 3.0.0, it will encounter this problem. Then I downgrade Gradle Version is 3.3, Android Android is zero, there is no such problem.

Answer 3

Go to your module level build.gradle file and add the following lines to the code

    defaultConfig {
        ...
        minSdkVersion 15 
        targetSdkVersion 28
        multiDexEnabled true
    }
    ...
}

dependencies {
  implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'
}

That solved the problem easily. Check this documentation

Answer 4

To remove this Dex issue just implement one dependency. This issue occur when we are using multiple different service from the same server. Suppose we are using ads and Firestore in a project and both have a repository maven. so we need to call different data with on repository we need dex dependency to implement. The new update Dependency:-

 implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'

I'm sure it will resolve your issue permanent

Answer 5

I also got the similar error.

Problem :

Solution :

Main root cause for this issue ismultiDex is not enabled. So in the Project/android/app/build.gradle, enable the multiDex

For further information refer the documentation: https://developer.android.com/studio/build/multidex#mdex-gradle

Answer 6

Use multiDexEnabled true as below.

{
 minSdkVersion 17
    targetSdkVersion 28
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
    testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
    multiDexEnabled true
}

and

implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'

this Solution worked for me.