Android Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) token generation crash after Firebase-related Google Play Services update
<p>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. </p>

<p>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.</p>

<pre><code>FATAL EXCEPTION: IntentService[MyGCMRegistrationIntentService]
Process: &lt;my process&gt;, 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.&lt;init&gt;(Unknown Source)
    at com.google.android.gms.iid.zzd.&lt;init&gt;(Unknown Source)
    at com.google.android.gms.iid.InstanceID.zza(Unknown Source)
    at com.google.android.gms.iid.InstanceID.getInstance(Unknown Source)
    at &lt;package&gt;.MyGCMRegistrationIntentService.onHandleIntent(MyGCMRegistrationIntentService.java:&lt;line number&gt;);
    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)
</code></pre>

<p>Here is my registration service:</p>

<pre><code>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.");
        }
    }
}
</code></pre>

<p>Top-level Gradle build file:</p>

<pre><code>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' }
    }
}
</code></pre>

<p>App-level Gradle build dependencies dealing with Google:</p>

<pre><code>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)
}
</code></pre>

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

<pre><code>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)
}
</code></pre>

<p>I thought maybe upgrading the versions would help. Here is what I upgraded:</p>

<pre><code>com.google.gms:google-services:2.1.0 -&gt; com.google.gms:google-services:3.0.0
com.google.android.gms:play-services-XXX:8.4.0' -&gt; com.google.android.gms:play-services-XXX:9.0.0
</code></pre>

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

<pre><code>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.&lt;init&gt;(Unknown Source)
     at com.google.firebase.iid.zzg.&lt;init&gt;(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) 
</code></pre>

<p>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:</p>

<pre><code>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)
</code></pre>