The number of method references in a .dex file cannot exceed 64k API 17

You have too many methods. There can only be 65536 methods for dex.

As suggested you can use the multidex support.

Just add these lines in the module/build.gradle:

android {
   
    defaultConfig {
        ...
        
        // Enabling multidex support.
        multiDexEnabled true
    }
    ...
}

dependencies {
  implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'  //with androidx libraries
  //implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'  //with support libraries
  
}

Also in your Manifest add the MultiDexApplication class from the multidex support library to the application element

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        package="com.example.android.multidex.myapplication">
        <application
            ...
            android:name="androidx.multidex.MultiDexApplication">

            <!-- If you are using support libraries use android:name="android.support.multidex.MultiDexApplication" -->

            <!--If you are using your own custom Application class then extend -->
            <!--MultiDexApplication and change above line as-->
            <!--android:name=".YourCustomApplicationClass"> -->

            ...
        </application>
    </manifest>

If you are using your own Application class, change the parent class from Application to MultiDexApplication.
If you can't do it, in your Application class override the attachBaseContext method with:

@Override
protected void attachBaseContext(Context newBase) {
    super.attachBaseContext(newBase);
    MultiDex.install(this);
}

Another solution is to try to remove unused code with ProGuard - Configure the ProGuard settings for your app to run ProGuard and ensure you have shrinking enabled for release builds.

---

In android/app/build.gradle

android {

compileSdkVersion 23

 buildToolsVersion '23.0.0'

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.dkm.example"
        minSdkVersion 15
        targetSdkVersion 23
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
        multiDexEnabled true
    }

Put this inside your defaultConfig:

multiDexEnabled true 

it works for me

---

Change the app level build.gradle :

android {

compileSdkVersion 23

 buildToolsVersion '23.0.0'

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.dkm.example"
        minSdkVersion 15
        targetSdkVersion 23
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
        multiDexEnabled true
    }

it worked for me.

---

I got this error message because while coding my project auto update compile version in my build.gradle file :

android {
    ...
    buildToolsVersion "23.0.2"
    ...
}

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    testCompile 'junit:junit:4.12'
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.4.0'
    compile 'com.android.support:design:23.4.0' }

Solve it by correcting the version:

android {
        ...
        buildToolsVersion "23.0.2"
        ...
    }

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    testCompile 'junit:junit:4.12'
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.0.1'
    compile 'com.android.support:design:23.0.1'
}

---

This is what worked for me:

This happens because there are too many unused methods. Most of these methods are coming from included libraries in your build.gradle

Use minify and shrink resources to fix this with gradle and clean up your code at the same time.

buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled true
            shrinkResources true
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
        debug {
            minifyEnabled true
            shrinkResources true
        }
    }

---

This error can also occur when you load all google play services apis when you only using afew.

As stated by google:"In versions of Google Play services prior to 6.5, you had to compile the entire package of APIs into your app. In some cases, doing so made it more difficult to keep the number of methods in your app (including framework APIs, library methods, and your own code) under the 65,536 limit.

From version 6.5, you can instead selectively compile Google Play service APIs into your app."

For example when your app needs play-services-maps ,play-services-location .You need to add only the two apis in your build.gradle file at app level as show below:

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:10.2.1'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:10.2.1'

Instead of:

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:10.2.1'

For full documentation and list of google play services apis click here

---

When your app references exceed 65,536 methods, you encounter a build error that indicates your app has reached the limit of the Android build architecture

Multidex support prior to Android 5.0

Versions of the platform prior to Android 5.0 (API level 21) use the Dalvik runtime for executing app code. By default, Dalvik limits apps to a single classes.dex bytecode file per APK. In order to get around this limitation, you can add the multidex support library to your project:

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

Multidex support for Android 5.0 and higher

Android 5.0 (API level 21) and higher uses a runtime called ART which natively supports loading multiple DEX files from APK files. Therefore, if your minSdkVersion is 21 or higher, you do not need the multidex support library.

Avoid the 64K limit

Remove unused code with ProGuard - Enable code shrinking

Configure multidex in app for

If your minSdkVersion is set to 21 or higher, all you need to do is set multiDexEnabled to true in your module-level build.gradle file

android {
defaultConfig {
    ...
    minSdkVersion 21 
    targetSdkVersion 28
    multiDexEnabled true
  }
 ...
}

if your minSdkVersion is set to 20 or lower, then you must use the multidex support library

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

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

Override the Application class, change it to extend MultiDexApplication (if possible) as follows:

public class MyApplication extends MultiDexApplication { ... }

add to the manifest file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.myapp">
    <application
            android:name="MyApplication" >
        ...
    </application>
</manifest>

---

I have been facing the same problem and for multidex support, you have to keep in mind the minSdkVersion of your application. If you are using minSdkVersion 21 or above then just write multiDexEnabled true like this

defaultConfig {
    applicationId *******************
    minSdkVersion 21
    targetSdkVersion 24
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
    multiDexEnabled true
}

It works for me and if you are using minSdkVersion below 21 (below lolipop) then you have to do two extra simple things

1. First add this dependency

compile 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.1'

in your build.gradle.

2. Last and second add one this below line to your application in manifest

android:name="android.support.multidex.MultiDexApplication"

<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:supportsRtl="true"
    android:name="android.support.multidex.MultiDexApplication"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
    <activity android:name=".MainActivity" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
</application>

Bingo then it will work in the lower version also..:) Happy coding

---

**

For Unity Game Developers

**

If anyone comes here because this error showed up in their Unity project, Go to File->Build Settings -> Player Settings -> Player. go to Publishing Settings and under the Build tab, enable "Custom Launcher Gradle Template". a path will be shown under that text. go to the path and add multiDexEnabled true like this:

defaultConfig {
    minSdkVersion **MINSDKVERSION**
    targetSdkVersion **TARGETSDKVERSION**
    applicationId '**APPLICATIONID**'
    ndk {
        abiFilters **ABIFILTERS**
    }
    versionCode **VERSIONCODE**
    versionName '**VERSIONNAME**'
    multiDexEnabled true
}

---

add this to avoid multidex issue for react native or any android project

android {

defaultConfig {
    ...

    // Enabling multidex support.
    multiDexEnabled true
}

}

dependencies {
  implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'  //with support libraries
  //implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'  //with androidx libraries

---

Just a side comment, Before adding support for multidex - make sure you are not adding unnecessary dependencies.

For example In the official Facebook analytics guide

They clearly state that you should add the following dependency:

implementation 'com.facebook.android:facebook-android-sdk:[4,5)'

which is actually the entire FacebookSDK - so if you need for example just the Analytics you need to replace it with:

implementation 'com.facebook.android:facebook-core:5.+'

Facebook partial SDK options

---

I changed my minSdkVersion to 20 and it worked for me. Check https://developer.android.com/studio/build/multidex#mdex-gradle for more details

---

For me Upgrading Gradle works.Look for update at Android Website then add it in your build.gradle (Project) like this

 dependencies {
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:2.2.0-alpha4'   
          ....
    }

then sync project with gradle file plus it might be happened sometimes because of java.exe (in my case) just force kill java.exe from task manager in windows then re run program

---

Can also try this :

android{
    .
    .
    // to avoid DexIndexOverflowException
    dexOptions {
       jumboMode true
    }
}

Hope it helps someone. Thanks

---

Do this, it works:

defaultConfig {
    applicationId "com.example.maps"
    minSdkVersion 15
    targetSdkVersion 24
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
    multiDexEnabled true
}

---

you can enable "Instant Run" on Android Studio to get multidex support.

---