What does the logcat warning `Unknown element under : meta-data` mean?

Question

While running a a freshly installed app, I find this Warning messages in the logcat:

W/PackageManager( 1233): Couldn't remove dex file for package:  at location /data/app/xx.yy.zz-1/base.apk, retcode=-1
I/SmartHeartBeat( 1233): listenAppUpdate, package: xx.yy.zz has been Updated
W/PackageParser( 2909): Unknown element under <manifest>: meta-data at /storage/emulated/0/xxx/zz.apk Binary XML file line #143

Trying to track down the offending meta-data element tagged Binary XML file line #143, I find the following:

# aapt l -a zz.apk

AndroidManifest.xml
META-INF/CERT.RSA
META-INF/CERT.SF
META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
...
Android manifest:
N: android=http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android
  E: manifest (line=2)
    ...
    A: platformBuildVersionCode=(type 0x10)0x19 (Raw: "25")
    A: platformBuildVersionName="7.1.1" (Raw: "7.1.1")
    ...
    E: meta-data (line=143)
      A: android:name(0x01010003)="android.support.VERSION" (Raw: "android.support.VERSION")
      A: android:value(0x01010024)="25.3.1" (Raw: "25.3.1")
...

But I don't have anything like this in my AndroidManifest.xml and the only other reference to "25.3.1" is in my gradle.build file, which are the dependency lines for the Android Support Libraries:

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:25.3.1'
    ...
}

What is the problem and why does this warning occur? (How do I resolve it?)

@azizbekian I turned it off **and** downgraded the support library, back to 25.1.0, and the problem seem gone! Any ideas what is causing it? — not2qubit, Apr 09 '17 at 14:28
Actually things are a bit more complicated, since package was rebased and both AS and libraries was updated within 2 days. I need to test it again, since I never used instant run and have no idea if it was off before the update. So how did you find out it may be related to instant run? — not2qubit, Apr 09 '17 at 14:39
You see weird outputs that you have never expected to see - first thing you should think of is instant run. — azizbekian, Apr 09 '17 at 14:40
@azizbekian Please post an answer that I can accept. I re-upped libraries and it still compiles fine. Another FUd source for strange behavior seem to be the `minifyEnabled true` which is out-of-the-box incompatible with ProGuard and also do not work with [various things](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/shrink-code.html#keep-code). — not2qubit, Apr 10 '17 at 10:35

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

2

Turning off instant run feature would resolve the issue.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

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answered Apr 10 '17 at 10:36

azizbekian

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What does the logcat warning `Unknown element under : meta-data` mean?

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