Android Studio Google JAR file causing GC overhead limit exceeded error

Remedial actions

Beefing up build.gradle dex options

Try feeding it more memory:

android {
    dexOptions {
        javaMaxHeapSize "4g" //pack it with calories
    }
}


This change supersizes the heap limit for dexing, a coder's version of an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Updating Android Studio

Make sure you're dining with the latest Android Studio 1.1.0 or even newer versions. The older ones are yesterday's news and don't handle the memory management as smoothly.

Optimizing your build

• Dish up the incremental builds with android.useIncrementalCompilation=true
• If your project doesn't feature multiple modules, set android.preDexLibraries=false //it's not a multi-layered lasagna
• Go to Android Studio Preferences and disable Instant Run to potentially boost performance.

Tweaking dependencies and code

• Pare down dependencies to lighten the memory load.
• Make sure your code is watertight, with no memory leaks or inefficient practices seeping through.

Harnessing Gradle capabilities

Adjust your gradle.properties like this:

org.gradle.parallel=true //more hands make light work
org.gradle.daemon=true //our little helper
org.gradle.configureondemand=true //on-demand efficiency 


These settings unlock a variety of Gradle performance goodies, such as parallel execution and on-demand configuration.

Keeping an eye on memory usage

Stay alert for large pidXXX.hprof files, which flag memory dumps and possible leaks. //Think of them as footprints left by a naughty memory thief

Expanding Android Studio and Gradle Daemon memory

In Android Studio's memory settings:

• Pump up IDE memory to at least 1GB by adjusting Xmx value
• Feed the gradle daemon more memory via org.gradle.jvmargs

Fostering community support

• Don't shy away from shedding light on your project on platforms such as Github.
• Connect with Android development communities for shared problem-solving.