Build error when updating Unity IAP from 1.23.5 to 2.2.4, Manifest merger failed

Question

Look like Unity IAP changed from using Google Play Billing 3.0.0 to 3.0.1, and now I can't build APK anymore.

I'm getting this error when I try to build APK for android:

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':launcher:processDebugManifest'.
Manifest merger failed : Attribute meta-data#com.google.android.play.billingclient.version@value value=(3.0.1) from [:billing-3.0.1:] AndroidManifest.xml:15:13-34
    is also present at [:GooglePlayBilling:] AndroidManifest.xml:15:13-34 value=(3.0.0).
    Suggestion: add 'tools:replace="android:value"' to <meta-data> element at AndroidManifest.xml:13:9-15:37 to override.

I tried adding 'tools.replace="android:value"' like the suggestion say but it still doesn't work, I don't know if I did it correctly. My custom AndroidManifest (which is created from checking "Custom Main Manifest" in Project Setting > Player > Build) looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" package="[packagename]" android:versionCode="1" android:versionName="1.0">
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
  <application android:label="@string/app_name" android:icon="@drawable/app_icon">
    <!-- The MessagingUnityPlayerActivity is a class that extends
         UnityPlayerActivity to work around a known issue when receiving
         notification data payloads in the background. -->
    <activity android:name="com.google.firebase.MessagingUnityPlayerActivity" android:configChanges="fontScale|keyboard|keyboardHidden|locale|mnc|mcc|navigation|orientation|screenLayout|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|uiMode|touchscreen">
      <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
      </intent-filter>
      <meta-data android:name="unityplayer.UnityActivity" android:value="true" />
      <meta-data
                tools:replace="android:value"
                android:name="com.google.android.play.billingclient.version"
                android:value="3.0.1" />
    </activity>
    <service android:name="com.google.firebase.messaging.MessageForwardingService" android:exported="false" />
    <service android:name="com.google.android.gms.analytics.CampaignTrackingService" />
    <receiver android:name="com.google.android.gms.analytics.CampaignTrackingReceiver"
              android:exported="true" >
      <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="com.android.vending.INSTALL_REFERRER" />
      </intent-filter>
    </receiver>
  </application>
</manifest>

Before updating Unity IAP, I can build successful without errors. How should I fix this? I'm using Unity 2019.4.8f1. I installed the Unity IAP from Package Manager. This is the asset link: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/add-ons/services/billing/unity-iap-68207

Answer 1

Well I figured it out. There are 2 .aar files that both do something with Google Billing Library causing the conflict. Their names are mentioned in the error message (in the square brackets [:GooglePlayBilling:])

Assets\Plugins\UnityPurchasing\Bin\Android\billing-3.0.1.aar

and

Packages/com.google.play.billing/Runtime/Plugins/GooglePlayBilling.aar

I deleted the billing-3.0.1.aar file and update Google Play Billing Library to 3.1.0 and it works now.