Cause: duplicate entry: AndroidManifest.xml - android-studio

Question

I'm using a project downloaded from codecanyon.net, the project fails Gradle build with an error message. I tried reviewing other questions with a similar issue but none worked for me. Please anybody can help me fix this issue
Cause: duplicate entry: AndroidManifest.xml
Below is the manifest file
<?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="com.dreams.chat">
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CONTACTS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CALL_PHONE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.DISABLE_KEYGUARD" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
<application
android:name=".BaseApplication"
android:allowBackup="false"
android:appComponentFactory="whateverString"
android:hardwareAccelerated="true"
android:icon="#drawable/ic_logo_"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:largeHeap="true"
android:supportsRtl="true"
android:theme="#style/AppTheme"
android:usesCleartextTraffic="true"
tools:replace="android:allowBackup,android:appComponentFactory">
<activity
android:name=".activities.MainActivity"
android:launchMode="singleTop"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.ChatActivity"
android:parentActivityName=".activities.MainActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize">
<!--android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize|adjustPan">-->
<meta-data
android:name="android.support.PARENT_ACTIVITY"
android:value=".activities.MainActivity" />
</activity>
<activity android:name=".activities.ImageViewerActivity" />
<service
android:name=".services.FirebaseChatService"
android:enabled="true" />
<service android:name=".services.MyFirebaseMessagingService">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
</intent-filter>
</service>
<receiver
android:name=".receivers.ConnectivityReceiver"
android:enabled="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE"
tools:ignore="BatteryLife" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
<!-- https://developers.google.com/places/android-sdk/signup -->
<meta-data
android:name="com.google.android.geo.API_KEY"
android:value="#string/google_maps_key" />
<provider
android:name=".utils.MyFileProvider"
android:authorities="#string/authority"
android:exported="false"
android:grantUriPermissions="true"
tools:replace="android:authorities">
<meta-data
android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
android:resource="#xml/file_paths" />
</provider>
<activity
android:name=".activities.ContactViewerActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.ChatDetailActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.SignInActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:theme="#style/AppTheme.NoTitle"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.CallScreenActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.IncomingCallScreenActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.SplashActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:theme="#style/AppTheme.NoTitle"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
<service
android:name=".services.FetchMyUsersService"
android:exported="false" />
<service
android:name=".services.SinchService"
android:enabled="true"
android:exported="false" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.ChooseSignInActivity"
android:label="#string/title_activity_choose_sign_in"
android:theme="#style/AppTheme" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.ContactActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.PrivacyPolicyActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize" />
<meta-data
android:name="com.dreams.chat.status.glideProgressBar.OkHttpProgressGlideModule"
android:value="GlideModule" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.StatusStoriesActivity"
android:exported="true"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:theme="#style/FullScreenVideoTheme" />
<activity
android:name=".activities.CallListActivity"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustResize|adjustPan" />
</application>
</manifest>
and this is the excception detailed
FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.
* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:mergeDebugAssets'.
> Could not resolve all files for configuration ':app:debugRuntimeClasspath'.
> Failed to transform timezago-1.1.8.aar (com.chootdev:timezago:1.1.8) to match attributes {artifactType=android-assets, org.gradle.category=library, org.gradle.libraryelements=jar, org.gradle.status=release, org.gradle.usage=java-runtime}.
> Execution failed for JetifyTransform: C:\Users\JRAR\.gradle\caches\modules-2\files-2.1\com.chootdev\timezago\1.1.8\a988a24719cbe07115df73a045aa251630cdb10\timezago-1.1.8.aar.
> Failed to transform 'C:\Users\JRAR\.gradle\caches\modules-2\files-2.1\com.chootdev\timezago\1.1.8\a988a24719cbe07115df73a045aa251630cdb10\timezago-1.1.8.aar' using Jetifier. Reason: ZipException, message: duplicate entry: AndroidManifest.xml. (Run with --stacktrace for more details.)
Please file a bug at http://issuetracker.google.com/issues/new?component=460323.
* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output. Run with --scan to get full insights.
* Get more help at https://help.gradle.org
Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 7.0.
Use '--warning-mode all' to show the individual deprecation warnings.
See https://docs.gradle.org/6.1.1/userguide/command_line_interface.html#sec:command_line_warnings

Answer 1

The issue was with allowbackup and appComponentFactory. I found lead to my solution in this question, if logs and build is not providing enough details about the issue, do check merged manifest it show errors with suggestions.
Open application manifest (AndroidManifest.xml) and click on Merged Manifest (in bottom) see image below.