Plugin with id 'com.android.application' Not Found: Fix Gradle Plugin Resolution

Gradle resolves build plugins separately from normal project dependencies. For Android builds, the `com.android.application` plugin must be resolvable from the project’s plugin configuration and Google’s repository.

Android Gradle PluginAndroid Studio · GradleLast reviewed Sep 25, 2026

🎯 You’re likely in the right place if:

Gradle reports that plugin id `com.android.application` was not found.The error occurs during project configuration or sync, before app compilation.The project uses a `plugins {}` block, version catalog, or migrated Gradle configuration.

Difficulty: ModerateRisk: Low first

🔎 Quick Check — verify pluginManagement repositories

Open `settings.gradle` or `settings.gradle.kts` and confirm the repositories used for plugin resolution include Google’s Maven repository.

pluginManagement {
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()
        gradlePluginPortal()
    }
}

Verify: Gradle has a repository configuration capable of resolving the Android Gradle Plugin.

Was google() missing from pluginManagement?

ADSENSE · reserved slot after the first useful step

Why this happens

Gradle uses plugin repositories separately from repositories for normal project dependencies. Android’s Gradle plugin is published through Google’s repository, and modern Android projects commonly declare the plugin version at the top level while applying the plugin in the app module.

Diagnose before changing more

Is the plugin declared with a version at the top level?
If the module only says `id("com.android.application")`, the project still needs a version supplied by the root build or version catalog.

Does settings.gradle(.kts) contain google() inside pluginManagement?
Putting google() only in dependencyResolutionManagement is not the same as making it available for plugin resolution.

Did this project recently migrate DSL or AGP versions?
Check that the plugin declaration style and version source still match the project structure.

Fix #2 — declare the Android plugin version at the project level

If your project does not use a version catalog, declare a project-compatible Android Gradle Plugin version in the top-level build file and apply it in the app module. Do not blindly paste the newest version into an older project.

// top-level build.gradle.kts
plugins {
    id("com.android.application") version "" apply false
}

// app/build.gradle.kts
plugins {
    id("com.android.application")
}

🟡 Before changing configuration: Use an AGP version compatible with the project’s Gradle and JDK versions.

Did Fix #2 work?

Fix #3 — align repository and plugin declarations after migration

If the project mixes old `buildscript`/`classpath` configuration with a newer `plugins {}` layout, finish the migration consistently. Keep plugin repositories in `pluginManagement`, then sync the project again.

./gradlew tasks

🟡 Keep it reversible: Run from the project root. If resolution fails before tasks are listed, read the first plugin-resolution error rather than changing unrelated dependencies.

Did Fix #3 work?

Still seeing the error?

If the plugin declaration and repositories are correct but Gradle still cannot resolve it, check network/proxy access to Google Maven and the compatibility of the selected AGP, Gradle and JDK versions. That is a resolution or compatibility problem, not an app-module dependency problem.

Official references

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Plugin with id 'com.android.application' Not Found: Fix Gradle Plugin Resolution

Why this happens

Diagnose before changing more

Fix #2 — declare the Android plugin version at the project level

Fix #3 — align repository and plugin declarations after migration

Still seeing the error?

Official references

Related troubleshooting

Still stuck? Ask the community