Android DataStore: unresolved Reference edit, stringPreferencesKey

Question

I'm writing an Android app that is using DataStore. I'm failing to compile even a stripped-down version of it - I always get a compilation error for the import statements saying unresolved Reference to edit, stringPreferencesKey and so on of PreferenceDataStore:

Task :app:compileDebugKotlin FAILED
e: file:///C:/Users/\<...\>/MainActivity.kt:14:44 Unresolved reference 'edit'.
e: file:///C:/Users/\<...\>/MainActivity.kt:15:44 Unresolved reference 'stringPreferencesKey'.
e: file:///C:/Users/\<...\>//MainActivity.kt:25:44 Unresolved reference 'stringPreferencesKey'.
e: file:///C:/Users/\<...\>//MainActivity.kt:31:41 Unresolved reference 'edit'.
e: file:///C:/Users/\<...\>//MainActivity.kt:32:17 Unresolved reference 'it'.

import android.content.Context
import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
import androidx.activity.enableEdgeToEdge
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.datastore.core.DataStore
import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.Preferences
import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.edit
import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.stringPreferencesKey
import androidx.datastore.preferences.preferencesDataStore
import androidx.lifecycle.lifecycleScope
import de.dzwfd.example.glucocollect.ui.theme.MyTheme
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch

val Context.dataStore: DataStore<Preferences> by preferencesDataStore(name = "settings")

class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
    val DS_USER: Preferences.Key<String> = stringPreferencesKey("DS_USER")

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        val user = "Frank"
        lifecycleScope.launch {
            [email protected] {
                it[DS_USER] = user
            }
        }
        enableEdgeToEdge()

        setContent {
            Surface(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize()) {
                Text("Hallo")
            }
        }
    }
}

build.gradle.kts (dependency group):

dependencies {
    implementation(libs.androidx.core.ktx)
    implementation(libs.androidx.lifecycle.runtime.ktx)
    implementation(libs.androidx.activity.compose)
    implementation(libs.androidx.datastore.preferences)
    implementation(platform(libs.androidx.compose.bom))
    implementation(libs.androidx.ui)
    implementation(libs.androidx.ui.graphics)
    implementation(libs.androidx.ui.tooling.preview)
    implementation(libs.androidx.material3)
    implementation(libs.androidx.lifecycle.runtime.compose.android)
    testImplementation(libs.junit)
    androidTestImplementation(libs.androidx.junit)
    androidTestImplementation(libs.androidx.espresso.core)
    androidTestImplementation(platform(libs.androidx.compose.bom))
    androidTestImplementation(libs.androidx.ui.test.junit4)
    debugImplementation(libs.androidx.ui.tooling)
    debugImplementation(libs.androidx.ui.test.manifest)
}

I stripped-down the app as far as possible and checked the gradle file. I'm using the latest version of 1.1.5 for androidx.datastore:datastore-preferences and the latest Kotlin version kotlin = "2.1.20".

This seem to only happen when building the app, the built-in compiler of Android Studio doesn't show any issues. This also seems to be exclusive to clean builds with data store version 1.1.5.

My build environment is up to date - I'm completely clueless.

The fix will go out on the 1.1.6 release on May 7. issuetracker.google.com/issues/413061399#comment19 — Telember
– Telember, Commented May 6 at 8:50

Saif M · Accepted Answer · 2025-05-08 12:57:00Z

23

This seems to be an issue with Datastore 1.1.5, downgrading androidx.datastore:datastore-preferences to 1.1.4 or upgrading to 1.2.0-alpha01 should solve the issue until this is fixed.

edited May 8 at 12:57

Saif M

5861 gold badge8 silver badges23 bronze badges

answered Apr 27 at 11:13

Bulat

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1 Comment

Edric Apr 27 at 17:55

You might want to link the tracking issue as well: issuetracker.google.com/issues/413061399

Shakil Ahmed Shaj · Accepted Answer · 2025-05-19 08:18:44Z

2

Update to 1.1.6, this issue is fixed in this version.

answered May 19 at 8:18

Shakil Ahmed Shaj

5762 silver badges11 bronze badges

1 Comment

de11833 May 20 at 15:04

Yes, it does. Yesterday I tried it out.

Petr K · Accepted Answer · 2025-05-03 16:35:28Z

1

Changing

implementation 'androidx.datastore:datastore-core-android:1.1.5'
implementation 'androidx.datastore:datastore-preferences-core-android:1.1.5'

to

implementation 'androidx.datastore:datastore-core-android:1.1.4'
implementation 'androidx.datastore:datastore-preferences:1.1.4'

worked for me.

answered May 3 at 16:35

Petr K

111 bronze badge

1 Comment

Jeremy Caney May 4 at 6:49

Isn’t this exactly what the top-voted, accepted answer already says?

Dibyendu Mahata · Accepted Answer · 2025-04-29 03:21:46Z

0

Starting from 1.1.4, and enforced in 1.1.5, the default storage backend for PreferencesDataStore was changed from OkioStorage to FileStorage via a new PreferencesFileSerializer. This aims to reduce CorruptionException, but it introduces incompatibility if your app still has preferences saved with the old serialization format (i.e., from before 1.1.4).

answered Apr 29 at 3:21

Dibyendu Mahata

2173 silver badges5 bronze badges

1 Comment

de11833 Apr 29 at 17:57

This doesn't explain to me why existing code won't compile with 1.1.5.

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