Android Studio missing essential plugin org.jetbrains.android

I have just updated to Android Studio 4.1 Canary 9, but I am getting the following error:

Missing essential plugin:

  org.jetbrains.android

Please reinstall Android Studio from scratch.

I've tried reinstalling Android Studio from scratch, as the error says, but nothing changes.

Just delete this file (or delete last disabled plugin(s) in this file):

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\.AndroidStudio<version>\config\disabled_plugins.txt

Update 10 Feb 2021:

If you couldn't find this address try this on windows:

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio<version>\disabled_plugins.txt

Recently this Address transferred to here.

Update 04 August 2021:

If you are using windows 11 The App data folder is hidden and needs to be prompted(just search how to take out the missing app data folder in windows 11) Then go to the same location as earlier mentioned and delete that file

For Windows users.

C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudioPreview4.1\disabled_plugins.txt

Deleting this file will fix the issue.

More detailed information.

On Mac OS

1. Open /Users//Library/Preferences/AndroidStudio4.0/codestyles

2. delete disabled_plugins.txt

3. restart Android Studio

As the Known Issues section of the Android Studio 4.1 Preview page notes, if you are getting this error in Android Studio 4.1 Canary 9, it means that you have a locally installed Kotlin plugin that is not compatible with the new IDE.

To resolve it, you should delete the Kotlin folder from the following locations (from the above linked page), depending on your operating system:

Linux: ~/.local/share/Google/AndroidStudioPreview4.1

Windows: C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudioPreview4.1

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudioPreview4.1

For Linux and macOS, ~ refers to your home directory, and a directory can be removed from the command line (Terminal) with rm -rf directory_name_here.

There is no need to install a replacement Kotlin plugin, as it is bundled in that version of Android Studio.

On Linux (Fedora release 30), the issue happened after I wanted to disable Kotlin features during installation. I could resolve it by removing configure files:

rm -r ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio4.1

Or just remove the disabled_plugins.txt file:

rm  ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio4.1/disabled_plugins.txt

Sometimes you are compelled to re-extract your android-studio on your Linux machine. Notice that removing ~/.local/share/Google/AndroidStudio4.1/ directory did not help me.

Disabling the Kotlin plugin for Android Studio 4.x causes this problem and you can't open the Android Studio until enable the Kotlin plugin again. To re-enable plugins without opening Android Studio, you can delete or edit the disabled_plugins.txt file from your Android Studio configuration path.

For Linux distros, the default configuration directory is ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio4.x/

So deleting disabled_plugins.txt will enable all of your disabled plugins and solve your problem.

rm ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio4.1/disabled_plugins.txt

For macOS, the default directory is ~/Library/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudio4.x

rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/AndroidStudio4.1/disabled_plugins.txt

I'm using Linux Ubuntu 18.04 and Android Studio 4.0 and I found disabled_plugins.txt file in this directory:

/home/[your_username]/.AndroidStudio4.0/config

and after that I found I've put Kotlin plugin at the end of file. Just remove that line, Android Studio will work. By the way, on any other OS, you can find your file just by searching disabled_plugins.txt.

On Linux, when disabling all plugins, this may happen (Artic Fox). The path is (or may be):

~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio2020.3/disabled_plugins.txt

Commenting out entries with a # is possible, in order to leave specific plugins disabled.

For Windows users

C:\Users\Admin[if you have username].AndroidStudio4.0\config

There you can find disabled _plugins.txt delete it and restart android studio

Got to C:Drive and delete disabled_plugins.txt file

C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudioVersion\disabled_plugins.txt

If you don't find watch this video https://youtu.be/sMzAw6xaiZU that I made.

Library -> Application support -> Google -> AndroidStudio4.2 -> disabled_plugins.txt

For MAC Mojave

C:\Users\Dell\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio4.1

and then delete >>>> disabled_plugin.txt

At the place of Dell, you can place your user name or device name(Example - Dell, Lenovo etc).

For MacOS BigSur

Root/Users/{your_user}/Library/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudio{version}/disabled_plugins.txt

Searching for the file won't work.

Gain access to root through Shift+cmd+g

Show hidden files using Shift+cmd+. (Library will most likely be hidden inside your user folder)

2022 - for MacOs Catalina:

Finder / Users / *your_username / Library / Application Support / Google / AndroidStudio20021+ / disable_plugins.txt /

find and delete this line "org.jetbrains.kotlin" or delete the line causing your problem

I'm using Android Studio 4.0 from homebrew. And delete this

/Users/[your_name]/Library/Preferences/AndroidStudio4.0/disabled_plugin.txt

in macOS Catalina 10.15, this file can be found at /Users/{your_user_name}/Library/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudio4.1/plugins

This issue happens because of two reasons.

1. You disabled some plugins from Android Studio and Restarted.
2. Some Plugins disabled by any thread and you starts getting missing essential plugin org.jetbrains.android this error message.

Solution is simple.

C:\Users\Numan\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio4.1

Just go to the latest Android Studio Version, and find the text document file named as disabled_plugins. Now open it, and delete the lines which you think has been disabled, or otherwise delete the complete disabled_plugins file and open the Android Studio. You can also search disabled_plugins in your C Drive, and one text file will appear in case you're unable to locate it from AppData.

It Works - Cheers !!!

Removing these from disabled_plugins.txt fixes the issue if you have disabled some of the plugins. Instead of adding back all the plugins, specify the plugins to enable:

groovy, smali, kotlin, junit // (i.e: Enable these)

for Android Studio AndroidStudio2020.3 just remove this file:

disabled_plugins.txt

from this path:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio2020.3

It seems you disabled your plugins before, so find and edit

> disabled_plugins.txt

and delete the plugin you want to enable it.

In windows, the location of file is :

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio...

only windows user try this it works for me I am Deleting this file disabled_plugins.txt

C:\Users\ashif.AndroidStudio4.0\config

On Linux with Android Studio 4.1

it was another path for me, maybe this is the new format now?

> ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio4.1

> Delete disabled_plugins.txt this contains all disabled plugins

Error Reason: This issue occurs after disabling one or more plugin (example: Kotlin) from Android Studio 4.x settings (Android Studio -> Preferences —> Plugins —> Uncheck the Kotlin plugin -> Apply -> Ok —> Restart the Android Studio ==> ERROR prompt

Solution (Mac Specific): Remove the “disabled_plugins.txt” file

1. find ~/Library -name disabled_plugins.txt
 Ideally, the path would be: /Users//Library/Preferences/AndroidStudio4.x/disabled_plugins.txt
2. rm disabled_plugins.txt
3. Restart the Android Studio

For Android Studio 4.2+ this happens when you disable the Properties Pluggin or Groovy Plugin, you can remove these entries from the disabled_pluggins.txt. For Windows users the file is located at:

C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudioPreview4.X\disabled_plugins.txt

Provide your username in the {username} field in the above address, alternatively, you could just delete this file as the other answers mention!

All answer related with disabled_plugins.txt is right, but it is enough to just delete the line (it is not necessary to delete this file. Thus, previously disabled plugins will remain disabled.)

I had the same issue due to disabling Kotlin plugin.

Fix was as simple as removing the Kotlin line from ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio4.1/disabled_plugins.txt.

You can also try the following directory:

• Search for %appdata% in the windows search bar
• Google\AndroidStudio4.1
• delete disabled_plugins.txt

I solved it by deleting the files in the following folder: ...\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudioPreview2020.3\plugins
probably a problem on some plugin, kotlin in my case Restart android Studio (ArtFox canary version)

Solution is to delete disabled_plugins.txt.

On Linux, Android Studio 4.1 path is:

~/.config/JetBrains/AndroidStudio4.1

In mac os use Cmd+Shift+. to show hidden files and when find disabled_plugins.txt

If you are using JetBrains Tool Box to install just find the disabled_plugins.txt file on the path below: C:\Users[YOUR USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio2021.1

I found this solution helpful after upgrade to Android Studio Arctic Fox 2020.3.1 Canary 2 from Jetbrains Toolbox.

> Navigate to user -> make Library package visible(it's hidden in most > cases) -> Application support -> Google -> delete the old directories > of android studio

Android Studio 4.1.1

I have disabled some plugins (trying to speed up Android Studio) and got this error message above.

So I opend a file explorer, enable hidden files and navigate to:

> C:\Users\myUserName\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio4.1

and deleted the txt file disabled_plugins

Now Android studio works.

Ok, none of the above worked for me, and I was actually going quite insane... Until I finally found THIS video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MbXG8qwmMA

and realized that I'd been deleting in the WRONG .AndroidStudio directory!!  There is a .AndroidStudio4.0 folder in the path described in other answers here, and I just didn't look carefully enough at the name... Because of course, my Android Studio version is 4.1, not 4.0!  And they've moved those files to a different location, which is probably why this problem arises in the first place...

So my correct location of the error-causing file is now:

>C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio4.1\disabled_plugins.txt

Try it, or otherwise just look for a folder with the correct version name in it, or just search your entire user directory for the file name! My AS works again now! 

This seems to happen when you try to install the provided plugin when upgrading to AS2020.3.1.5. But I can't find the suggested disabled_plugin.xml in the folder C:\Users\[your_name]\AppData\Local\Google\AndroidStudioPreview2020.3.

Anyhow, I am still able to open the previous 2020.3.1.x version, so it may be stored somewhere else... (since theese two versions are using the same Library/Application Support/ path).

It seems there are many sources of this problem. I had the issue with Android Studio 2020.3.1 Canary 5. All was fine using 2020.3.1 Canary 4, despite both using the same configuration files.

In my case the offender was the Kotlin folder located at:

C:\Users<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudioPreview2020.3\plugins

I note an earlier answer has the Kotlin folder at the level where in my case the 'plugins' folder was located. I moved the folder out, started and finally Canary 5 started.

Starting Canary 4 again recreated the folder and reported 'corrupt installation', and made the problem return. But removing the folder again allowed Canary 5 to run again.

For me, it happened because I disabled JUnit. You should not disable basic android studio plugins.

so remove those plugins from disabled_plugins.txt under the following directory for windows

C:\Users\your_user_name\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio_your_version\disabled_plugins.txt

and removed basic android plugins names from there.

For me, it was under

C:\Users\mirza\AppData\Roaming\Google\AndroidStudio4.2

If you are not sure how many and which plugin you should remove then do a trial and error method, which mean removing one plugin from the file and starting an android studio. Do this until the studio starts without andy error