Why does Leak Canary detect Google firebase APIs as Leaks? - firebase

Question

Why does Leak Canary detect Google firebase APIs as Leaks?
When I launch an app while using firebase, it keeps on detecting memory leaks. Is there a way to stop this? Thanks.
┬───
│ GC Root: Global variable in native code
│
├─ com.google.firebase.auth.api.fallback.service.zza instance
│ Leaking: UNKNOWN
│ Retaining 634 B in 9 objects
│ zza instance of com.google.firebase.auth.api.fallback.service.
│ FirebaseAuthFallbackService
│ ↓ zza.zza
│ ~~~
╰→ com.google.firebase.auth.api.fallback.service.FirebaseAuthFallbackService
​ instance
​ Leaking: YES (ObjectWatcher was watching this because com.google.firebase.
​ auth.api.fallback.service.FirebaseAuthFallbackService received
​ Service#onDestroy() callback)
​ Retaining 606 B in 8 objects
​ key = 7ab80331-3185-47d4-b999-118434212080
​ watchDurationMillis = 5284
​ retainedDurationMillis = 278
​ mApplication instance of com.example.app.App
​ mBase instance of android.app.ContextImpl
METADATA
Build.VERSION.SDK_INT: 27
Build.MANUFACTURER: iLA
LeakCanary version: 2.6
App process name: com.example.app
Stats: LruCache[maxSize=3000,hits=1327,misses=42351,hitRate=3%]
RandomAccess[bytes=2171000,reads=42351,travel=15377633875,range=14122402,size=17
486349]
Heap dump reason: 1 retained objects, app is not visible
Analysis duration: 16095 ms```

Answer 1

https://github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/2387
Edited:
Here is the suggested workaround to ignore that small leak from the site:
First, disable the automatic install:
<resources>
<bool name="leak_canary_watcher_auto_install">false</bool>
</resources>
Then install LeakCanary manually in your debug application, ignoring FirebaseAuthFallbackService:
class DebugExampleApplication : ExampleApplication() {
override fun onCreate() {
super.onCreate()
val delegate = ReachabilityWatcher { watchedObject, description ->
if (watchedObject::class.java.name != "com.google.firebase.auth.api.fallback.service.FirebaseAuthFallbackService
​ instance") {
AppWatcher.objectWatcher.expectWeaklyReachable(watchedObject, description)
}
}
val watchersToInstall = AppWatcher.appDefaultWatchers(application, delegate)
AppWatcher.manualInstall(
application = application,
watchersToInstall = watchersToInstall
)
}
}