React Native AndroidManifest.xml can't be editted

Question

I am trying to get Geolocation to work on my React Native App on my physical android device.

When I include the line

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

into my AndroidManifest.xml file, and then run react-native, the file reverts to what it was before, and I am unable to run react-native with that permission line in the file. In fact, I can write anything in the file and it will all get deleted.

Does anyone know why this happens and how to fix it? My AndroidManifest.xml file is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.finalditto"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="16"
        android:targetSdkVersion="22" />

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW" />

    <android:uses-permission 
android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <android:uses-permission 
android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
    <android:uses-permission 
android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

    <application
        android:name="com.finalditto.MainApplication"
        android:allowBackup="false"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity
            android:name="com.finalditto.MainActivity"

android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenSize"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
        <activity 
android:name="com.facebook.react.devsupport.DevSettingsActivity" />
    </application>

</manifest>

This is also what the file reverts to after running:

react-native run-android

Answer 1

After much trial and error:

The problem lies in the incorrect AndroidManifest.xml file being edited. The first file shown by window's search engine was incorrect. The correct file lies in the path:

android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml