Using Firebase with Jetpack Compose Authentication, Realtime DB, and Push Notifications

4 min readMay 5, 2025

✨ Introduction

In 2025, building modern Android apps is faster and more scalable than ever — especially when you combine Jetpack Compose with Firebase. Whether you’re developing a chat app, a real-time dashboard, or a social platform, Firebase provides essential backend services without the hassle of managing your own infrastructure.

This tutorial walks you through:

Setting up Firebase Authentication (Email & Password)
Reading and writing with Firebase Realtime Database
Sending and receiving Push Notifications using Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)
Seamless integration with Jetpack Compose UI

By the end, you’ll have a ready-to-expand app powered by Compose and Firebase — production-friendly and scalable.

🛠️ Part 1: Setting Up Firebase in Your Android Project

Step 1: Create a Firebase Project

Go to Firebase Console
Click “Add project”
Follow the prompts and skip Google Analytics (optional)

Step 2: Connect Your Android App

Add your app’s package name
Download google-services.json and place it in app/ directory

Step 3: Add Firebase SDKs in

Define Firebase BOM and SDKs in libs.versions.toml

[versions]
firebase-bom = "32.7.0"
firebase-auth = "22.3.0"
firebase-db = "20.3.0"
firebase-messaging = "23.3.1"

[libraries]
firebase-bom = { module = "com.google.firebase:firebase-bom", version.ref = "firebase-bom" }
firebase-auth = { module = "com.google.firebase:firebase-auth-ktx", version.ref = "firebase-auth" }
firebase-db = { module = "com.google.firebase:firebase-database-ktx", version.ref = "firebase-db" }
firebase-messaging = { module = "com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging-ktx", version.ref = "firebase-messaging" }

build.gradle (module-level)

plugins {
    id 'com.android.application'
    id 'org.jetbrains.kotlin.android'
    id 'com.google.gms.google-services'
}

dependencies {
    implementation platform(libs.firebase.bom)
    implementation libs.firebase.auth
    implementation libs.firebase.db
    implementation libs.firebase.messaging
}

Add this line at the bottom of your build.gradle (app-level):

apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

Sync the project — you’re ready to build.

🔐 Part 2: Firebase Authentication with Jetpack Compose

We’ll build a simple login screen and authenticate with email/password.

UI: Login Screen in Compose

@Composable
fun LoginScreen(viewModel: AuthViewModel) {
    val email = remember { mutableStateOf("") }
    val password = remember { mutableStateOf("") }

    Column(modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp)) {
        TextField(value = email.value, onValueChange = { email.value = it }, label = { Text("Email") })
        TextField(value = password.value, onValueChange = { password.value = it }, label = { Text("Password") }, visualTransformation = PasswordVisualTransformation())

        Button(onClick = {
            viewModel.signIn(email.value, password.value)
        }) {
            Text("Login")
        }
    }
}

ViewModel: Auth Logic

class AuthViewModel : ViewModel() {
    private val auth = FirebaseAuth.getInstance()

    fun signIn(email: String, password: String) {
        auth.signInWithEmailAndPassword(email, password)
            .addOnSuccessListener {
                Log.d("Auth", "Login successful")
            }
            .addOnFailureListener {
                Log.e("Auth", "Login failed: ${it.message}")
            }
    }
}

You can add registration and logout functions similarly.

🔄 Part 3: Reading & Writing with Firebase Realtime Database

Data Model

data class UserMessage(val id: String = "", val text: String = "", val timestamp: Long = 0)

Writing Data

fun sendMessage(message: UserMessage) {
    val ref = FirebaseDatabase.getInstance().getReference("messages")
    ref.child(message.id).setValue(message)
}

Reading Data in Real-Time

fun observeMessages(onUpdate: (List<UserMessage>) -> Unit) {
    val ref = FirebaseDatabase.getInstance().getReference("messages")
    ref.addValueEventListener(object : ValueEventListener {
        override fun onDataChange(snapshot: DataSnapshot) {
            val messages = snapshot.children.mapNotNull { it.getValue(UserMessage::class.java) }
            onUpdate(messages)
        }

        override fun onCancelled(error: DatabaseError) {
            Log.e("DB", "Database error: ${error.message}")
        }
    })
}

Display in Compose

@Composable
fun MessageList(messages: List<UserMessage>) {
    LazyColumn {
        items(messages) { message ->
            Text("${message.text} - ${Date(message.timestamp)}")
        }
    }
}

📲 Part 4: Push Notifications with Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)

Step 1: Enable FCM in Firebase Console

Go to Firebase Console → Cloud Messaging
Follow setup instructions

Step 2: Add Service

class MyFirebaseMessagingService : FirebaseMessagingService() {
    override fun onMessageReceived(remoteMessage: RemoteMessage) {
        super.onMessageReceived(remoteMessage)
        // Handle notification
        Log.d("FCM", "Message: ${remoteMessage.notification?.body}")
    }
}

<service
    android:name=".MyFirebaseMessagingService"
    android:exported="false">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
    </intent-filter>
</service>

Step 3: Get Device Token

FirebaseMessaging.getInstance().token
    .addOnSuccessListener { token ->
        Log.d("FCM", "Token: $token")
    }

Use this token on your server to send push notifications.

🧪 Bonus: Sending Push Notifications from Firebase Console

Go to Firebase Console → Cloud Messaging
Click “Send your first message”
Fill in the title/body and select your app
Use the token or send to all users

Great for testing your FCM setup before writing server logic.

🚀 Final Thoughts

By combining Firebase with Jetpack Compose, you’re building a modern, reactive, and scalable Android app — without worrying about backend infrastructure.

This combination is perfect for:

Real-time apps (chat, dashboards, collaboration)
Authentication-heavy apps
Projects that need fast prototyping or global scale

Firebase takes care of the backend, while Jetpack Compose empowers you to deliver beautiful UI with less code.

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