Firebase SDK integration and Phone Number Verification

Before starting this blog one thing comes in my mind what is, why, when, and how should I use Firebase. Let’s see it one by one-

• Firebase is a platform facilitates web and mobile to develop a high-quality application. Acquired by Google in 2014 from Firebase, Inc.
• When we design a web app or mobile app database is a big problem. It uses a lot of bandwidth for a large amount of data, we have to save in DB. So, it’s not easy to manage all these things. Thus, firebase is a solution for that.
• Manages the problem of Database in real-time. Solve the scaling problem.
• Firebase provides us all sorts of authentication such as one-time click authentication via Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, etc. or phone number verification.
• It does cloud messaging, app notification, advertisement programs.
• Also, provide Firebase Analytics components.

How to Configure the Firebase SDK in Android:

Below are the steps to configure firebase:

1. Open Firebase console:

Add project-

a) Write the project name

b) Configure Google Analytics if required

Now, the project has been created.

2. Project Overview Page to register app:

a.) Click on the Android icon to register App

b.) Enter your package name, SHA1 (optional) and App NickName (optional) to register app

3. Now, download App Config File i.e. google-service.json

a.) Move your app-config file to your app

b.) To copy it in our app first goto Project view then click MyApp -> app and paste it. As shown below:

4. To enable Firebase products google-service to add plugins in your Gradle:

a.) Add

apply plugin: ‘com.google.gms.google-services’ 

in build.gradle(Module:app) i.e. app-level gradle file.

b.) Also, add below dependency

classpath ‘com.google.gms:google-services:<latest-version>’ 

in build.gradle(Project:YourApp) i.e. project level gradle file.

5. If you have enabled Google Analytics then to add SDK in your project add below the line as a dependency

implementation ‘com.google.firebase:firebase-analytics:<latest-version>’ 

in build.gradle(Module:app) i.e. app-level gradle file.

Now, run the app to check whether your app is connected with Firebase or not (work only in a physical device, not emulator)

For SHA in Android Studio:-

Click Gradle setting on the right side corner

Click on YourApp-> Tasks -> android -> signing report

Will get all the data related Config: debug

Now, Let's see how to configure firebase Automatically, it’s pretty simple and easy to configure:

To configure firebase Automatically in your App:

1. Open your app in Android Studio.
2. Select Tools > Firebase to open the Assistant pane
3. Click on the tools you want to use let’s say we clicked on Analytics -> login
4. After login, it will connect your app to firebase
5. Click Add Analytics to your app.
6. Follow all the steps as the tutorial guides you.
7. If you added Analytics, run your app to send verification to Firebase that you’ve successfully integrated Firebase. Otherwise, you can skip this verification step.

As shown below:

Authenticate a Phone Number using Firebase on Android

Here is the app link for phone number authentication, code explanation detail is in the app: PhoneNumberVerificationApp

Firebase made Phone numbers authentication very easy.

Note: Here, are three points which you have to follow before running the app

1. Before running the sample app change App Config File i.e. google-service.json with your config file.

2. To do authentication it is necessary to add SHA1 in your app. If you haven’t added it before.

3. Firebase enforces a limit on the number of SMS messages that can be sent to a single phone number within a period of time. If you exceed this limit, phone number verification requests might be throttled. If you encounter this issue during development, use a different phone number for testing, or try the request again later.

Hope, it helps every one to get some knowledge of firebase. In the future, I will write more about firebase storage.

Thank you,

Happy Learning.