Firebase Setup

Firebase Setup

Configure your own Firebase project to enable cloud backup, authentication, and other backend features in your rebranded app.

Prerequisites

• Firebase account (free tier available)
• Your app’s new package name/bundle identifier
• Admin access to configure Firebase services

Step 1: Create Firebase Project

1. Create New Project

1. Go to Firebase Console
2. Click “Create a project”
3. Enter project name (e.g., “your-app-name”)
4. Enable/disable Google Analytics (recommended: enable)
5. Accept terms and create project

2. Project Configuration

Recommended Settings:

• Region: Choose closest to your target users
• Analytics: Enable for user insights
• Budget Alerts: Set up billing alerts

Step 2: Enable Required Services

Authentication

1. In Firebase Console, go to Authentication
2. Click “Get started”
3. Enable sign-in methods:
   • Email/Password: For user accounts
   • Anonymous: For temporary accounts (optional)

Step 3: Automated Firebase Configuration with FlutterFire

The easiest way to configure Firebase for your Flutter app is using the FlutterFire CLI tool. This automates the entire setup process.

1. Install FlutterFire CLI

# Install Firebase CLI (prerequisite)
npm install -g firebase-tools

# Login to Firebase
firebase login

# Install FlutterFire CLI
dart pub global activate flutterfire_cli

2. Run FlutterFire Configure

Navigate to your Flutter project root and run:

# Configure Firebase for your project
flutterfire configure

# Follow the interactive prompts:
# 1. Select your Firebase project (or create new one)
# 2. Choose platforms: Android, iOS
# 3. Enter your package name: com.yourcompany.yourapp
# 4. Enter iOS bundle ID: com.yourcompany.yourapp

Example FlutterFire Configure Session:

$ flutterfire configure
i Found 2 Firebase projects.
? Select a Firebase project to configure your Flutter application with: your-app-project
? Which platforms should your configuration support (use arrow keys & space to select)? android, ios
i Firebase android app com.yourcompany.yourapp is not registered on Firebase project your-app-project.
i Registered a new Firebase android app on Firebase project your-app-project.
i Firebase ios app com.yourcompany.yourapp is not registered on Firebase project your-app-project.
i Registered a new Firebase ios app on Firebase project your-app-project.

Firebase configuration file lib/firebase_options.dart generated successfully with the following Firebase apps:

Platform  Firebase App Id
android   1:123456789:android:abcdef123456
ios       1:123456789:ios:abcdef123456

Learn more about using this file and next steps from the documentation:
 > https://firebase.google.com/docs/flutter/setup

3. What FlutterFire Configure Does

The command automatically:

• Creates Firebase apps for Android and iOS in your project
• Downloads configuration files:
  • android/app/google-services.json for Android
  • ios/Runner/GoogleService-Info.plist for iOS
• Generates lib/firebase_options.dart with platform-specific configuration
• Updates your project with necessary Firebase dependencies

4. Verify Generated Files

Check that these files were created:

your-app/
├── lib/
│   └── firebase_options.dart          # ✓ Generated
├── android/app/
│   └── google-services.json           # ✓ Downloaded
└── ios/Runner/
    └── GoogleService-Info.plist       # ✓ Downloaded

5. Update Dependencies

Add Firebase Authentication to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter

  # Firebase dependencies
  firebase_core: ^2.24.2
  firebase_auth: ^4.15.3

  # Your existing dependencies...

Then run:

flutter pub get

6. Initialize Firebase in Your App

Update your lib/main.dart:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:firebase_core/firebase_core.dart';
import 'firebase_options.dart'; // Generated by FlutterFire

Future<void> main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();

  // Initialize Firebase
  await Firebase.initializeApp(
    options: DefaultFirebaseOptions.currentPlatform,
  );

  runApp(const MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  const MyApp({super.key});

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'Your App Name',
      theme: ThemeData(
        primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
      ),
      home: const MyHomePage(),
    );
  }
}

7. Test Firebase Connection

Create a simple test to verify Firebase is working:

lib/services/firebase_test_service.dart

import 'package:firebase_auth/firebase_auth.dart';

class FirebaseTestService {
  static Future<bool> testConnection() async {
    try {
      // Try to get current user (will be null if not signed in)
      final user = FirebaseAuth.instance.currentUser;
      print('Firebase connected successfully. Current user: ${user?.uid ?? 'None'}');
      return true;
    } catch (e) {
      print('Firebase connection failed: $e');
      return false;
    }
  }
}

Add this test to your main widget:

// In your main widget's initState or build method
@override
void initState() {
  super.initState();
  FirebaseTestService.testConnection();
}

8. Reconfigure for Different Environments

If you need different Firebase projects for development/production:

# Configure for development
flutterfire configure --project=your-app-dev

# Configure for production
flutterfire configure --project=your-app-prod

9. Troubleshooting FlutterFire Configure

Issue: Command not found

# Solution: Ensure Flutter pub global is in PATH
export PATH="$PATH":"$HOME/.pub-cache/bin"
# Or restart terminal after installation

Issue: Project not found

# Solution: Ensure you're logged into correct Firebase account
firebase logout
firebase login

Issue: Permission denied

# Solution: Check Firebase project permissions
# Ensure you have Editor or Owner role in Firebase Console

Issue: Configuration overwrites existing files

# Solution: Backup existing files before running configure
cp android/app/google-services.json android/app/google-services.json.backup
cp ios/Runner/GoogleService-Info.plist ios/Runner/GoogleService-Info.plist.backup

Step 4: Manual Configuration (Alternative to FlutterFire)

If you prefer manual configuration or FlutterFire configure doesn’t work for your setup, you can manually configure Firebase:

Android Configuration

1. In Firebase Console, go to Project Overview
2. Click Android icon to add Android app
3. Enter package name: com.yourcompany.yourapp
4. Download google-services.json
5. Place in android/app/google-services.json

iOS Configuration

1. In Firebase Console, click iOS icon to add iOS app
2. Enter bundle ID: com.yourcompany.yourapp
3. Download GoogleService-Info.plist
4. Add to ios/Runner/GoogleService-Info.plist via Xcode

Verify Manual Configuration

Ensure your android/app/build.gradle.kts has the Google services plugin (it should already be configured):

plugins {
    id("com.android.application")
    id("com.google.gms.google-services")  // This line
    id("kotlin-android")
    id("dev.flutter.flutter-gradle-plugin")
}

Step 5: Update App Configuration

Update Firebase Configuration in Code

lib/core/constants/firebase_constants.dart

class FirebaseConstants {
  // Authentication configuration
  static const String projectId = 'your-project-id';

  // Auth settings
  static const bool enableAnonymousAuth = true;
  static const bool enableEmailAuth = true;

  // App-specific settings
  static const String appName = 'Your App Name';
  static const String supportEmail = 'support@yourcompany.com';
}

Update Authentication Service

lib/features/auth/services/firebase_auth_service.dart

import 'package:firebase_auth/firebase_auth.dart';

class FirebaseAuthService {
  final FirebaseAuth _auth = FirebaseAuth.instance;

  // Get current user
  User? get currentUser => _auth.currentUser;

  // Listen to auth state changes
  Stream<User?> get authStateChanges => _auth.authStateChanges();

  // Sign in anonymously
  Future<UserCredential?> signInAnonymously() async {
    try {
      return await _auth.signInAnonymously();
    } catch (e) {
      print('Anonymous sign in failed: $e');
      return null;
    }
  }

  // Sign in with email and password
  Future<UserCredential?> signInWithEmailAndPassword({
    required String email,
    required String password,
  }) async {
    try {
      return await _auth.signInWithEmailAndPassword(
        email: email,
        password: password,
      );
    } catch (e) {
      print('Email sign in failed: $e');
      return null;
    }
  }

  // Create user with email and password
  Future<UserCredential?> createUserWithEmailAndPassword({
    required String email,
    required String password,
  }) async {
    try {
      return await _auth.createUserWithEmailAndPassword(
        email: email,
        password: password,
      );
    } catch (e) {
      print('User creation failed: $e');
      return null;
    }
  }

  // Sign out
  Future<void> signOut() async {
    try {
      await _auth.signOut();
    } catch (e) {
      print('Sign out failed: $e');
    }
  }

  // Delete current user
  Future<void> deleteUser() async {
    try {
      await currentUser?.delete();
    } catch (e) {
      print('User deletion failed: $e');
    }
  }
}

Step 6: Test Firebase Integration

Authentication Test

lib/services/firebase_test_service.dart

import 'package:firebase_auth/firebase_auth.dart';

class FirebaseTestService {
  static Future<bool> testAuthentication() async {
    try {
      // Test anonymous sign in
      final credential = await FirebaseAuth.instance.signInAnonymously();
      print('Anonymous sign in successful: ${credential.user?.uid}');

      // Sign out
      await FirebaseAuth.instance.signOut();
      print('Sign out successful');

      return true;
    } catch (e) {
      print('Authentication test failed: $e');
      return false;
    }
  }

  static Future<bool> testEmailAuth() async {
    try {
      const testEmail = 'test@example.com';
      const testPassword = 'testpassword123';

      // Create test user
      final credential = await FirebaseAuth.instance
          .createUserWithEmailAndPassword(
        email: testEmail,
        password: testPassword,
      );
      print('User created: ${credential.user?.uid}');

      // Sign out and sign back in
      await FirebaseAuth.instance.signOut();
      final signInCredential = await FirebaseAuth.instance
          .signInWithEmailAndPassword(
        email: testEmail,
        password: testPassword,
      );
      print('Sign in successful: ${signInCredential.user?.uid}');

      // Clean up - delete test user
      await signInCredential.user?.delete();
      print('Test user deleted');

      return true;
    } catch (e) {
      print('Email authentication test failed: $e');
      return false;
    }
  }
}

Add Test to Your App

// In your main widget or test screen
ElevatedButton(
  onPressed: () async {
    final result = await FirebaseTestService.testAuthentication();
    ScaffoldMessenger.of(context).showSnackBar(
      SnackBar(
        content: Text(result
          ? 'Firebase Auth working!'
          : 'Firebase Auth failed'),
      ),
    );
  },
  child: const Text('Test Firebase'),
),

Build and Test

# Test debug build
flutter run

# Test release build
flutter build apk --release

Step 7: Environment Configuration

Create Environment Files

lib/core/config/environment.dart

abstract class Environment {
  static const String firebaseProjectId = String.fromEnvironment(
    'FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID',
    defaultValue: 'your-project-id',
  );

  static const bool enableAnalytics = bool.fromEnvironment(
    'ENABLE_ANALYTICS',
    defaultValue: true,
  );

  static const bool enableAnonymousAuth = bool.fromEnvironment(
    'ENABLE_ANONYMOUS_AUTH',
    defaultValue: true,
  );
}

Build with Environment Variables

# Debug build
flutter run --dart-define=FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id

# Release build
flutter build apk --release \
  --dart-define=FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id \
  --dart-define=ENABLE_ANALYTICS=true \
  --dart-define=ENABLE_ANONYMOUS_AUTH=true

Common Issues & Solutions

Configuration Issues

Problem: google-services.json not found

# Solution: Verify file location
ls android/app/google-services.json

# Should exist and contain your project configuration

Problem: iOS build fails with Firebase

# Solution: Clean and rebuild
cd ios
rm -rf build/
pod install --repo-update
cd ..
flutter clean
flutter build ios

Problem: FlutterFire configure fails

# Solution: Check Firebase CLI version and login status
firebase --version
firebase login --reauth
dart pub global activate flutterfire_cli

Authentication Issues

Problem: Sign-in fails in release builds

• Verify SHA-1 certificate is added to Firebase (for Android)
• Check package name/bundle ID matches exactly
• Ensure configuration files are for the correct project
• Test with debug builds first

Problem: Anonymous sign-in not working

• Verify Anonymous authentication is enabled in Firebase Console
• Check internet connectivity
• Ensure Firebase is properly initialized

Network Issues

Problem: Firebase requests fail

• Add network permissions to Android manifest (should already be present)
• Check internet connectivity
• Verify Firebase project is active and billing is set up

Security Best Practices

1. Authentication Security

• Use strong password requirements for email/password auth
• Implement email verification for new accounts
• Add rate limiting for sign-in attempts
• Consider implementing multi-factor authentication
• Use anonymous auth for guest users when appropriate

2. API Keys and Configuration

• Restrict API keys to specific platforms in Firebase Console
• Use different Firebase projects for debug/release if needed
• Regularly rotate API keys
• Monitor usage in Firebase Console
• Never expose Firebase admin keys in client apps

3. User Data Protection

• Implement proper user data deletion
• Respect user privacy preferences
• Use secure connections (HTTPS) only
• Follow GDPR/privacy law requirements

Optional: Analytics and Monitoring

Enable Performance Monitoring

Add to pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  firebase_performance: ^0.9.3

Initialize in main.dart:

import 'package:firebase_performance/firebase_performance.dart';

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  await Firebase.initializeApp(
    options: DefaultFirebaseOptions.currentPlatform,
  );

  // Enable performance monitoring (optional)
  FirebasePerformance.instance.setPerformanceCollectionEnabled(true);

  runApp(MyApp());
}

Analytics Events

import 'package:firebase_analytics/firebase_analytics.dart';

class AnalyticsService {
  static final FirebaseAnalytics _analytics = FirebaseAnalytics.instance;

  static Future<void> logUserSignIn(String method) async {
    await _analytics.logLogin(loginMethod: method);
  }

  static Future<void> logUserSignUp(String method) async {
    await _analytics.logSignUp(signUpMethod: method);
  }

  static Future<void> logCustomEvent(String eventName, Map<String, Object> parameters) async {
    await _analytics.logEvent(
      name: eventName,
      parameters: parameters,
    );
  }
}

Next Steps

With Firebase configured:

1. App Store Configuration - Prepare for distribution
2. Testing Guide - Test all functionality
3. Deployment - Build for production

Your app now has its own secure backend! ☁️