Add Firebase to your C++ projectplat_iosplat_androidplat_cpp

ios

android

ios

• Install Xcode 9.4.1 or later.

• Install CocoaPods 1.4.0 or later.

• Open your C++ project in Xcode.

  • Your app must target iOS 8 or later.

• Set up a device or emulator for running your app.

  • For Cloud Messaging, you'll need:
    • A physical iOS device
    • APNs certificate with Push Notifications enabled

• Sign into Firebase using your Google account.

android

• Obtain the Android SDK.

• Install your preferred editor or IDE, such as Android Studio, IntelliJ, or VS Code.

• Open your C++ project in your preferred editor or IDE.

  • Your app must target API level 16 (Jelly Bean) or later.

  • Your app must be a Gradle project configured with CMake.

• Set up a device or emulator for running your app.

  • Emulators must use an emulator image with Google Play.

  • For some C++ libraries, Google Play services is required on the client device; review the list on this page.

• Sign into Firebase using your Google account.

ios

You can register one or more apps to connect with your Firebase project.

Visit Understand Firebase Projects to learn more about best practices and considerations for adding apps to a Firebase project, including how to handle multiple build variants.

1. In the center of the Firebase console's project overview page, click the iOS icon to launch the setup workflow.

   If you've already added an app to your Firebase project, click Add app to display the platform options.

2. Enter your app’s bundle ID in the iOS bundle ID field.

   • Find this bundle ID from your open project in XCode. Select the top-level app in the project navigator at the left, then access the General tab. The Bundle Identifier value is the iOS bundle ID (for example, com.yourcompany.ios-app-name).

3. (Optional) Enter other app information as prompted by the setup workflow.

   The nickname is an internal, convenience identifier and is only visible to you in the Firebase console.

4. Click Register app.

android

You can register one or more apps to connect with your Firebase project.

Visit Understand Firebase Projects to learn more about best practices and considerations for adding apps to a Firebase project, including how to handle multiple build variants.

1. In the center of the Firebase console's project overview page, click the Android icon to launch the setup workflow.

   If you've already added an app to your Firebase project, click Add app to display the platform options.

2. Enter your app's application ID in the Android package name field.

   • An application ID is sometimes referred to as a package name.

   • Find this application ID in your module (app-level) Gradle file, usually app/build.gradle (example ID: com.yourcompany.yourproject).

3. (Optional) Enter other app information as prompted by the setup workflow.

   The nickname is an internal, convenience identifier and is only visible to you in the Firebase console.

4. Click Register app.

ios

1. Click Download GoogleService-Info.plist to obtain your Firebase iOS config file.

   You can download your Firebase iOS config file again at any time.

2. Open your C++ project in an IDE, then drag your config file into the root of your C++ project.

3. If prompted, select to add the config file to all targets.

4. You're done with set up tasks in the Firebase console. Continue to Add Firebase C++ SDKs below.

android

1. Click Download google-services.json to obtain your Firebase Android config file.

   You can download your Firebase Android config file again at any time.

2. Open your C++ project in an IDE, then add your config file to your project:

   • Gradle builds — Add your config file to the same directory as your top-level build.gradle file.

   • Other build systems — See Custom build systems below to generate Android String Resources.

3. (Gradle builds only) To enable Firebase services in your C++ project, add the google-services plugin to your top-level build.gradle file.

   1. Add rules to include the Google Services plugin. Check that you have Google’s Maven repository, as well.

      buildscript {
        // ...
        dependencies {
          // ...
          // Add the following line:
          classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:4.2.0'  // Google Services plugin
        }
      }
      
      allprojects {
        // ...
        repositories {
          // Check that you have the following line (if not, add it):
          google()  // Google's Maven repository
          // ...
        }
      }
      

   2. Add the following line to the bottom of the file.

      apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
      
      android {
        // ...
      }
      
      // Add the following line to the bottom of the file:
      apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'  // Google Play services Gradle plugin
      

4. You're done with set up tasks in the Firebase console. Continue to Add Firebase C++ SDKs below.

ios

The steps in this section serve as an example of how to add any supported Firebase product to your Firebase C++ project. In this example, we walk through adding Google Analytics for Firebase.

Adding Google Analytics for Firebase to your C++ project is optional, but it's a relatively easy way to verify that Firebase is working properly with your app. In addition, Analytics can be very useful during development and debugging, as well as helping to track the success of your production apps.

1. Download the Firebase C++ SDK, then unzip the SDK somewhere convenient.

   The Firebase C++ SDK is not platform-specific, but it does contain platform-specific libraries.

2. Add Firebase pods from the unzipped SDK.

   1. Create a Podfile if you don't already have one:

      cd your-app-directory

      pod init

   2. To your Podfile, add the pods for each Firebase product that you want to use. For Analytics, run:

      pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.12.0'

   3. Install the pods, then open the .xcworkspace file in Xcode.

      pod install

      open your-app.xcworkspace

3. Add Firebase frameworks from the unzipped SDK.

   The easiest way to add these frameworks is usually to drag them from a Finder window directly into Xcode's Project Navigator pane (the far-left pane, by default; or click the file icon in the top-left of Xcode).

   1. Add the core Firebase framework (firebase.framework), which is required to use any Firebase product.

   2. Add the framework for each Firebase product that you want to use. For Analytics, add firebase_analytics.framework.

4. Back in the Firebase console, in the setup workflow, click Next.

5. Run your app to send verification to Firebase that you've successfully integrated Firebase.

   Your device logs will display the Firebase verification that initialization is complete. If you ran your app on an emulator that has network access, the Firebase console notifies you that your app connection is complete.

You’re all set! Your C++ app is registered and configured to use Firebase products.

android

The steps in this section serve as an example of how to add any supported Firebase product to your Firebase C++ project. In this example, we walk through adding Google Analytics for Firebase.

Adding Google Analytics for Firebase to your C++ project is optional, but it's a relatively easy way to verify that Firebase is working properly with your app. In addition, Analytics can be very useful during development and debugging, as well as helping to track the success of your production apps.

1. Download the Firebase C++ SDK, then unzip the SDK somewhere convenient.

   The Firebase C++ SDK is not platform-specific, but it does contain platform-specific libraries.

2. Specify the location of the unzipped SDK in your project's gradle.properties file:

   systemProp.firebase_cpp_sdk.dir=full-path-to-SDK
   

3. Add the following to your project’s settings.gradle file:

   def firebase_cpp_sdk_dir = System.getProperty('firebase_cpp_sdk.dir')
   
   gradle.ext.firebase_cpp_sdk_dir = "$firebase_cpp_sdk_dir"
   includeBuild "$firebase_cpp_sdk_dir"
   

4. Add the following to your project-level build.gradle file:

   android.defaultConfig.externalNativeBuild.cmake {
    arguments "-DFIREBASE_CPP_SDK_DIR=$gradle.firebase_cpp_sdk_dir"
   }
   
   apply from "$gradle.firebase_cpp_sdk_dir/Android/firebase_dependencies.gradle"
   firebaseCpp.dependencies {
    analytics
   }
   

5. To your project's CMakeLists.txt file, add the following content, including the libraries for the Firebase products that you want to use. For example, for Analytics:

   # Add Firebase libraries to the target using the function from the SDK.
   add_subdirectory(${FIREBASE_CPP_SDK_DIR} bin/ EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
   
   # The core Firebase library (firebase_app) is required to use any Firebase product,
   # and it must always be listed last.
   set(firebase_libs firebase_analytics firebase_app)
   target_link_libraries(${target_name} "${firebase_libs}")
   

6. Sync your app to ensure that all dependencies have the necessary versions.

7. Run your app to send verification to Firebase that you've successfully integrated Firebase.

   Your device logs will display the Firebase verification that initialization is complete. If you ran your app on an emulator that has network access, the Firebase console notifies you that your app connection is complete.

You’re all set! Your C++ app is registered and configured to use Firebase services.

    libfirebase_admob.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-ads:17.2.0'

    libfirebase_analytics.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-analytics:16.4.0'

    libfirebase_auth.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:16.2.1'

    libfirebase_functions.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-functions:16.3.0'

    libfirebase_messaging.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:17.6.0'

    libfirebase_storage.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-storage:16.1.0'

    libfirebase_dynamic_links.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-dynamic-links:16.1.8'

    libfirebase_database.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-database:16.1.0'

    libfirebase_remote_config.a
    libfirebase_app.a
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-core:16.0.8'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-config:16.5.0'

ios

Available libraries for iOS

Note that C++ libraries for Android are listed on the Android version of this setup page.

Each Firebase product has different dependencies. Be sure to add all the listed dependencies for the desired Firebase product to your Podfile and C++ project.

firebase.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_admob.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/AdMob', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_analytics.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_auth.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/Auth', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_functions.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/Functions', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_messaging.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/Messaging', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_storage.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/Storage', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_dynamic_links.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/DynamicLinks', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_database.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/Database', '5.20.2'

firebase.framework
firebase_remote_config.framework
pod 'Firebase/Core', '5.20.2'
pod 'Firebase/RemoteConfig', '5.20.2'

android

Available libraries for Android (using CMake)

Note that C++ libraries for iOS are listed on the iOS version of this setup page.

ios

Method swizzling

On iOS, some application events (such as opening URLs and receiving notifications) require your application delegate to implement specific methods. For example, receiving a notification might require your application delegate to implement application:didReceiveRemoteNotification:. Because each iOS application has its own app delegate, Firebase uses method swizzling, which allows the replacement of one method with another, to attach its own handlers in addition to any that you might have implemented.

The Firebase Invites, Dynamic Links, and Cloud Messaging libraries need to attach handlers to the application delegate using method swizzling. If you're using any of these Firebase products, at load time, Firebase will identify your AppDelegate class and swizzle the required methods onto it, chaining a call back to your existing method implementation.

android

Custom build systems

Firebase provides the script generate_xml_from_google_services_json.py to convert google-services.json to .xml resources that you can include in your project. This script applies the same transformation that the Google Play services Gradle plugin performs when building Android applications.

If you don't build using Gradle (for example, you use ndk-build, makefiles, Visual Studio, etc.), you can use this script to automate the generation of Android String Resources.

ProGuard

Many Android build systems use ProGuard for builds in Release mode to shrink application sizes and protect Java source code.

If you use ProGuard, you'll need to add the files in libs/android/*.pro corresponding to the Firebase C++ libraries that you're using in your ProGuard configuration.

For example, with Gradle, if you're using Google Analytics for Firebase, your build.gradle file would look like:

android {
  // ...
  buildTypes {
    release {
      minifyEnabled true
      proguardFile getDefaultProguardFile('your-project-proguard-config.txt')
      proguardFile file(project.ext.your_local_firebase_sdk_dir + "/libs/android/app.pro")
      proguardFile file(project.ext.your_local_firebase_sdk_dir + "/libs/android/analytics.pro")
      // ...  and so on, for each Firebase C++ library that you're using
    }
  }
}

Google Play services requirement

Most Firebase C++ libraries require Google Play services to be on the client's Android device. If a Firebase C++ library returns kInitResultFailedMissingDependency on initialization, it means Google Play services is not available on the client device (meaning that it needs to be updated, reactivated, permissions fixed, etc.). The Firebase library cannot be used until the situation on the client device is corrected.

You can find out why Google Play services is unavailable on the client device (and try to fix it) by using the functions in google_play_services/availability.h.

The following table lists whether Google Play services is required on a client device for each supported Firebase product.

AdMob and Google Play services

Most versions of the Google Mobile Ads SDK for Android can work properly without Google Play services on the client device. However, if you're using the com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-lite dependency, instead of the standard com.google.firebase:firebase-ads dependency listed above, Google Play services is required.

AdMob initialization will only return kInitResultFailedMissingDependency when both the following are true:

• Google Play services is unavailable on the client device.
• You're using com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-lite.