Cloud Storage for Firebase FAQ and troubleshooting

This page provides troubleshooting help and answers to frequently asked questions about using Cloud Storage for Firebase. If you can't find what you're looking for or need additional help, contact Firebase support.

General troubleshooting/FAQ

What are the changes to the default bucket announced in September 2024?

Go to the Cloud Storage documentation to learn more about the Changes for the default Cloud Storage bucket.

What are the changes to the pricing plan requirements for Cloud Storage announced in September 2024?

Go to the Cloud Storage documentation to learn more about the Changes for pricing plan requirements for Cloud Storage.

Why do I see an unexpected increase in upload and download operations?

Previously, download and upload requests to the Cloud Storage for Firebase API weren't being counted properly. We have taken steps to fix this issue, starting from September 15, 2023.

We recommend monitoring your Usage page for any increases that may count towards your limits.

How do I predict how much I'll be billed for upload and download operations?

Visit the Firebase Pricing page and use the Blaze pricing plan calculator. The calculator lists all the usage types for Cloud Storage for Firebase.

Use the sliders to input the expected usage of your Storage bucket. The calculator will estimate your monthly bill.

Why am I getting service account permission errors in the console or when using the Cloud Storage for Firebase API (like error code 412)?

Here are some likely reasons for getting these errors:

The Cloud Storage for Firebase API isn't enabled for your project.

You can check if the API is enabled in the Google Cloud console. Learn how to find enabled APIs in your project and how to enable them in this Google Cloud guide.
The required service account for Cloud Storage for Firebase has one of the following issues:
- The service account is missing required permissions.
- The service account has been deleted. Note that in the Firebase console, a missing service account might manifest as a failure to add required IAM permissions.
For these two service account issues, see the related FAQ on this page.

Why do I see new or multiple service accounts in my Firebase projects that use Cloud Storage for Firebase?

Firebase uses service accounts to operate and manage services without sharing user credentials. When you create a Firebase project, you might notice that a number of service accounts are already available in your project.

The required service account for Cloud Storage for Firebase is scoped to your project and is named: service-PROJECT_NUMBER@gcp-sa-firebasestorage.iam.gserviceaccount.com.

If you used Cloud Storage for Firebase before September 19, 2022, you might see an additional service account on previously linked Cloud Storage buckets named: firebase-storage@system.gserviceaccount.com. This old service account is no longer supported as of September 19, 2022.

You can view all service accounts for your project in the Service accounts tab of the Firebase console.

Add the required service account if it's missing

If you deleted the required service account or it's not present in your project, you can do one of the following to add the service account.

In the Firebase console, a missing service account might manifest as a failure to add required IAM permissions.

(Recommended) Automated: Use the AddFirebase REST endpoint to re-import your bucket into Firebase. You only need to call this endpoint once, not once for each linked bucket.
Manual: Follow the steps in Creating and managing service accounts.

Following that guide, add a service account with the IAM role Cloud Storage for Firebase Service Agent and service account name: service-PROJECT_NUMBER@gcp-sa-firebasestorage.iam.gserviceaccount.com.

Remove the required service account

We strongly discourage removing the service account because this might block access to your Cloud Storage buckets from your apps. To remove the service account from your project, follow the instructions in Disabling a service account.