It's pretty straightforward to install Firebase when you have only one environment. But what if you have multiple environments, such as dev, staging and production? Here's a step-by-step guide.

Managing Firebase configurations becomes more complex when you have multiple environments for your application, such as development, staging, and production. Each environment requires specific configuration files and settings to ensure seamless integration with Firebase. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of installing Firebase for different environments on both Android and iOS platforms. By following these instructions, you'll be able to set up Firebase effortlessly and efficiently for each environment, enabling smooth functioning of your application across various stages of development.

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Android

On Android, Firebase groups the different configurations in one file.

1. Go to the Firebase console
2. Select your project
3. Click "Add an application", choose Android
4. Fill in the form (giving a name like Staging), click save, and close the window
5. Repeat steps 3 to 4 for all your environments
6. Download the google-services.json file
7. Select one of the Android applications
8. Click on "google-services.json"
9. Put google-services.json in your app folder (android/app in React-Native)
10. You might want to add google-services.json in your .gitignore

iOS

On iOS, there is one Firebase configuration file per environment.

1. Go to the Firebase console
2. Select your project
3. Click "Add an application", choose iOS
4. Fill in the form (giving a name like Staging), click save
5. Download the configuration file GoogleService-Info.plist and rename it like GoogleService-Info.{APP_IDENTIFIER}.plist
6. Example: for tech.bam.myApp.staging, GoogleService-Info.tech.bam.myApp.staging.plist
7. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for all your environments
8. Put your configuration files in the root of your iOS app folder (ios in React-Native)
9. Make sure that your app identifier is injected in your .pbxproj. For example, if you're using Fastlane, add a update_app_identifier step like:

   update_app_identifier(
     xcodeproj: xcodeproj_full_path,
     plist_path: plist_full_path,
     app_identifier: ENV['APP_IDENTIFIER']
   )
   

10. In XCode, in Build phases, add a Select GoogleService-Info.plist build step before the Copy Bundle Resources step that contains:

    cp "GoogleService-Info."$PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER".plist" "GoogleService-Info.plist"
    

11. In XCode, in Build phases, add a Clean GoogleService-Info.plist build step after the Copy Bundle Resources step that contains:

    rm "GoogleService-Info.plist"
    

12. Make sure that the GoogleService-Info.plist is listed in the resources of the Copy Bundle Resources step
13. You might want to add GoogleService-Info.*.plist in your .gitignore

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Conclusion

Configuring Firebase for multiple environments is crucial for maintaining a well-structured and scalable development process. By following the outlined steps in this guide, you can easily set up Firebase on both Android and iOS platforms, ensuring proper integration and functionality for each environment. Remember to organize your configuration files appropriately and make necessary adjustments to your project settings to accommodate different environments. With Firebase successfully installed for each stage of development, you can now proceed with confidence, knowing that your application is equipped with the power of Firebase across all environments.