Firebase Cloud Messaging

Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is a free messaging solution that lets you send web push notifications to your mobile app users. Firebase serves as a module between your server and the devices that will be receiving the push notifications that you create. Your server informs Firebase that a notification has to be sent. Then Firebase does the work behind the scenes to get the notification published.

Follow the below mentioned steps to use FCM:

Creating a Project

1. Go to Google Firebase Console.
2. Click on Create a Firebase project.
   
3. In the next window opened, Enter the Project Name in the project name field and click continue, based on your requirement choose the things you want to configure.
   
4. Once all the steps are done your firebase project will be created.
5. The Firebase dashboard is then displayed as follows.
   

Creating an Android Project

1. In the Firebase dashboard, click on the Android icon to create an android project.
2. In the next step, you are required to register your app.
   
   
   Note: The android package name should be same as the package name of the mobile app in the storehippo admin panel.
3. Enter the Android package name and click on the Register app button.
4. Now, download the configuration file and click on Next.
   
5. Click on Next and Skip the steps and continue to console.
6. Go to Mobile Apps > Mobile Apps section the StoreHippo Admin Panel.
7. In the General section, find the Google Services Settings field. Upload the configuration file in the google-services.json field.
   

Creating an IOS Project

1. In the Firebase dashboard, click on the IOS icon to create an android project.
2. In the next step, you are required to register your app.
   
   
   Note: The Apple bundle ID must be same as the identifier associated with the provisiong profile of your app in the apple developers account.
3. Enter the IOS Bundle name and click on the Register app button.
4. Now, download the configuration file and click on Next.
   
5. Click on Next and Skip the steps and continue to console.
6. Go to Mobile Apps > Mobile Apps section the StoreHippo Admin Panel.
7. In the General section, find the Google Services Settings field. Upload the configuration file in the GoogleService-info.plist field.
   

Obtaining Private Key

1. In the Firebase dashboard, go to the project settings.
   
2. Go to the Service accounts tab.
   
3. In the Firebase admin sdk, click on the Generate new private key as shown above.
4. Go to Mobile Apps > Mobile Apps section the StoreHippo Admin Panel.
5. In the General section, find the Google Services Settings field. Upload the private key(.json file) in the service.json filed.
   

Uploading the .p8 file for push notifications

1. This step is only required for the IOS apps and can be ignored for the Android apps.
2. Go through the last step in the Generating iOS Certificate and Provisioning Profile to get the .p8 file which is used for the used for APNS (Apple Push Notification Service)
3. Now go to firebase console and navigate to the project settings, once here click on the cloud Messaging tab and scroll down until you see the Apple App Configuration.
4. In the APNs Authentication Key section click on upload, a new interface opens as below
5. Click on Browse and uploaded the .p8 file. Also enter the .p8 file Key ID and Team ID of the apple developer account which can be obtained from apple developers account.