Last Updated: November 30, 2022

What is Firebase?

Firebase is a mobile app development platform.

We use Firebase to add mobile app data streams to our GA4 property.

Firebase provides many products and extensions (both free and paid) to build, release and monitor apps as well as optimize your app experience for user engagement.

How to use Firebase?

In order to use Firebase, you would need to create and use one or more projects. These projects are called Firebase Projects.

You can create a new Firebase project via Firebase Console.

In order to use a Firebase project, you would need to add/register one or more apps to it.

These apps could be your mobile apps (IOS, Android) and/or your web apps.

Note: Firebase project acts as a container for all the registered apps.

All the apps registered to the same Firebase project share and have access to all the same resources and services provisioned for the project.

For example,

All Apps registered to the same Firebase project are associated with the same GA4 property, where each Firebase App is a separate data stream in that property.

Similarly,

All Apps registered to the same Firebase project share the same backends (like Firebase Hosting, Authentication, Realtime Database, Cloud Storage etc).

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Relationship between a Firebase project and Google Cloud Project

A Firebase project is actually a Google cloud project that has additional Firebase-specific configurations and services enabled for it.

Since a Firebase project is a Google Cloud project what that means:

1. Whenever you create a new Firebase project in the Firebase console, you are also creating a Google Cloud project in the background.
2. Whenever you delete a Firebase project in the Firebase console, you also delete the corresponding Google Cloud project in the background.
3. You can interact with your Firebase project via Firebase Console, Google Cloud Console and Google APIs Console.
4. Billing, permissions and unique identifiers (like project name, project ID) for a Firebase project are shared across Firebase and Google Cloud.
5. You can use products and APIs from both Firebase and Google Cloud in a Firebase project.
6. You may need to use Google Cloud Console (instead of the Firebase Console) for certain tasks or products related to your Firebase project.

Planning Firebase GA4 Integration Setup

In order to send mobile app data to your GA4 property, you would need to link your Firebase project to your GA4 property.

However, your Firebase GA4 integration set-up would depend upon your current situation. 

Your current situation could be one of the following:

1. You own mobile app(s) but not a website.
2. You own both mobile app(s) and a website.
3. You do not own a mobile app but you own a website.

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You own mobile app(s) but not a website

#1 Your current situation -> You own mobile app(s) but not a website. You don’t have either the Firebase project or the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) Create a new firebase project.

2) Add firebase to your mobile apps (Android App, Apple App)

3) Link your Firebase project to Google Analytics. When you link your Firebase project to Google Analytics, you get the option to either create a new GA4 property or to link to an existing GA4 property.

4) Create new GA4 property from within the Firebase.

The moment your firebase project is connected to your new GA4 property, Google will automatically create corresponding mobile app data streams in your GA4 property.

So you don’t need to create mobile app data streams manually in your GA4 property.

Note: You don’t need to create a web data stream in your GA4 property as you don’t own a website.

#2 Your current situation -> You own mobile app(s) but not a website. You have the Firebase project but not the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) Open the Firebase project you want to connect to the GA4 property.

2) Make sure that firebase is added to your mobile apps.

3) Link your Firebase project to Google Analytics. When you link your Firebase project to Google Analytics, you get the option to either create a new GA4 property or to link to an existing GA4 property.

4) Create new GA4 property from within the Firebase.

#3 Your current situation -> You own mobile app(s) but not a website. You have both the Firebase project and GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) Open your Firebase project you want to connect to your existing GA4 property.

2) Make sure that Firebase is added to your mobile apps.

3) Link your Firebase project to Google Analytics. When you link your Firebase project to Google Analytics, you get the option to either create a new GA4 property or to link to an existing GA4 property.

4) Link to your existing GA4 property.

Get this 70 page detailed checklist containing screenshots, step-by-step instructions and links to articles

Do you want to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) fast and correctly?

Yes I want the ebook

You own both mobile app(s) and a website

#1 Your current situation -> You own both mobile app(s) and a website. You don’t have either the Firebase project or the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) Create a new firebase project.

2) Add firebase to your mobile apps (Android App, Apple App).

3) Create new GA4 property from within the GA user interface. 

4) Add a new web data stream to your GA4 property.

5) Navigate back to your Firebase project and then link your Firebase project to your existing GA4 property. 

When you link your Firebase project to Google Analytics, you get the option to either create a new GA4 property or to link to an existing GA4 property.

6) Link to your existing GA4 property.

REMEMBER: The moment your firebase project is connected to your GA4 property, Google will automatically create corresponding mobile app data streams in your GA4 property.

So you don’t need to create mobile app data streams manually in your GA4 property.

#2 Your current situation -> You own both mobile app(s) and a website. You have the Firebase project but not the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) Open the Firebase project you want to connect to a GA4 property.

2) Make sure that Firebase is added to your mobile apps.

3) Create new GA4 property from within the GA user interface. 

4) Add a new web data stream to your GA4 property.

5) Navigate back to your Firebase project and then link your Firebase project to your existing GA4 property. 

When you link your Firebase project to Google Analytics, you get the option to either create a new GA4 property or to link to an existing GA4 property.

6) Link to the existing GA4 property.

#3 Your current situation -> You own both mobile app(s) and a website. You have both the Firebase project and the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) Open the Firebase project you want to connect to your existing GA4 property.

2) Make sure that Firebase is added to your mobile apps.

3) Navigate to your existing GA4 property and make sure that a web data stream is added to it.

4) Navigate back to your Firebase project and then link your Firebase project to your existing GA4 property. 

When you link your Firebase project to Google Analytics, you get the option to either create a new GA4 property or to link to an existing GA4 property.

5) Link to the existing GA4 property.

Get this 70 page detailed checklist containing screenshots, step-by-step instructions and links to articles

Do you want to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) fast and correctly?

Yes I want the ebook

You do not own a mobile app but you own a website

#1 Your current situation -> You do not own a mobile app but you own a website. You don’t have either the Firebase project or the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) You don’t need a firebase project as you don’t own a mobile app.

2) Create new GA4 property from within the GA user interface. 

3) Add a new web data stream to your GA4 property.

#2 Your current situation -> You do not own a mobile app but you own a website. You don’t have the Firebase project but you have the GA4 property.

Recommended implementation path

1) You don’t need a firebase project as you don’t own a mobile app.

2) Add a new web data stream to your GA4 property.

Create a new Firebase Project

Before you can add Firebase to your Apple and Android apps, you would first need a Firebase project.

If you don’t already have a Firebase project then you would need to create one.

Follow the steps below to create a new firebase project:

Step-1: Navigate to the Firebase console while logged in to your Google account: https://console.firebase.google.com/

Note: Use that Google account which is also connected to your GA4 property.

Step-2: Click on the ‘Create a project’ button:

Step-3:

1. Give your project a name
2. Read and accept the Firebase terms
3. Click on the check box ‘I confirm that I will use Firebase exclusively for purposes relating to my trade, business, craft or profession’.
4. Click on the ‘Continue’ button.

Step-4: Turn off the button ‘Enable Google Analytics for this project’ and then click on the ‘Create Project’ button:

We would connect Firebase to Google Analytics later on.

Step-5: Click on the ‘Continue’ button:

Now we would add Firebase to our mobile apps (Apple and Android apps).

Get this 70 page detailed checklist containing screenshots, step-by-step instructions and links to articles

Do you want to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) fast and correctly?

Yes I want the ebook

Add Firebase to your Apple App

Follow the steps below to add Firebase to your Apple App:

Step-1: Go through the official documentation on how to add Firebase to your Apple Project.

You would need the help of a mobile app developer here.

Step-2: Navigate to the ‘project overview‘ page of your Firebase Console and then click on the ‘iOS+’ button:

Step-3:

1. Add Apple Bundle ID (You can find your bundle identifier in the ‘General’ tab for your app’s primary target in Xcode)
2. Add App nickname (this name would be used throughout the Firebase console to represent this app. Note: Nicknames aren’t visible to users).
3. Add your App Store ID (You can find your App Store ID in your app’s URL. In the example below, 123456789 is the App Store ID. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yourapp/id123456789 ).
4. Click on the ‘Register App’ button.

Step-4: Download the configuration file and then click on the ‘Next’ button:

Step-5: Follow the on-screen instructions to add the Firebase SDK to your IOS app and then click on the ‘Next’ button:

Step-6: Add the relevant initialization code to your app’s main entry point:

Step-7: Scroll down and then click on the ‘Next’ button:

Step-8: Click on the ‘Continue to Console’ button:

Congratulations! 

You have successfully added Firebase to your Apple app. 

You should now see your IOS app added to the project overview page:

Get this 70 page detailed checklist containing screenshots, step-by-step instructions and links to articles

Do you want to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) fast and correctly?

Yes I want the ebook

Add Firebase to your Android App

Follow the steps below to add Firebase to your Android App:

Step-1: Go through the official documentation on how to add Firebase to your Android Project. 

You would need the help of a mobile app developer here.

Step-2: Navigate to the project overview page of your Firebase Console and then click on the ‘+Add app’ button:

Step-3: Click on the ‘Android’ button:

Step-4:

1. Add Android Package name (Your package name is generally the applicationID in your app-level build.gradle file)
2. Add App nickname (this name would be used throughout the Firebase console to represent this app. Note: Nicknames aren’t visible to users).
3. Add Debug signing certificate SHA-1 (optional) (See this page for information on using keytool to get the SHA-1 hash of your signing certificate ).
4. Click on the ‘Register App’ button.

Step-5: Download the configuration file and then click on the ‘Next’ button:

Step-6: Follow the on-screen instructions to add the Firebase SDK to your Android app:

Step-7: Scroll down and then click on the ‘Next’ button:

Step-8: Click on the ‘Continue to Console’ button:

Congratulations! 

You have successfully added Firebase to your Android app. 

You should now see your Android app added to the project overview page:

The correct way to add the mobile app data streams to a GA4 property

Many people add mobile app data streams from the user interface of the GA4 property:

But this is not the correct way.

When you create a mobile app stream from a GA4 property, you do not get the option to link to an existing Firebase project.

Instead, the following things happen automatically:

1) A new Google cloud project is automatically created.

2) A new Firebase project is automatically created.

3) The new firebase project is automatically connected to your GA4 property.

And your mobile apps are most likely not added to this new Firebase project.

What you should do instead is to find and link your existing firebase project (to which you added your mobile apps) to your GA4 property:

The moment your firebase project is connected to your existing GA4 property, Google will automatically create corresponding mobile app data streams in your GA4 property.

Advantages of connecting Firebase project to GA4 property

Following are the key advantages of linking your Firebase project to your GA4 property:

#1 The moment your firebase project (to which mobile apps have been added) is connected to your GA4 property, Google will automatically create corresponding mobile app data streams in your GA4 property.

#2 Firebase GA4 integration allows you to combine mobile app and website data into one GA4 reporting view.

#3 You get access to a wide range of GA4 exploration report templates (like free form, funnel exploration, path exploration etc) which are not available in Firebase Analytics.

Connect your Firebase project to your GA4 property (GA4 Firebase Integration)

Follow the steps below to connect an existing Firebase project to an existing GA4 property:

Step-1: Navigate to Firebase Console: https://console.firebase.google.com/

Step-2: Click on the Firebase project you want to connect to your existing GA4 property: 

Step-3: Make sure that the Firebase is added to your mobile apps:

Step-4: Click on the wheel next to ‘Project Overview’:

Step-5: Click on ‘Project Settings’:

Step-6: Click on the ‘Integrations’ tab:

Step-7: Click on the ‘Enable’ button under ‘Google Analytics’:

Step-8: Select your Google Analytics account from the drop-down menu:

Step-9: Click on the pencil icon next to ‘Automatically create a new property in this account’:

You should now see a screen like the one below:

Step-10: Select your GA4 property from the ‘Analytics property’ drop-down menu and then click on the ‘Enable Google Analytics’ button:

As soon as you clicked on the ‘Enable Google Analytics’ button two new mobile app data streams will be automatically be created in the background in the selected GA4 property:

Step-11: Click on the Finish button:

Congratulations!

Your Firebase project is now successfully connected to your GA4 property.

This new connection between your firebase project and GA4 property would enable data flow between firebase and GA4. 

Note: The data exported from your GA4 property into your Firebase project is subject to the Firebase terms of service. Similarly, the data exported from your Firebase project to your GA4 property is subject to the Google Analytics terms of service.

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