Firebase Remote Config Setup

Remote Config is a versatile way to control the app without rebuilding the app for updates or using OTA Updates (EAS Updates).

It can be used for:

1. static data which might frequently changed or if changed should be reflected instantly
2. feature flag
3. force update (min_version) version definition

What makes firebase remote config also powerful are:

1. it has no limits
2. we can configure conditional for each parameter / key

Setup - React Native Firebase

This guide is used if we require access to firebase services not supported by Firebase JS SDK (Crashlytics, Remote Config - as remote config JS SDK needs IndexedDB access).

React Native Firebase requires custom native code and cannot be used with Expo Go.

Pre-Requisites

• Create Firebase Project ([optional suggestion] one for dev/staging and one for production)
• Add Android and iOS app to each project, download the google-services.json and GoogleServices-Info.plist

Installation Steps

1. Install expo-dev-client

   npx expo install expo-dev-client

2. Install React Native Firebase

   npx expo install @react-native-firebase/app

3. Update app.config.json / app.config.ts / app.config.js

   • make sure ios.bundleIdentifier and android.package is defined
   • define the google services file location in ios.googleServicesFile and android.googleServicesFile
   • Add @react-native-firebase/* to plugins for each @react-native-firebase/* which has app.config.js
     • references: https://rnfirebase.io/#configure-react-native-firebase-modules

   import type { ConfigContext, ExpoConfig } from '@expo/config'
    
   import { ClientEnv, Env } from './env'
    
   export default ({ config }: ConfigContext): ExpoConfig => ({
     ...,
     ios: {
       ...,
       bundleIdentifier: Env.BUNDLE_ID,
       googleServicesFile:
         Env.APP_ENV === 'production'
           ? process.env.GOOGLE_SERVICE_INFO_PLIST_FILE
           : Env.GOOGLE_SERVICE_INFO_PLIST_FILE,
     },
     android: {
       ...,
       package: Env.PACKAGE,
       googleServicesFile:
         Env.APP_ENV === 'production'
           ? process.env.GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_FILE
           : Env.GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_FILE,
     },
     plugins: [
       '@react-native-firebase/app',
       ...,
       [
         'expo-build-properties',
         {
           ...,
           ios: {
             ...,
             useFrameworks: 'static',
           },
         },
       ],
     ],
   })

4. Install RN Firebase remote config

   RN Firebase Remote Config requires analytics module to be installed first

   npx expo install @react-native-firebase/analytics
   npx expo install @react-native-firebase/remote-config

   References: https://rnfirebase.io/remote-config/usage

References:

• https://docs.expo.dev/guides/using-firebase/
  • https://docs.expo.dev/guides/using-firebase/#using-react-native-firebase