Add Firebase to your C++ project  |  Firebase for C++ (original) (raw)

Power up your C++ games with our Firebase C++ SDKs which provide a C++ interface on top of Firebase SDKs.

Access Firebase entirely from your C++ code, without having to write any platform-native code. The Firebase SDK also translates many language-specific idioms used by Firebase into an interface more familiar to C++ developers.

Find out more information about powering up your games with Firebase at ourFirebase games page.

Already added Firebase to your C++ project? Make sure that you're using the latest version of the Firebase C++ SDK.

Prerequisites

• Install the following:
  • Xcode 16.2 or later
  • CocoaPods 1.12.0 or later
• Make sure that your project targets the following platform versions or later:
  • iOS 15
  • tvOS 15
• Set up a physical device or use the simulator to run your app.
  Do you want to use Cloud Messaging?

  For Cloud Messaging on Apple platforms, here are the prerequisites:

  • Set up a physical Apple device.
  • Obtain an Apple Push Notification Authentication Key for yourApple Developer account.
  • Enable Push Notifications in Xcode under App > Capabilities.

• Sign into Firebase using your Google account.

Step 2: Create a Firebase project

Before you can add Firebase to your C++ project, you need to create a Firebase project to connect to your C++ project. VisitUnderstand Firebase Projects to learn more about Firebase projects.

View instructions to create a Firebase project

New to Firebase or Cloud

Follow these steps if you're new to Firebase or Google Cloud.
You can also follow these steps if you want to create a wholly new Firebase project (and its underlying Google Cloud project).

1. Sign into theFirebase console.
2. Click the button to create a new Firebase project.
3. In the text field, enter a project name.
   If you're part of a Google Cloud org, you can optionally select which folder you create your project in.
4. If prompted, review and accept the Firebase terms, then click Continue.
5. (Optional) Enable AI assistance in the Firebase console (called "Gemini in Firebase"), which can help you get started and streamline your development process.
6. (Optional) Set up Google Analytics for your project, which enables an optimal experience using these Firebase products:Firebase A/B Testing,Cloud Messaging,Crashlytics,In-App Messaging, andRemote Config (includingPersonalization).
   Either select an existingGoogle Analytics account or create a new account. If you create a new account, select yourAnalytics reporting location, then accept the data sharing settings and Google Analytics terms for your project.
7. Click Create project.

Firebase creates your project, provisions some initial resources, and enables important APIs. When the process completes, you'll be taken to the overview page for your Firebase project in the Firebase console.

Existing Cloud project

Follow these steps if you want to start using Firebase with an existingGoogle Cloud project. Learn more about and troubleshoot"adding Firebase" to an existing Google Cloud project.

1. Sign into theFirebase console with the account that gives you access to the existing Google Cloud project.
2. Click the button to create a new Firebase project.
3. At the bottom of the page, clickAdd Firebase to Google Cloud project.
4. In the text field, start entering the project name of the existing project, and then select the project from the displayed list.
5. Click Open project.
6. If prompted, review and accept the Firebase terms, then click Continue.
7. (Optional) Enable AI assistance in the Firebase console (called "Gemini in Firebase"), which can help you get started and streamline your development process.
8. (Optional) Set up Google Analytics for your project, which enables an optimal experience using these Firebase products:Firebase A/B Testing,Cloud Messaging,Crashlytics,In-App Messaging, andRemote Config (includingPersonalization).
   Either select an existingGoogle Analytics account or create a new account. If you create a new account, select yourAnalytics reporting location, then accept the data sharing settings and Google Analytics terms for your project.
9. Click Add Firebase.

Firebaseadds Firebase to your existing project. When the process completes, you'll be taken to the overview page for your Firebase project in the Firebase console.

Step 3: Register your app with Firebase

To use Firebase in your Apple app, you need to register your app with your Firebase project. Registering your app is often called "adding" your app to your project.

1. Go to the Firebase console.
2. In the center of the project overview page, click the iOS+ icon to launch the setup workflow.
   If you've already added an app to your Firebase project, click Add appto display the platform options.
3. Enter your app's bundle ID in the bundle ID field.
   What's a bundle ID, and where do you find it?

   • A bundle IDuniquely identifies an application in Apple's ecosystem.
   • Find your bundle ID: open your project in Xcode, select the top-level app in the project navigator, then select the General tab.
     The value of the Bundle Identifier field is the bundle ID (for example, com.yourcompany.yourproject).
   • Be aware that the bundle ID value is case-sensitive, and it cannot be changed for this Firebase app after it's registered with your Firebase project.

4. (Optional) Enter other app information:App nickname and App Store ID.
   How are the App nickname and the_App Store ID_ used within Firebase?

   • App nickname: An internal, convenience identifier that is only visible to you in the Firebase console
   • App Store ID: Used by Firebase Dynamic Links toredirect users to your App Store pageand by Google Analytics toimport conversion events intoGoogle Ads. If your app doesn't yet have an App Store ID, you can add the ID later in your Project settings.

5. Click Register app.

Step 4: Add the Firebase configuration file

1. Click Download GoogleService-Info.plist to obtain your Firebase Apple platforms config file.
   What do you need to know about this config file?

   • The Firebase config file contains unique, but non-secret identifiers for your project and app. To learn more about this config file, visitUnderstand Firebase Projects.
   • You can download your Firebase config fileagain at any time.
   • Make sure the config file name is not appended with additional characters, like (2).

2. Open your C++ project in an IDE, then drag your config file into the root of your C++ project.
3. If prompted, select to add the config file to all targets.

You're done with set up tasks in the Firebase console. Continue toAdd Firebase C++ SDKs below.

Step 5: Add Firebase C++ SDKs

The steps in this section are an example of how to addsupported Firebase products to your Firebase C++ project.

1. Download the Firebase C++ SDK, then unzip the SDK somewhere convenient.
   The Firebase C++ SDK is not platform-specific, but it does contain platform-specific libraries.
2. Add Firebase pods from the unzipped SDK.
   1. Create a Podfile if you don't already have one:
      cd your-app-directory
      pod init
   2. To your Podfile, add the Firebase pods that you want to use in your app.

   Analytics enabled

   Add the Firebase pod for Google Analytics

   pod 'FirebaseAnalytics'

   Add the pods for any other Firebase products you want to use in your app

   For example, to use Firebase Authentication and Firebase Realtime Database

   pod 'FirebaseAuth'
   pod 'FirebaseDatabase'

   Analytics not enabled

   Add the pods for the Firebase products you want to use in your app

   For example, to use Firebase Authentication and Firebase Realtime Database

   pod 'FirebaseAuth'
   pod 'FirebaseDatabase'
   3. Install the pods, then open the .xcworkspace file in Xcode.
   pod install
   open your-app.xcworkspace

3. Add Firebase frameworks from the unzipped SDK.
   The easiest way to add these frameworks is usually to drag them from aFinder window directly into Xcode's Project Navigator pane (the far-left pane, by default; or click the file icon in the top-left of Xcode).
   1. Add the Firebase C++ framework firebase.framework, which is_required_ to use any Firebase product.
   2. Add the framework for each Firebase product that you want to use. For example, to use Firebase Authentication, add firebase_auth.framework.
4. Back in the Firebase console, in the setup workflow, click Next.
5. If you added Analytics, run your app to send verification to Firebase that you've successfully integrated Firebase. Otherwise, you can skip this verification step.
   Your device logs will display the Firebase verification that initialization is complete. If you ran your app on an emulator that has network access, the Firebase console notifies you that your app connection is complete.

You’re all set! Your C++ app is registered and configured to use Firebase products.

Available libraries

Learn more about the C++ Firebase libraries in thereference documentation and in our open-source SDK release on GitHub.

Available libraries for Apple platforms

Note that C++ libraries for Android are listed on the Android version of this setup page.

Each Firebase product has different dependencies. Be sure to add all the listed dependencies for the desired Firebase product to your Podfile and C++ project.

Each Firebase product may only support a selection of Apple OS platforms (iOS, tvOS, etc.). Check which platforms are supported by each library inLearn more about C++ and Firebase.

Additional information for mobile setup

Method swizzling

On iOS, some application events (such as opening URLs and receiving notifications) require your application delegate to implement specific methods. For example, receiving a notification might require your application delegate to implement application:didReceiveRemoteNotification:. Because each iOS application has its own app delegate, Firebase uses_method swizzling_, which allows the replacement of one method with another, to attach its own handlers in addition to any that you might have implemented.

The Dynamic Links and Cloud Messaging libraries need to attach handlers to the application delegate using method swizzling. If you're using any of these Firebase products, at load time, Firebase will identify your AppDelegate class and swizzle the required methods onto it, chaining a call back to your existing method implementation.

Set up a desktop workflow (beta)

When you're creating a game, it's often much easier to test your game on desktop platforms first, then deploy and test on mobile devices later in development. To support this workflow, we provide asubset of the Firebase C++ SDKs which can run on Windows, macOS, Linux, and from within the C++ editor.

1. For desktop workflows, you need to complete the following:
   1. Configure your C++ project for CMake.
   2. Create a Firebase project
   3. Register your app (iOS or Android) with Firebase
   4. Add a mobile-platform Firebase configuration file
2. Create a desktop version of the Firebase configuration file:
   • If you added the Android google-services.json file — When you run your app, Firebase locates this mobile file, then automatically generates a desktop Firebase config file (google-services-desktop.json).
   • If you added the iOS GoogleService-Info.plist file — Before you run your app, you need to convert this mobile file to a desktop Firebase config file. To convert the file, run the following command from the same directory as your GoogleService-Info.plist file:
     generate_xml_from_google_services_json.py --plist -i GoogleService-Info.plist
     This desktop config file contains the C++ project ID that you entered in the Firebase console setup workflow. VisitUnderstand Firebase Projectsto learn more about config files.
3. Add Firebase SDKs to your C++ project.
   The steps below serve as an example of how to add anysupported Firebase product to your C++ project. In this example, we walk through addingFirebase Authentication and Firebase Realtime Database.
   1. Set your FIREBASE_CPP_SDK_DIR environment variable to the location of the unzipped Firebase C++ SDK.
   2. To your project's CMakeLists.txt file, add the following content, including the libraries for the Firebase products that you want to use. For example, to useFirebase Authentication and Firebase Realtime Database:

   Add Firebase libraries to the target using the function from the SDK.

   add_subdirectory(${FIREBASE_CPP_SDK_DIR} bin/ EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)

   The Firebase C++ library firebase_app is required,

   and it must always be listed last.

   Add the Firebase SDKs for the products you want to use in your app

   For example, to use Firebase Authentication and Firebase Realtime Database

   set(firebase_libs firebase_auth firebase_database firebase_app)
   target_link_libraries(${target_name} "${firebase_libs}")

4. Run your C++ app.

Available libraries (desktop)

The Firebase C++ SDK includes desktop workflow supportfor a subset of features, enabling certain parts of Firebase to be used in standalone desktop builds on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Firebase provides the remaining desktop libraries as stub (non-functional) implementations for convenience when building for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Therefore, you don't need to conditionally compile code to target the desktop.

Realtime Database desktop

The Realtime Database SDK for desktop uses REST to access your database, so you mustdeclare the indexes that you use with Query::OrderByChild() on desktop or your listeners will fail.

Additional information for desktop setup

Windows libraries

For Windows, library versions are provided based on the following:

• Build platform: 32-bit (x86) vs 64-bit (x64) mode
• Windows runtime environment: Multithreaded / MT vs Multithreaded DLL /MD
• Target: Release vs Debug

Note that the following libraries were tested using Visual Studio 2015 and 2017.

When building C++ desktop apps on Windows, link the following Windows SDK libraries to your project. Consult your compiler documentation for more information.

macOS libraries

For macOS (Darwin), library versions are provided for the 64-bit (x86_64) platform. Frameworks are also provided for your convenience.

Note that the macOS libraries have been tested using Xcode 16.2.

When building C++ desktop apps on macOS, link the following to your project:

• pthread system library
• CoreFoundation macOS system framework
• Foundation macOS system framework
• Security macOS system framework
• GSS macOS system framework
• Kerberos macOS system framework
• SystemConfiguration macOS system framework

Consult your compiler documentation for more information.

Linux libraries

For Linux, library versions are provided for 32-bit (i386) and 64-bit (x86_64) platforms.

Note that the Linux libraries were tested using GCC 4.8.0, GCC 7.2.0, and Clang 5.0 on Ubuntu.

When building C++ desktop apps on Linux, link the pthread system library to your project. Consult your compiler documentation for more information. If you're building with GCC 5 or later, define -D_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0.

Next steps

• Explore sample Firebase apps.
• Explore the open source SDK in GitHub.
• Prepare to launch your app:
  • Set up budget alertsfor your project in the Google Cloud console.
  • Monitor the _Usage and billing_dashboardin the Firebase console to get an overall picture of your project's usage across multiple Firebase services.
  • Review the Firebase launch checklist.