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What Firebase is and why it matters for Android apps

By Victor Hristov

Updated: May 20, 2016, 1:10 AM

Android

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Firebase might not be a name common to the average Android user, but it's a hugely important back-end service the importance of which was emphasized by Google at I/O 2016.

Since Firebase was acquired by the search giant, the company has grown to have a developer community from 110,000 to 450,000 people. It's now become a platform for developing Android, iOS and web apps with its tools, but what is it in its essence?

Put simply, Firebase is a back-end service and a back-end service is of crucial importance for application. It's possible to make your own backend, but it's an undertaking that consumes time and effort. Firebase helps alleviate those pains by storing data and making it easy to access that data from an app at a moment's notice. It manages the app users and what they can access. Firebase also takes care of crash reports and analytics, so developers can use one service for all of that.

The new features that were announced include Firebase Analytics that provides mobile app stats including information about the performance of ads. The service also include the Firebase Realtime Database, Firebase Hosting, and Firebase Authentication features.

All of that might be of interest to developers and Firebase tells more about its services in the video right below.

source: Firebase

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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.

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