Firebase In-App Messaging Skill
This skill defines how to correctly use Firebase In-App Messaging in Flutter applications.
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Setting up Firebase In-App Messaging in a Flutter project.
- Triggering or suppressing in-app messages programmatically.
- Implementing opt-in data collection for user privacy.
- Testing campaigns with specific devices.
1. Setup and Configuration
flutter pub add firebase_in_app_messaging
import 'package:firebase_in_app_messaging/firebase_in_app_messaging.dart';
- Initialize Firebase before using any In-App Messaging features.
- In-App Messaging retrieves messages from the server once per day by default to conserve power.
Finding your Installation ID for testing:
-
Android: Look for
I/FIAM.Headless: Starting InAppMessaging runtime with Installation ID YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID in logcat (filter by "FIAM.Headless").
-
iOS: Enable debug mode by adding
-FIRDebugEnabled as a runtime argument in Xcode's scheme settings; find [Firebase/InAppMessaging][I-IAM180017] in Xcode console logs.
2. Message Triggering and Display
Use Google Analytics events to trigger in-app messages without additional code. For programmatic triggering:
FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.triggerEvent("eventName");
Suppress messages during critical flows (e.g., payment processing):
FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setMessagesSuppressed(true);
// Re-enable when appropriate:
FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setMessagesSuppressed(false);
- Suppression is automatically turned off on app restart.
- Suppressed messages are ignored — their trigger conditions must be met again after suppression is lifted.
- Platform-specific message interaction callbacks (iOS/Android) are not directly accessible from Flutter; use native APIs for those.
3. User Privacy and Opt-In Data Collection
By default, In-App Messaging automatically delivers messages to all targeted users.
Disable automatic collection — iOS (Info.plist):
FirebaseInAppMessagingAutomaticDataCollectionEnabled = NO
Disable automatic collection — Android (AndroidManifest.xml):
<meta-data
android:name="firebase_inapp_messaging_auto_data_collection_enabled"
android:value="false" />
Enable for users who opt in:
FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setAutomaticDataCollectionEnabled(true);
- Manually set preferences persist through app restarts, overriding configuration file values.
4. Testing and Debugging
- Use the Firebase console's "Test on your Device" feature, entering the app's Firebase Installation ID to send test messages on demand.
- Always test on actual devices for proper rendering and behavior.
5. Campaign Management
- Create campaigns in the Firebase console under Messaging.
- Message types: modal, banner, card, or image-only.
- Use custom metadata (key-value pairs) to pass additional info accessible when users interact with messages.
- Target based on user segments, app version, language, and Analytics-based conditions.
- Use A/B testing to optimize message content and delivery.
- Monitor campaign performance through Firebase console analytics.
References
