Firebase In App Messaging

Firebase In-App Messaging Skill

This skill defines how to correctly implement Firebase In-App Messaging in Flutter applications, covering setup, programmatic triggers, privacy controls, testing workflows, and campaign management.

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 GDPR or user privacy compliance.
• Testing campaigns with specific devices before rollout.
• Configuring message types, targeting rules, and A/B tests.

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.

Setup Checklist

• Confirm Firebase.initializeApp() completes before accessing In-App Messaging.
• Create a test campaign in the Firebase console to verify the integration.
• Locate the Installation ID for device-specific testing (see Testing section).

2. Message Triggering and Display

Use Google Analytics events to trigger in-app messages without additional code. For programmatic triggering:

// Trigger a message tied to a custom event
await FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.triggerEvent("purchase_complete");

Suppress Messages During Critical Flows

class PaymentScreen extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  State<PaymentScreen> createState() => _PaymentScreenState();
}

class _PaymentScreenState extends State<PaymentScreen> {
  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    // Suppress messages during payment
    FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setMessagesSuppressed(true);
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    // Re-enable messages when leaving payment flow
    FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setMessagesSuppressed(false);
    super.dispose();
  }
}

• Suppression is automatically turned off on app restart.
• Suppressed messages are ignored — their trigger conditions must be met again after suppression is lifted.
• Common flows to suppress: payment processing, onboarding wizards, form submission screens.

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):

<key>FirebaseInAppMessagingAutomaticDataCollectionEnabled</key>
<false/>

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 at runtime:

// Call after user consents to data collection
Future<void> enableMessaging() async {
  await FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setAutomaticDataCollectionEnabled(true);
}

// Call if user revokes consent
Future<void> disableMessaging() async {
  await FirebaseInAppMessaging.instance.setAutomaticDataCollectionEnabled(false);
}

• Manually set preferences persist through app restarts, overriding configuration file values.
• For GDPR compliance, disable automatic collection by default and enable only after explicit user consent.

4. Testing and Debugging

Find the Installation ID

• Android: Filter logcat by FIAM.Headless — look for Starting InAppMessaging runtime with Installation ID YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID.
• iOS: Add -FIRDebugEnabled as a runtime argument in Xcode scheme settings. Look for [Firebase/InAppMessaging][I-IAM180017] in the console.

Test a Campaign

• In the Firebase console, open the campaign and select Test on your Device.
• Enter the Installation ID from the step above.
• The test message appears on the next app launch or foreground event.

• Always test on actual devices for proper rendering and behavior.
• Test each message type (modal, banner, card, image-only) to verify layout on different screen sizes.

5. Campaign Management

• Create campaigns in the Firebase console under Messaging > In-App Messaging.
• Message types: modal, banner, card, or image-only.

Campaign Configuration Workflow

• Design — Select the message type and customize appearance (title, body, image, button).
• Target — Define the audience by app version, language, user segment, or Analytics-based conditions.
• Schedule — Set start/end dates and frequency caps (once, once per session, etc.).
• Trigger — Choose the Analytics event that displays the message (e.g., app_open, purchase_complete).
• Test — Use device testing before publishing.
• Publish — Launch the campaign and monitor performance.

• Use custom metadata (key-value pairs) to pass additional info accessible when users interact with messages.
• Use A/B testing to optimize message content, timing, and conversion rates.
• Monitor campaign performance (impressions, clicks, conversions) through Firebase console analytics.

References

• Firebase In-App Messaging Flutter documentation