If you’re building a web or mobile app and need real-time, scalable push notifications, Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is a powerful and free solution provided by Google. This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up Firebase to deliver notifications reliably to your users — whether on Android, iOS, or web.

✅ Why Choose Firebase for Notifications?

• Free and scalable (supports millions of devices)
• Cross-platform support (iOS, Android, Web)
• Built-in message targeting
• Integration with Firebase Analytics & Cloud Functions

🔧 Step 1: Set Up Firebase Project

1. Go to Firebase Console
2. Click “Add Project”, enter a name and follow the setup wizard
3. Once created, go to Project Settings > Cloud Messaging

📲 Step 2: Integrate FCM in Your App

For Android:

1. Add google-services.json to your /app folder
2. Update build.gradle files to include Firebase dependencies:

implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging'

1. Initialize Firebase in your app’s Application class or MainActivity

For iOS:

1. Add GoogleService-Info.plist to your project
2. Enable push notifications and background modes in Xcode
3. Use CocoaPods:

pod 'Firebase/Messaging'

1. Request APNs token and register for remote notifications

For Web:

1. Include Firebase SDK:

<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/10.0.0/firebase-app.js"></script>
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/10.0.0/firebase-messaging.js"></script>

1. Initialize Firebase with your config and call:

const messaging = firebase.messaging();

🛠 Step 3: Request Permission & Get Device Token

messaging.requestPermission().then(() => {
 return messaging.getToken();
}).then(token => {
 // Send token to your backend
});

This token is essential to send targeted notifications to that specific device.

⚙️ Step 4: Send Notifications

Option 1: Use Firebase Console

• Go to Firebase Console > Cloud Messaging > New Notification
• Target users by token, topic, or user segment

Option 2: Use Admin SDK (Backend)

const admin = require('firebase-admin');

admin.messaging().send({
 token: userToken,
 notification: {
  title: 'Hello!',
  body: 'You’ve got a new message.'
 }
});

⚡️ Step 5: Handle Notifications in the App

Foreground:

messaging.onMessage((payload) => {
 console.log('Message received:', payload);
});

Background/Closed:

Notifications will be handled automatically unless you customize them using a service worker (for web) or native methods (Android/iOS).

🔁 Optional: Subscribe to Topics

Allow users to subscribe to groups:

admin.messaging().subscribeToTopic([token], 'news-updates');

Then send to topic:

admin.messaging().send({
 topic: 'news-updates',
 notification: {
  title: 'Breaking News!',
  body: 'Check out the latest update.'
 }
});

🔒 Best Practices

• Store tokens securely and refresh regularly
• Handle token changes using onTokenRefresh
• Use topics for broadcasting to many users
• Monitor delivery success via Firebase Analytics

Firebase makes real-time, cross-platform notifications simple, powerful, and scalable. Whether you’re notifying a single user or millions, it just works.

👉 Need help integrating FCM or building full-stack notification systems?

Connect with Atisolve — your expert partner in scalable software development.