[Expo] Error: You attempted to use a firebase module that's not installed on your Android project by calling firebase.app().

[KMNowak]

General

What bug do you experience? 🐞

While using with Expo 42.0.0, calling fetchUser returns:

Error: You attempted to use a firebase module that's not installed on your Android project by calling firebase.app().

How can it be reproduced? 🤔

A few steps to define where does the bug occur.
Step 1. Create new app with Expo 42.
Step 2. Create project in Firebase and add it to the application.
Step 3. Sign in (e.g. Anonymously), get user and try call fetchUser(firebaseUser.uid)

What behavior is expected? 💡

The method fetchUser should be called correctly.

Extras

Code snippets 📝

Minimum example:

import React, { useEffect } from 'react'
import firebase from 'firebase'
import { createUserInFirestore, fetchUser } from '@flyerhq/react-native-firebase-chat-core'
import { firebaseConfig } from './config'

const MyComponent = () => {
   useEffect(() => {
      firebase.initializeApp(firebaseConfig)

      const firebaseUser = firebase.auth().currentUser

     if (!firebaseUser) {
       firebase.auth().signInAnonymously()
         .then(newUser =>newUser &&  fetchUser(newUser.uid) // <-- here throws below error
     }
   }, [])


   return (
    <View><Text>Sample</Text></View>
   ) 
}

Environment info

Please specify the react, react-native, react-native-firebase-chat-core versions.

react: 16.13.1
react-native: https://github.com/expo/react-native/archive/sdk-42.0.0.tar.gz
react-native-firebase-chat-core: 1.0.1

npx react-native info output 👇

System:
    OS: macOS 11.4
    CPU: (12) x64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz
    Memory: 667.56 MB / 16.00 GB
    Shell: 5.8 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 12.13.1 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.1/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.10 - /usr/local/bin/yarn
    npm: 6.12.1 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.1/bin/npm
    Watchman: 4.9.0 - /usr/local/bin/watchman
  Managers:
    CocoaPods: 1.8.4 - /usr/local/bin/pod
  SDKs:
    iOS SDK: Not Found
    Android SDK:
      API Levels: 28, 29
      Build Tools: 28.0.3
      System Images: android-28 | Google APIs Intel x86 Atom
      Android NDK: Not Found
  IDEs:
    Android Studio: 3.3 AI-182.5107.16.33.5264788
    Xcode: /undefined - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
  Languages:
    Java: 1.8.0_201 - /usr/bin/javac
    Python: 2.7.16 - /usr/bin/python
  npmPackages:
    @react-native-community/cli: Not Found
    react: 16.13.1 => 16.13.1 
    react-native: https://github.com/expo/react-native/archive/sdk-42.0.0.tar.gz => 0.63.2 
    react-native-macos: Not Found
  npmGlobalPackages:
    *react-native*: Not Found

Platform

Device: sm-g781b

OS version Android 11

[cristaloleg]

Looks like issue is missing some details, can you add?

[KMNowak]

Sorry, I accidentally hit enter. Now it's complete :)

[KMNowak]

Now it's complete. I'll be grateful if you can give some insights what can be changed to make it work.

[aaryashahk]

Having the same issue. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it has something to do with FlyerChat using the React Native Firebase dependency, separate from the Firebase JS SDK, which is not usable on the managed workflow utilized by Expo.

[demchenkoalex]

Oops completely missed that! We are working on a big update for React Native with new features and Firebase package will be updated too. I will take a look at Expo too.

[aaryashahk]

Oops completely missed that! We are working on a big update for React Native with new features and Firebase package will be updated too. I will take a look at Expo too.

When can we expect this update? And in the meantime, is there anything developers using Expo's managed workflow can do?

[demchenkoalex]

@aaryashahk I have never used Expo before, so I can't suggest anything. PR with an update is already in the UI repo, I just need to find some time to review it, so in the near future.

[aaryashahk]

@aaryashahk I have never used Expo before, so I can't suggest anything. PR with an update is already in the UI repo, I just need to find some time to review it, so in the near future.

I understand. Does this PR with the update that's already in the UI repo have the capability of working with Firebase in Expo's managed workflow?

[demchenkoalex]

@aaryashahk UI and Firebase are not related packages. We separated them completely in order for people to use whatever they want, not requiring the other part. From what I know UI has no problems with Expo whatsoever.

[aaryashahk]

@aaryashahk UI and Firebase are not related packages. We separated them completely in order for people to use whatever they want, not requiring the other part. From what I know UI has no problems with Expo whatsoever.

Yes, UI works perfectly fine on Expo. Incorporating Firebase is the problem in Expo since FlyerChat is using react-native-firebase, which is not compatible with Expo's managed workflow. Are you going to add support for FlyerChat's Firebase BaaS to work on Expo's managed workflow?

[demchenkoalex]

@aaryashahk you are saying that Expo does not support react-native-firebase? That means we will not add this support, because this is the only library we can use for RN

[gwbischof]

I think that expo supports react-native-firebase
https://docs.expo.dev/guides/setup-native-firebase/#bare-workflow-setup

[demchenkoalex]

It should work in a bare workflow anyway? The question was about managed workflow I suppose. To do that I will need to rewrite everything using JS SDK.

[hirbod]

It also works now with the managed workflow using custom dev clients and expo config plugins.

[lalitdhimaney]

It also works now with the managed workflow using custom dev clients and expo config plugins.

Hi, @hirbod I am using expo managed workflow and was trying to implement Firebase messaging but getting the same error "Error: You attempted to use a firebase module that's not installed on your Android project by calling firebase.app()." Can you please let me know what specific steps you took while implementing?
Link: https://rnfirebase.io/messaging/notifications
Expo SDK: 47, React Native: 0.70.8, react-native-firebase/app: 18.1.0, react-native-firebase/messaging: 18.1.0

[Noothan-am]

hey @KMNowak, did you get any solution to fix it ?

[KMNowak]

hey @KMNowak, did you get any solution to fix it ?

Unfortunately not, I was applying that to PoCs I was building and gave this specific one up. Anyway, I hope someone will find a solution, so you will get unstuck.

[cryptodev6]

Has anyone fixed it? I keep having the same trouble for a long time

[demchenkoalex]

please don't use this package @cryptodev6 - not maintained for a very long time. Just keeping it as a placeholder in case I will be able to return to it.