What is Firebase Authentication?

Firebase Authentication offers a straightforward way to authenticate users without the hassle of managing credentials. It includes support for multiple login options and is simple to implement. You will benefit from a complete registration process, which may include email verification if required. Before creating your own authentication system, consider leveraging Firebase's built-in solution.

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To utilize the code examples provided here or from my GitHub, you'll need to set up your own Firebase project. If you're unfamiliar with this process, refer to this article for guidance.

Creating a Firebase Project and Linking it with Your Flutter App

In this section, I’ll demonstrate how to create a Firebase project and connect it to your Flutter application.

[Read the full guide here.](https://levelup.gitconnected.com)

Supported Authentication Methods

• Email/Password: Users can log in using their email and password or an email link.
• Phone Number: Users can authenticate via their phone numbers.
• Anonymous: Users can log in temporarily without creating an account.
• Social Login: Users can authenticate using social providers such as Google, Facebook, GitHub, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc. Note that this requires additional plugins.

Activating Authentication Providers

To enable authentication methods, navigate to Build > Authentication in your Firebase Console dashboard.

Next, select the Sign-in method tab.

You will see a list of available providers where you can activate and configure your preferred options. For this guide, we will focus on Email/Password and Google, which are already selected in the screenshot.

Example: Email and Password Authentication

First, enable the Email/Password provider by checking the box and clicking Save.

If you haven't installed the firebase_auth package in your Flutter app yet, do so now.

To register a new user, use the following code snippet.

The user will automatically be logged in once the registration is successful. You can log out the current user using the next code snippet.

If you want to log in without registering as a new user, you can apply this code.

To monitor changes in authentication status, listen to a stream that provides updates as shown below:

FirebaseAuth.instance.authStateChanges().listen((user) {...});

The User object will be null if no one is logged in; otherwise, it contains user data.

After a successful registration, you can view the user’s details (excluding the password) in Firebase. User management is available through the Users tab in the Authentication dashboard.

Here’s a brief demo video showcasing the provided source code.

Additional features available include: - Changing or resetting passwords - Customizing emails sent to users - Using an emulator for testing purposes

Example: Google Authentication

To enable Google sign-in, activate the Google provider, input the required email address, and click Save.

Ensure you have the firebase_auth package installed in your Flutter app.

To initiate the Google login process, use the following code snippet.

Logging out can be accomplished using the same code as previously demonstrated.

Important Note: Social authentication with providers like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft is limited to the web platform. On other platforms, you may encounter runtime exceptions. For details on implementing Google sign-in on Android or iOS, refer to this article, which outlines the necessary packages and setup steps.

Conclusion

Firebase Authentication simplifies the implementation of login and registration processes in your app while relieving you from managing intricate details. The package is user-friendly and delivers clear error messages directly to users. You can find the complete source code example on my GitHub page.

[GitHub - xeladu/flutter_firebase](https://github.com/xeladu/flutter_firebase)

This article is part of the Flutter Firebase Compendium, featuring numerous tutorials and guides about utilizing Firebase in Flutter applications.

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