Android Question Firebase and Recommendation for Identity Providers

miker2069

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Looking at the awesome Firebase integration with B4x, it looks like 99% of the use cases for authenticating a user in a mobile app are covered (Facebook and Google Auth). As I understand it, with Firebase you can use your own Identity Management system ,i.e., a mysql database with usernames and passwords. I'm thinking in the long run using my own backend database for user mgmt may not scale very well (let's assume a very popular app and signups go through the roof). What is everyones thoughts around alternate Identity Management systems. On paper Amazon's Cognito is appeal, you can create pools of users, each pool assigned to an app, policies, etc. In practice its a nightmare navigating the API and I all but gave up thinking I could integrate it with B4x (the doc is to confusing and no real examples are out there).

Firebase looks good but doesn't seem like Google provides an identity system to create accounts (i.e., they can force people to sign up for google accounts). I looked at Azure Mobile App Services but again, the docs are confusing to navigate and I can't seem to find solid examples that for examples

What are your thoughts on 3rd party well documented Identity Management systems? Or possibly I'm over thinking it to much and should just use my own backend DB until scaling becomes an issue.
 

KMatle

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Google Auth is a nice solution but... Due to privacy and/or legal requirements ("Safe Harbour") you may not wish google to handle it. I like having everything under my own control (so I can add more or less data/functions to my user workflow on my own servers). The only thing I use is FCM. I don't want to get too reliant on Google, too. Another thought: Google will for sure want you to upgrade from "free" to "pay for our services" at some point when you app get's huge (I can't believe that it will still be free)

So I will keep everything on my own server(s) :)
 
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miker2069

Active Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
Google Auth is a nice solution but... Due to privacy and/or legal requirements ("Safe Harbour") you may not wish google to handle it. I like having everything under my own control (so I can add more or less data/functions to my user workflow on my own servers). The only thing I use is FCM. I don't want to get too reliant on Google, too. Another thought: Google will for sure want you to upgrade from "free" to "pay for our services" at some point when you app get's huge (I can't believe that it will still be free)

So I will keep everything on my own server(s) :)

I've mulled it over a bit and decided that Firebase is the way to go for me for FB/Google and anonymous auth and I'll use my own email/password storage password system as well. Coginto, if you were to use REST for auth, the workflow is complex that it's almost not worth it - every call has to be signed so you're somewhat forced to use the SDK. I'm pretty sure given enough time one could integrate the SDKs with B4i/a but the time sink doesn't seem worth it.
 
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