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Set up the Firebase project

This guide is for the administrator of the Firebase project associated with your app. If I released your app, you already have a Firebase project. Contact me for an invitation.

Create a Firebase project​

Go to https://console.firebase.google.com/. Create an app.

Enable Cloud Messaging​

Under Project settings, select the Cloud Messaging tab. Make sure Firebase Cloud Messaging API (V1) is enabled.

Create a Service Account and key​

Create the Message Sender role​

Follow the Manage Service Accounts link. Now you are in the Google Cloud Console under "IAM & Admin". Choose Roles from the left navigation menu.

Create the role:

  • Click + Create Role at the top
  • Set Title to "Message Sender"
  • Set Description to "Role to send push notifications"
  • Set ID to "MessageSender"
  • Set Role launch stage to "General Availability"
  • Click Add Permissions
    • Enter property name "cloudmessaging.messages.create"
    • Select cloudmessaging.messages.create
    • Click Add to add the permission to the role.
  • Click Create to finish creating the role.

Now you should see the "Message Sender" role at the top of the Roles list.

Create a Service Account​

In the Google Cloud Console, choose Service Accounts from the left navigation menu.

Create the account:

  • Click + Create Service Account at the top
  • Leave the display name blank
  • Set ID to "message-sender"
  • Set Description to "service account to send messages"
  • Click Create and Continue
  • Select the role we just created, "Message Sender"
  • Click Continue
  • Click Done

Add a Service Account Key​

In the Google Cloud Console, choose Service Accounts from the left navigation menu.

Click the message-sender service account we just created, then choose the Keys tab at the top.

Be prepared to store the key securely - this procedure immediately downloads the new key to your computer.

Create a key:

  • From the Add Key menu, select Create new key
  • Chose JSON
  • Click Create to create and download the key

Store the key securely. The hemlock-sendmsg program assumes the key is named service-account.json in the same directory as the binary.

Add apps to the project​

If I setup your project, you already have these.

In the Firebase Console, choose Project Overview fromt the left navigation menu.

  • Add an Android app to the project with + Add app
  • Add an iOS app to the project with + Add app

Under Your apps you can now download the file needed to build the Hemlock app.

  • Android: google-services.json
  • iOS: GoogleService-Info.plist

Create an Apple APNs key and add it​

Create an Apple APNs key​

  • Go to [Keys at the Apple Developer site] https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/authkeys/list
  • If there is no APNs key, select "Create a key"
  • Name it, e.g. "Acorn APNs Key"
  • Select "Apple Push Notification service (APNs)"
  • Click "Continue", then "Register"
  • Download the APNs key (.p8 file)

Add the APNs key to the Firebase project​

  • In the Firebase Console, choose project settings under the gear icon
  • Choose the "Cloud Messaging" tab
  • Under "Apple app configuration" >> "APNs Authentication Key", upload the .p8 key file