A Complete Guide to Set Up Firebase Crashlytics for Detecting Hidden Errors and Error-free Flutter App

Creating an error-free Flutter app is essential for a better user experience. One of the primary concerns that occurs during app Flutter development is crashing the app, which can negatively impact user satisfaction, harm the brand’s reputation, and result in the loss of valuable users or reviews. To prevent these issues, Set up Firebase Crashlytics is a reliable solution as it offers tools to identify and prevent application crashes effectively.

This article will help you to learn about Firebase Crashlytics and provide a step-by-step guide to implementing Firebase Crashlytics in Flutter application. Let’s dive deep into it.

What is Firebase Crashlytics?

Firebase Crashlytics is a powerful tool that can provide real-time crash reporting and helps app owners monitor and track every crash or error occurring within their Flutter application. It provides detailed insights about the causes of these issues, such as pinpointing the exact line of code responsible for the error. This allows developers to quickly identify and resolve problems, ensuring a smoother and more reliable user experience.

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Why use Firebase Crashlytics for Flutter?

Crash Insights: Get actionable tips to troubleshoot, prioritize, and resolve common stability issues efficiently.

Real-Time Reporting: Access near real-time updates with dynamic charts to immediately assess the impact of crashes on user experience.

Top New Issues: Track new crashes after each release to decide whether to proceed, halt, or roll back a deployment.

Crash-Free Metrics: View automatically calculated percentages comparing crash-free users and sessions across past and current data for better stability analysis.

Cross-Platform Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Android, iOS, and Flutter platforms to provide comprehensive coverage for your app.

Steps to Set up Firebase Crashlytics within the Flutter App

Before starting, make sure you have:

• A Flutter project is already set up.
• Flutter and Dart SDK installed.
• A Firebase account and project were created.

Step 1: Create a Firebase Project and Enable Crashlytics

Log in to Firebase Console https://console.firebase.google.com/.

Create a new project and configure it for your Flutter app.

1.2. Add Firebase Configuration Files

For Android: Download google-services.json

Place it in the project/android/app directory(google-services.json).

For iOS: Download GoogleService-Info.plist

add it to the project/ios/Runner directory(GoogleService-Info.plist).

Step 2: Install the Firebase Crashlytics Package

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Add the firebase_crashlytics package to your pubspec.yaml file:

https://pub.dev/packages/firebase_crashlytics/install

Add the necessary dependencies to your pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
  firebase_crashlytics: ^3.0.0
  firebase_core: ^3.0.0

Run the following command to install the dependencies:

Flutter pub get

Step 3: Initialize Firebase in Your App

Import Firebase in your main.dart file and initialize it:

import 'package:firebase_core/firebase_core.dart';
import 'package:firebase_crashlytics/firebase_crashlytics.dart';

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  await Firebase.initializeApp(
        Name: ‘Test App’,
        Option: DefaultFirebaseOptions.currentPlatform,
);

  FlutterError.onError = FirebaseCrashlytics.instance.recordFlutterFatalError;

  runApp(MyApp());
}

Step 4: Update Platform-Specific Files

• For Android: 
  • Update the android/build.gradle file:

dependencies {
    classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:4.3.10'
}

• Apply the Google Services plugin in android/app/build.gradle:

apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

• For iOS:
  
  • Ensure CocoaPods is installed and dependencies are added to the Podfile.

Step 5: Test Crashlytics Integration

5.1 Simulate a Crash

Once Set up Firebase Crashlytics add the following code snippet to test crash reporting:

TextButton(
  onPressed: () {
    FirebaseCrashlytics.instance.crash();
  },
  child: Text('Simulate Crash'),
)

Run the app and trigger a crash to verify that it appears in the Firebase Console.

Step 6: Check the Firebase Console

Navigate to the Crashlytics section to confirm that the crash report has been logged.

Debugging and Monitoring Hidden Errors

After Set up Firebase Crashlytics, you can uncover:

Non-fatal errors:

Use FirebaseCrashlytics.instance.recordError() to log errors without crashing the app.

Best Practices for Error-Free Flutter Apps

• Regular Monitoring: Continuously monitor Crashlytics reports for new issues.

• Custom Logging: Use custom keys and logs for detailed debugging.

• Error Handling: Implement robust error-handling mechanisms throughout your app.

• Frequent Testing: Simulate crashes and non-fatal errors in development to ensure reliability.

• Stay Updated: Regularly update dependencies and tools to avoid compatibility issues.

Conclusion

Firebase Crashlytics is an indispensable tool for ensuring your Flutter app is error-free and user-friendly. By setting it up effectively, a Flutter app development company can identify hidden errors, enhance app performance, and deliver an exceptional user experience.

Ready to take your Flutter app to the next level? Start set up Firebase Crashlytics today! or Contact us!