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Migrate from GCM to FCM

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Background

Google will be removing their GCM service for sending push notifications on April 11th 2019. If you still use GCM to send your Chrome and Android users push notifications through Xtremepush you will need to migrate to FCM before this date. The migration is a simple process and does not require any application or code updates. However, if you do not migrate and continue to use GCM, your Chrome and Android users will not receive push notifications after April 11th.

The only immediate changes required to be able to support the changeover from GCM to FCM are to migrate the GCM project to Firebase on the Google consoles and update the Xtremepush platform with the new Firebase Server Key before April 11th 2019. 

Below is a few FAQ's, followed by detailed instructions on how to migrate from GCM to FCM.

FAQ

 

 

Q: What will the removal of the GCM service affect?

A: In Xtremepush, either GCM or its successor Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) can currently be used for sending Push Notifications to your Android or Chrome users. If you are using the GCM service send messages on either of these channels, you will need to migrate to use FCM instead in order to continue to be able to send notifications to your users after April 11th 2019.

If you are already setup with FCM for your push notifications to Android or Chrome devices and if you have uploaded an FCM Server Key to Xtremepush, then this article can be safely ignored.

To check if you are using GCM or FCM you will first need to find a person who has access to the current projects you are using for push for your app/site on the Google Developer Console and the Firebase console. If you can only find the project used for push in your app/site on the Google Developer Console and there is no corresponding FCM project on the Firebase Developer Console then you will need to perform the steps outlined below to migrate your GCM project to FCM.

Q: Who can check if we are using GCM or FCM for push?

A: Your app/site developer will know who has access to your GCM/FCM projects. They will already have been notified by Google about the deprecation (and scheduled removal) of the GCM service so they will be aware of the changes.

They will need to check the Sender ID that is currently being used in the app/site against the corresponding GCM and FCM projects.

For Android app developers, no immediate changes are required in your app. After GCM support is removed the "client SDKs and GCM tokens will continue to work indefinitely. However, you won't be able to target the latest version of Google Play Services in your Android app unless you migrate to FCM." - https://developers.google.com/cloud-messaging/faq

Q: If we have already migrated to FCM for push is anything else required?

A: If you have recently migrated to FCM from GCM, it is important to confirm that you have uploaded a Server Key from the Firebase project’s settings page to Xtremepush. If you are still using Server Keys from your old GCM project after April 11th 2019, you may not be able to send messages to your devices until you have uploaded an FCM Server Key to Xtremepush.

Q: How do we move over to FCM?

A: The following steps need to be taken as soon as possible, in advance of April 11th 2019.

  1. Migrate your existing GCM project to the Firebase Developer Console
  2. Upload a new Server Key from the Firebase project's settings page (on the Cloud Messaging tab) to the Application settings on Xtremepush
  3. If the Sender ID is not already saved in the Application settings on Xtremepush this should be added now too

There are no app or code updates required to do this migration and the process should only take 5 minutes. The only requirement for this is having access to the original GCM project that you are currently using for push in your app/site.

Q: Will the removal of GCM affect our existing users or older versions of our app?

A: No, you will be able to continue to send to them provided you have completed the migration described above.

However, we would recommend updating to the latest version of the Xtremepush Android SDK whenever you are next doing an app update, particularly if updating your build target in your app release. This will allow you to keep up with all developments in the Xtremepush SDK (Android OS update support, bug fixes, functional improvements, etc.) and will allow you to use the latest versions of Google Play Service in your app too.

 

 

 

Migrate GCM Project

The migration of the GCM project to Firebase is detailed in Point 1 on the following page: https://developers.google.com/cloud-messaging/android/android-migrate-fcm#import-your-gcm-project-as-a-firebase-project

This migration does not change/deactivate any of your existing GCM credentials (Sender ID, Server Keys or Push Tokens). These will all remain active (until April 11th 2019) and you will be able to send push messages to your devices as before with either the credentials from the GCM project or from the Firebase project.

There is one important thing to note however, whenever the GCM console project is deactivated on April 11th 2019, the server keys from the GCM project may no longer be available and will not be active. After completing the migration above, one of the new FCM Server Keys that will be available from the Firebase project's settings page (on the Cloud Messaging tab) should also be uploaded to the Xtremepush platform. The screenshot below shows where the Server Keys can be located in the Firebase project. We would recommend using the “Server key” over the “Legacy server key” to ensure maximum ongoing compatibility.

image_1.png

 

Update Xtremepush Configuration

The Server Key (and the Sender ID, if it is not already saved there) should be saved in your Xtremepush project by clicking on Applications in the left menu and then clicking on the settings for your Android/Web project:

image_2.png

 

The field that will need to be updated in your application\s settings is the “FCM/GCM API Key” field to use the new Firebase Server Key. If the “FCM/GCM Project Number (Sender ID)” is not filled, your existing and unchanged Sender ID can also be added there at the same time.

image_3.png

Once these changes have been made, click Save to put them into effect. We would then recommend testing the changes by sending a push message to one of your devices or monitoring future campaign sends to make sure everything is working as expected.

Android Firebase & Xtremepush SDK Update

In the future, if you are updating your app and want to use the latest Xtremepush and Firebase functionality, it will be necessary to update the SDKs in the apps to use the latest available Xtremepush SDKs. After GCM support is removed the "client SDKs and GCM tokens will continue to work indefinitely. However, you won't be able to target the latest version of Google Play Services in your Android app unless you migrate to FCM." - https://developers.google.com/cloud-messaging/faq

More information about the integration and usage of the Xtremepush SDKs (and FCM for Android) can be found at the following locations:

Android: https://support.xtremepush.com/hc/en-us/sections/201578561-Android 

Summary

Immediate (ASAP before April 11th 2019):

  1. Migrate GCM project to Firebase console
  2. Upload a new Server Key from the Firebase project's settings page (on the Cloud Messaging tab) to the Application settings on Xtremepush
  3. If the Sender ID is not already saved in the Application settings on Xtremepush this should be added now too

Future:

  1. (Android only) If releasing an update for your app, update to use the latest Xtremepush SDKs

 

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