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FCM Token Retrieval Troubleshooting Guide

Issue: SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE Error

The SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE error occurs when trying to retrieve FCM tokens. This is a common issue with several possible causes.

Final Solution Applied

1. Created Shared FCM Service

  • Problem: Library modules (onboarding_presentation) were trying to access Firebase directly
  • Solution: Created FcmTokenService in core-ui module to handle FCM token retrieval
  • Reason: Library modules shouldn’t access Firebase directly; they should use shared services

2. Fixed Google Services Plugin Configuration

  • Problem: Google Services plugin was applied to library modules (onboarding_presentation, core-ui)
  • Fix: Removed Google Services plugin from library modules, kept only in main app module (composeApp)
  • Reason: Google Services plugin should only be applied to the main application module, not library modules

3. Updated AuthViewModel

  • Problem: AuthViewModel was trying to use Firebase directly
  • Solution: Updated AuthViewModel to inject and use FcmTokenService
  • Result: Clean separation of concerns and proper dependency injection

Architecture Changes

Before (Problematic)

onboarding_presentation (library module)
├── AuthViewModel (tries to access Firebase directly)
└── build.gradle.kts (has Google Services plugin ❌)

core-ui (library module)
└── build.gradle.kts (has Google Services plugin ❌)

composeApp (main app module)
├── google-services.json
└── build.gradle.kts (has Google Services plugin ✅)

After (Fixed)

onboarding_presentation (library module)
├── AuthViewModel (uses FcmTokenService)
└── build.gradle.kts (no Google Services plugin ✅)

core-ui (library module)
├── FcmTokenService (handles Firebase access)
└── build.gradle.kts (no Google Services plugin ✅)

composeApp (main app module)
├── google-services.json
└── build.gradle.kts (has Google Services plugin ✅)

Common Causes of SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

1. Emulator Without Google Play Services

  • Symptom: SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE error on emulator
  • Solution: Test on physical device with Google Play Services
  • Detection: Code now logs when running on emulator

2. Missing Google Play Services

  • Symptom: SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE on physical device
  • Solution: Install/update Google Play Services
  • Check: Verify Google Play Services is available and up to date

3. Firebase Configuration Issues

  • Symptom: SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE despite having Google Play Services
  • Check: Verify google-services.json is in composeApp module
  • Check: Verify Firebase project is properly configured

4. Network Issues

  • Symptom: SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE with network errors
  • Solution: Check internet connectivity
  • Solution: Check firewall/proxy settings

Testing Recommendations

1. Physical Device Testing

# Test on a physical device with Google Play Services
# This is the most reliable way to test FCM functionality

2. Emulator Testing

# If testing on emulator, expect SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE
# The app will gracefully handle this and continue without FCM
# Check logs for emulator detection messages

3. Debug Logs

# Look for these log messages:
# - "Device appears to be an emulator"
# - "SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE detected - this is usually not recoverable"
# - "FCM token retrieval failed after X attempts"

Expected Behavior

On Physical Device with Google Play Services

  • FCM token retrieval should succeed
  • Login request includes FCM token
  • Push notifications work

On Emulator or Device Without Google Play Services

  • FCM token retrieval fails with SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE
  • Login continues without FCM token
  • App shows appropriate warning messages
  • In-app notifications still work

Verification Steps

  1. Check Build Configuration

    # Verify only composeApp has Google Services plugin
grep -r "googleServices" */build.gradle.kts

  2. Check Firebase Configuration

    # Verify google-services.json exists in composeApp
ls composeApp/google-services.json

  3. Check Logs

    # Look for FCM-related log messages during login
adb logcat | grep -i "fcm\|firebase\|authviewmodel\|fcmtokenservice"

Alternative Notification Strategies

When FCM is not available, the app falls back to:

  • In-app notifications (when app is open)
  • Local notifications (scheduled reminders)
  • Email notifications (if configured)
  • SMS notifications (if configured)
  • WebSocket real-time updates (when app is connected)

Key Files Modified

  1. core-ui/src/main/java/com/esteban/ruano/core_ui/services/FcmTokenService.kt (NEW)

    • Shared service for FCM token retrieval
    • Handles Firebase initialization checks
    • Provides detailed error logging

  2. onboarding/onboarding_presentation/src/main/java/com/esteban/lopez/onboarding_presentation/auth/viewmodel/AuthViewModel.kt (MODIFIED)

    • Removed direct Firebase imports
    • Added FcmTokenService injection
    • Simplified FCM token retrieval logic

  3. onboarding/onboarding_presentation/build.gradle.kts (MODIFIED)

    • Removed Google Services plugin
    • Kept Firebase dependencies for classes only

  4. core-ui/build.gradle.kts (MODIFIED)

    • Removed Google Services plugin
    • Kept Firebase dependencies for classes only

Next Steps

If you’re still experiencing issues:

  1. Test on a physical device with Google Play Services
  2. Check the detailed logs for specific error messages
  3. Verify Firebase project configuration
  4. Consider using alternative notification methods for development/testing
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