Converting/migrating from GCM to FCM for push noti

Question

If I migrate my current GCM configuration to FCM what will happen to all the users of my Android app? Will I have to force all users to update or will the APK continue working as it is?

Please guide me. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

If you're simply referring to import your GCM project to Firebase, you should still be able to send messages to your users with GCM implemented apps (see my answer here).

For migrating the app implementation from GCM to FCM, you don't necessarily have to force an update with the users. As I mentioned above, GCM is still compatible with FCM, so there's no need to worry about it. It's just advisable to migrate the implementation. As per the FAQ:

How different is GCM from FCM? What is new in FCM SDKs?

FCM is the new version of GCM under the Firebase brand. It inherits GCM’s core infrastructure to make sure we continue to deliver messages reliably on Android, iOS and Chrome.

The new FCM SDK:

1. Simplifies client development. You no longer have to write your own registration or subscription retry logic.
2. Enables a new serverless notifications solution with a web console, Firebase Notifications. With Firebase Notifications, anyone can send notifications to target specific audiences based on Firebase Analytics insights. They can then evaluate notification effectiveness by assessing the built-in Notifications Funnel Analysis in the console.

FCM Android and iOS SDKs make messaging and notifications development easier. They offer an out-of-the-box solution so that anyone can send notifications from Firebase Notifications immediately.