AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Core

.NET bindings for Firebase Core on Apple platforms, for use from .NET iOS and Mac Catalyst apps.

What this package provides

This package binds the Firebase Core Apple SDK surface exposed in the Firebase.Core namespace. It provides Firebase app initialization, app lookup, options, logger configuration, data collection defaults, and timestamp types used by other Firebase packages.

Use this package when you need:

• Firebase app initialization with App.Configure()
• access to App.DefaultInstance or named Firebase app instances
• custom Firebase options with Options
• shared Firebase types such as Timestamp

This package is foundational and is commonly used alongside feature-specific Firebase packages.

Official Firebase documentation comes first

These packages are thin .NET bindings over the official Firebase Apple SDKs.

Use the official Firebase documentation as the starting point for:

• Firebase configuration and platform setup
• feature usage and behavioral guidance
• troubleshooting and best practices

These bindings primarily:

• expose the native Firebase Apple SDK APIs to .NET through C#

• deliver the packaged native Firebase SDK artifacts through NuGet

• Firebase documentation: https://firebase.google.com/docs

• Firebase Apple platform setup: https://firebase.google.com/docs/ios/setup

Supported target frameworks

This package is intended for Apple platform TFMs such as:

• net9.0-ios
• net10.0-ios
• net9.0-maccatalyst
• net10.0-maccatalyst

When multi-targeting, condition the package reference so it only restores for Apple targets.

<ItemGroup Condition="$([MSBuild]::GetTargetPlatformIdentifier('$(TargetFramework)')) == 'ios' Or $([MSBuild]::GetTargetPlatformIdentifier('$(TargetFramework)')) == 'maccatalyst'">
  <PackageReference Include="AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Core" Version="12.6.0" />
</ItemGroup>

Installation

dotnet add package AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Core

Basic usage

For the default Firebase app, include your app's GoogleService-Info.plist in the application project and call App.Configure().

using System;
using Firebase.Core;

App.Configure();

var app = App.DefaultInstance;
if (app is not null)
{
    app.DataCollectionDefaultEnabled = true;
    Console.WriteLine(app.Name);
}

Configuration.SharedInstance.SetLoggerLevel(LoggerLevel.Info);

Common companion packages

• AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Analytics - analytics event reporting.
• AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Auth - authentication and user identity flows.
• AdamE.Firebase.iOS.CloudFirestore - Cloud Firestore document and collection access.
• AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Storage - Cloud Storage for Firebase file upload and download APIs.

Firebase app configuration

Firebase apps commonly require app-specific configuration from your own Firebase project, such as GoogleService-Info.plist.

Keep app-specific Firebase configuration in the application project or sample app, not in reusable library projects.

If the official Firebase docs for this feature require additional setup, follow those docs first.

Package versioning rules (important)

Because Firebase Apple SDKs are packaged as native xcframeworks and distributed here through NuGet, consumers should explicitly pin package versions.

Due to packaging differences between CocoaPods and NuGet, it is highly recommended that applications follow these rules:

1. Keep the MAJOR.MINOR version aligned across all Firebase packages in the app, for example 12.6.*.*.
2. Then use the latest available PATCH.REVISION for each individual package.

Example:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Core" Version="12.6.0.3" />
  <PackageReference Include="AdamE.Firebase.iOS.Auth" Version="12.6.0.2" />
  <PackageReference Include="AdamE.Firebase.iOS.CloudFirestore" Version="12.6.0.5" />
</ItemGroup>

Avoid mixing mismatched Firebase package lines such as 12.6.x.x with 12.5.x.x, or 12.x.x.x with 11.x.x.x. Doing so can lead to native dependency conflicts, duplicate symbols, runtime failures, or other undefined behavior.

Notes on native dependency conflicts

Google and Firebase Apple SDKs share native dependencies. Avoid mixing multiple unrelated binding packages that embed overlapping Google/Firebase native SDK binaries in the same app unless you are certain they are compatible.

API surface notes

The public namespace is Firebase.Core. API names closely mirror the native Firebase Core SDK surface and expose Apple-native concepts such as NSDictionary, NSDate, app options, and callback-based completion handlers.

Repository / support

• Repository: https://github.com/AdamEssenmacher/GoogleApisForiOSComponents
• Issues: https://github.com/AdamEssenmacher/GoogleApisForiOSComponents/issues

Support the project

Keeping Firebase Apple bindings current for .NET requires ongoing work across SDK updates, native dependency changes, and API surface maintenance.

If this package is valuable in your app or organization, sponsorship helps support continued maintenance and updates.

• GitHub Sponsors: https://github.com/sponsors/AdamEssenmacher