Flutter Push Notifications Setup: Firebase Cloud Messaging (2026)

Push notifications require Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for cross-platform delivery. On iOS, you also need an APNs key from the Apple Developer Portal. This guide walks through the complete setup for both platforms.

Prerequisites

• A Firebase project
• Flutter SDK installed
• For iOS: Apple Developer Program membership ($99/year)
• For Android: Google Play Console or just a physical device

Step 1: Set up Firebase project

Go to console.firebase.google.com and create a project. Add an iOS app and Android app to the project. Download the config files:

• iOS: GoogleService-Info.plist — place in ios/Runner/
• Android: google-services.json — place in android/app/

Never commit these files to version control — add them to .gitignore. For a complete security guide, see our API key security guide.

Step 2: Add the firebase_messaging package

flutter pub add firebase_messaging

Step 3: Configure iOS APNs

iOS push notifications require an APNs key (not a certificate):

1. Go to Apple Developer Portal → Keys
2. Create a new key with Apple Push Notifications service (APNs) enabled
3. Download the .p8 key file
4. Go to Firebase Console → Project Settings → Cloud Messaging → iOS
5. Upload the APNs key file
6. Add the Background Modes capability in Xcode (Remote notifications)

Step 4: Configure Android

Android setup is simpler — FCM works out of the box with the google-services.json config. Add the Firebase messaging service to your AndroidManifest.xml if you need background message handling.

Step 5: Request permissions

import 'package:firebase_messaging/firebase_messaging.dart';

Future<void> requestPermission() async {
  final messaging = FirebaseMessaging.instance;
  final settings = await messaging.requestPermission(
    alert: true,
    badge: true,
    sound: true,
  );
  print('Permission: ${settings.authorizationStatus}');
}

Step 6: Handle incoming messages

Handle foreground messages:

FirebaseMessaging.onMessage.listen((RemoteMessage message) {
  print('Got a message: ${message.notification?.title}');
});

Handle background messages with a top-level function:

@pragma('vm:entry-point')
Future<void> _firebaseMessagingBackgroundHandler(RemoteMessage message) async {
  await Firebase.initializeApp();
  print('Background message: ${message.messageId}');
}

Step 7: Get the device token

String? token = await FirebaseMessaging.instance.getToken();
print('FCM Token: $token');

Send this token to your backend server to target this specific device with push notifications.

Common issues

• No notifications on iOS: Missing APNs key in Firebase, or Background Modes not enabled in Xcode
• No notifications on Android: Check google-services.json is in android/app/ and the package name matches
• Notifications work in debug but not release: Check that release builds include the Firebase config files
• Token is null: Ensure permission was granted and the app has internet access

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