Major expansion coming to Google’s Firebase app development platform

Google is bringing a major update to Firebase, the app development platform it acquired in 2014.

As announced during the opening keynote of Google I/O, Firebase is gaining powerful new features, improvements to existing functionality, and integrations with Google’s suite of development tools and services.

Google wants the new Firebase to be a comprehensive platform for developing and managing Android, iOS, and web apps. At the same time, Google promises that existing features will continue to be supported and that the guiding principles of Firebase – quality developer experiences, cross-platform, and close integration – will remain unchanged.

The update adds a new free Analytics module that leverages Google’s vast experience with web and mobile analytics. Developers will be able to closely follow user and event-centric metrics and define custom user groups called Audiences.

Google Cloud Messaging, Google’s notification pushing platform, is now called Firebase Cloud Messaging and is integrated right into the platform. Firebase Storage will let developers store media on a highly scalable and flexible system. Firebase Remote Config will let devs make changes to installed apps without having to publish new versions.

The new Firebase also introduces a crash reporting tool and a “test lab” that allows devs to spot issues with their apps before users can see them. AdWords and AdMob, Google’s powerful advertising platforms are also now built into Firebase.

The Firebase pricing structure has been simplified, with tiers that include a “generous” free plan, a fixed-rate plan for small developers, and a metered plan for large apps.

That’s just a selection of some of the biggest changes coming to Firebase, with an in-depth rundown available on Google’s Firebase blog.