Google is sunsetting Fabric, pushes developers towards Firebase

We may earn a commission for purchases made using our links.

Google is on a kill streak. 2019 is going to be the year when they will drop a couple of services. Just two days ago, Google announced that Inbox will stop working by the date mentioned above. We are also learning that Fabric, the application development tool, will be following Inbox’s lead. Fabric’s tools have been integrated into Firebase, a process which has been ongoing for some time. By early 2019, Google wants developers to have transitioned from Fabric, and by mid-2019, they will sunset the old development platform.

To refresh your memory, Google owns both development platforms. Fabric was launched in 2014 by Twitter and later bought by Google in January of 2017. Google already owned the competing platform, Firebase, which they acquired in October of 2014. The goal has been to merge these two developer platforms for a while now to give mobile developers the best experience possible with the best tools from both platforms. Tools like Crashlytics, FCM, Remote Config, Firebase In-App Messaging, and more make the lives of Android app developers much easier. Google has ensured developers that Firebase has all the goodies that Fabric featured, and will continue to grow with features like ML Kit, Cloud Firestore, and more.

Migrating from Fabric to Firebase

The deadline to switch platforms is sometime in mid-2019, but Google recommends switching right away. Migrating from Fabric to Firebase is fairly easy. Just go to your Fabric dashboard, look for the Firebase option on the left-hand side, and follow the instructions. You can go to this link to start the migration process as well.

By early 2019, you’ll be able to install the new version of Crashlytics SDK and try Crashlytics Beta. The merging of the two competing development platforms was inevitable. There’s not much point in being upset by the move as Firebase includes everything Fabric did and much more. Plus, you have plenty of time to make the transition.