Which Firebase services can we rely on that won't be shutdown by Google?

[Jacob]

Firebase recently documented that Firebase Dynamic Links will be shut down, perhaps in mid-2024:

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https://firebase.google.com/support/dynamic-links-faq

Firebase Dynamic Links is no longer recommended for new projects. In the future, the Dynamic Links service will shut down, but you will have at least 12 months from the announcement date to migrate. Around the end of Q2-2023, we will announce more information.

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This leads to the question of what other Firebase services might be on the chopping block? How are these decisions made? In choosing to use any Firebase service, what level of confidence can one have that Google will stand by it for a long time? Does Firebase document a list of services where it says: "Yeah, the following services are rock solid and you can be assured they're here to stay." ?

For example, I'm planning to add push notifications to my app. Should I consider Firebase Cloud Messaging? How do I know it also won't be shut down soon?

This is really about trust. When a developer spends a lot of time (= money) integrating with a 3rd party service there, that developer is trusting that the 3rd party will support that service for a long time. That long time can be many years, particularly if legacy versions of a mobile app are to be supported and can no longer be updated.

[wekaso...@gmail.com]

That is really frustrating. 

I have FDL being used in hundreds of physical locations for multiple customers for my app and it works well. 

I hope they are going to offer an alternative solution that is easy to migrate too.

[sumitc...@google.com]

Firebaser here, provided a bit more context about the Firebase Dynamic Links shutdown below.

We launched Firebase Dynamic Links about 7 years ago to make URLs more powerful, for example, dynamically changing the destination of a link based on run-time conditions. This was a valuable feature at the time as there were different degrees of support on OSes and platforms.

Over these years, the web and mobile ecosystems have evolved with technologies such as App Links, Google Play Instant, Universal Links, and App Clips, which make user journeys across apps and the web quite seamless and predictable for your users.  We believe you and your users will benefit more from adopting these technologies directly and continue moving the ecosystem forward.

This is one of the reasons why we have decided to discontinue the Firebase Dynamic Links service.

We understand that this change may require you time to evaluate, decide and adopt alternative solutions. We will provide more information on timelines and resources in Q3 2023, and you will have at least 12 months from the date that information is published before turning down the service.  More information can be found at: https://firebase.google.com/support/dynamic-links-faq.

Note we are committed to our long term mission in helping you make your app the best it can be. This includes evolving our offerings to help you adapt to the changing technology landscape, such as launching new features and updating existing ones.