Crash reporting in Firebase - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Crash reporting

App runs on device

↓

Crash occurs?

No→App continues

Yes↓

Crash detected by SDK

↓

Crash data collected

↓

Crash report sent to Firebase

↓

Crash appears in Firebase Console

↓

Developer reviews and fixes crash

The app runs and if a crash happens, the Firebase SDK detects it, collects data, sends it to Firebase, and the developer can then see and fix it.

Execution Sample

Firebase

firebase.crashlytics().log('App started');
// code that might crash:
throw new Error('Simulated crash');

This code logs app start, simulates risky code that causes a crash, and the Firebase Crashlytics SDK automatically detects it, collects data, and reports it.

Process Table

Step	Action	Evaluation	Result
1	App starts	No crash yet	App runs normally
2	Crash occurs in risky code	Crash detected	Crashlytics SDK captures crash
3	Crash data collected	Stack trace and device info gathered	Crash report prepared
4	Crash report sent	Network available	Report sent to Firebase
5	Crash appears in Firebase Console	Report received	Developer notified
6	Developer fixes crash	Code updated	Crash prevented in future runs
7	App runs again	No crash	Normal operation

💡 Crash handled and reported; app continues or developer fixes issue

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Crash	After Report Sent	Final
appState	running	crashed	reporting	running
crashData	none	collected	sent	none
networkStatus	available	available	available	available

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why doesn't the app crash stop immediately when the error happens?

Because the Crashlytics SDK catches the crash event and collects data before the app fully stops, as shown in steps 2 and 3 of the execution table.

What happens if the network is not available when the crash report is sent?

The SDK stores the crash report locally and sends it later when the network is available, ensuring no data loss. This is implied in step 4 where network availability is checked.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, at which step does the crash data get collected?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' and 'Result' columns in the execution table rows.

According to the variable tracker, what is the state of 'appState' after the crash but before the report is sent?

A running

B reporting

C crashed

D none

💡 Hint

Look at the 'After Crash' column for 'appState' in the variable tracker.

If the network was unavailable at step 4, how would the execution table change?

A Crash report would be sent immediately anyway

B Crash report sending would be delayed until network is available

C Crash data would not be collected

D App would crash again

💡 Hint

Refer to the key moment about network availability and step 4 in the execution table.

Concept Snapshot

Crash Reporting with Firebase Crashlytics:
- SDK detects app crashes automatically
- Collects crash data like stack trace and device info
- Sends reports to Firebase Console
- Developer reviews crashes and fixes bugs
- Handles offline by storing reports locally
- Helps improve app stability over time

Full Transcript

Crash reporting in Firebase works by the app running normally until a crash happens. When a crash occurs, the Firebase Crashlytics SDK detects it and collects important data like the error and device details. Then it sends this crash report to the Firebase Console where developers can see it. If the network is down, the SDK saves the report and sends it later. Developers use this information to fix bugs and improve the app. This process helps keep apps stable and reliable.