Crashlytics setup in Firebase - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ service_behavior

intermediate

Crashlytics Initialization Behavior

After integrating Firebase Crashlytics into your app, what happens if the app crashes before Crashlytics finishes initializing?

A The crash is recorded locally and sent to Firebase Crashlytics once initialization completes.

B The crash is not recorded or reported to Firebase Crashlytics.

C The app automatically restarts to complete Crashlytics initialization before reporting the crash.

D Crashlytics sends a partial crash report immediately, which is later completed.

💡 Hint

Think about what happens if the crash happens too early in the app lifecycle.

If the app crashes before Crashlytics initializes, the crash is not captured because Crashlytics is not yet ready to record or send crash data.

❓ Configuration

intermediate

Correct Firebase Crashlytics Gradle Setup

Which of the following Gradle configurations correctly sets up Firebase Crashlytics in an Android app?

A Apply plugin 'com.google.gms.google-services' only and add 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics' dependency in app-level build.gradle.

B Add 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics' dependency only in project-level build.gradle without applying any plugin.

C Apply plugin 'com.google.firebase.crashlytics' in app-level build.gradle and add 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics' dependency.

D Add 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics' dependency in app-level build.gradle and apply plugin 'com.android.application' only.

💡 Hint

Remember that Crashlytics requires both a plugin and a dependency in the app module.

The Crashlytics Gradle plugin must be applied in the app-level build.gradle file, and the Crashlytics dependency must be added there as well for proper setup.

❓ security

advanced

Crashlytics Data Privacy Compliance

Which practice ensures compliance with user privacy when using Firebase Crashlytics in your app?

A Avoid sending any user-identifiable information in crash reports and provide users with an option to opt out of crash reporting.

B Automatically collect user location data in crash reports without user consent.

C Disable Crashlytics data encryption to speed up crash report delivery.

D Send all user data including personal identifiers in crash reports to help debugging.

💡 Hint

Think about respecting user privacy and legal regulations.

To comply with privacy laws, apps should not send personal data in crash reports and must allow users to opt out of crash data collection.

❓ Architecture

advanced

Crashlytics Crash Report Flow

What is the correct sequence of steps for a crash report to be sent from a mobile app to the Firebase console using Crashlytics?

A 2,1,3,4

B 1,2,3,4

C 2,3,1,4

D 1,3,2,4

💡 Hint

Consider when Crashlytics can capture crashes and when it sends data.

Crashlytics must initialize first, then it can capture crashes locally. The crash report is sent on the next app launch, then processed and shown in the console.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Optimizing Crashlytics for Minimal Impact

Which approach best minimizes the impact of Firebase Crashlytics on app startup time and user experience?

A Send crash reports immediately on app crash without waiting for next app launch.

B Initialize Crashlytics synchronously at the very start of app launch to capture all crashes immediately.

C Disable Crashlytics initialization entirely on slow devices to improve startup time.

D Initialize Crashlytics asynchronously after critical app components have loaded and disable automatic data collection until user consent is given.

💡 Hint

Think about balancing crash data collection with app performance and user privacy.

Initializing Crashlytics asynchronously after critical components reduces startup delay. Disabling automatic collection until consent respects privacy and avoids unnecessary overhead.

Practice

1. What is the primary purpose of Firebase Crashlytics in an app?

easy

A. To automatically detect and report app crashes

B. To store user data securely

C. To manage app user authentication

D. To optimize app performance speed

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Crashlytics function

   Crashlytics is designed to catch app crashes and send reports automatically to Firebase Console.

2. Step 2: Compare with other Firebase features

   Other options like data storage, authentication, and performance are handled by different Firebase services.

3. Final Answer:

   To automatically detect and report app crashes -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Crashlytics = crash reporting [OK]

Hint: Crashlytics = crash reports, not data or auth [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Crashlytics with Firebase Authentication
• Thinking Crashlytics manages user data
• Assuming Crashlytics improves app speed

2. Which of the following is the correct step to initialize Crashlytics in an Android app's onCreate() method?

easy

A. FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().setCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled(true);

B. Crashlytics.initializeCrashlytics();

C. FirebaseApp.initializeApp(this);

D. Crashlytics.startCrashlyticsSession();

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct Crashlytics initialization

   The official way to enable Crashlytics collection is calling FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().setCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled(true);.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   Crashlytics.initializeCrashlytics() and Crashlytics.startCrashlyticsSession() are not valid Firebase SDK methods. FirebaseApp.initializeApp(this); initializes Firebase but not Crashlytics specifically.

3. Final Answer:

   FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().setCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled(true); -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Enable Crashlytics with setCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled(true) [OK]

Hint: Use FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance() to enable collection [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using non-existent Crashlytics methods
• Confusing FirebaseApp initialization with Crashlytics setup
• Forgetting to enable crash collection explicitly

3. Given this Android code snippet, what will happen when the app runs?

FirebaseCrashlytics crashlytics = FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance();
crashlytics.log("User clicked button");
throw new RuntimeException("Test crash");

medium

A. The app logs the message but does not crash

B. The app ignores the exception and continues running

C. The app crashes silently without logging

D. The app logs the message and crashes, sending a report to Firebase

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the code behavior

   The code logs a message to Crashlytics and then throws a RuntimeException, which causes the app to crash.

2. Step 2: Understand Crashlytics reporting

   Crashlytics captures the log and crash, then sends the crash report to Firebase Console for analysis.

3. Final Answer:

   The app logs the message and crashes, sending a report to Firebase -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Crashlytics logs + crash = report sent [OK]

Hint: Throw exception after logging to test Crashlytics [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking the app won't crash after exception
• Assuming logs are not sent with crash
• Believing the app ignores exceptions

4. You added Crashlytics to your iOS app but no crash reports appear in Firebase Console after forcing a crash. What is the most likely mistake?

medium

A. Calling Crashlytics.crash() before initializing Firebase

B. Forgetting to enable Crashlytics in Firebase Console

C. Not calling FirebaseApp.configure() in application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:)

D. Using an unsupported iOS version

Solution

1. Step 1: Check Firebase initialization

   Calling FirebaseApp.configure() is required but usually done correctly if app runs.

2. Step 2: Verify Crashlytics enablement in Console

   Crashlytics must be enabled in Firebase Console to receive reports; forgetting this is a common cause of missing reports.

3. Step 3: Consider other options

   Calling crash before initialization or unsupported iOS versions are less common and usually cause app errors.

4. Final Answer:

   Forgetting to enable Crashlytics in Firebase Console -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Enable Crashlytics in Console to get reports [OK]

Hint: Always enable Crashlytics in Firebase Console after setup [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping Crashlytics enablement in Firebase Console
• Initializing Firebase incorrectly
• Assuming all iOS versions are supported

5. You want to test Crashlytics setup by forcing a crash in your Android app. Which code snippet correctly triggers a test crash that will appear in Firebase Console?

hard

A. FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().setCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled(false);

B. FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().log("Crash test");

C. throw new RuntimeException("Test Crash");

D. FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().recordException(new Exception("Test"));

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify code that forces a crash

   Throwing a RuntimeException immediately crashes the app, which Crashlytics detects and reports.

2. Step 2: Understand other options

   Logging or recording exceptions do not force a crash. Disabling collection prevents reporting.

3. Final Answer:

   throw new RuntimeException("Test Crash"); -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Throw exception to force crash for testing [OK]

Hint: Throw exception to force crash, not just log [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using log or recordException without crashing
• Disabling Crashlytics collection by mistake
• Expecting logs alone to trigger crash reports