So apparently there was a huge Firebase SDK issue shipped by Google today that crashed every iOS app in production that used it!
But my question is - why are these iOS apps using it?!!! I’ve always found the Firebase SDK extremely bloated, complicated, and it tracks all sorts of user behavior from your app. Ok, I get that it used to make a lot of things easier, especially if you’re locked into the Google ecosystem. But honestly not anymore. Not in the age of AI! where it’s easy to build your own custom solution for the things your app actually needs!
Here are the lighter solutions that I use as backend for my indie iOS apps that I find to be more clean and easy to work with. Safe, secure, and easier to update and debug on-demand!
But first, the basics…
The main problem with iOS apps is security. If you store your API key on-device, anyone can steal and use it. This is especially problematic with AI services, since someone stealing your AI service key can rack up an infinite bill for you!
My GenerableWorker package handles this: a Swift package and a Cloudflare Worker that keep AI API keys out of your app, with App Attest and spending limits.
So to start with, here are a few “security blanket” techniques I use and the services that support them: