Kotlin
PushExpress -- SDK Kotlin
Note: if you need fully unique apps, do obfuscation guide, else do all steps below.
You will need to integrate your Push.Express account with Firebase.
Setup Firebase
Go to Firebase Console and create a new project (or use existing one)
You can use one project for all your apps.
Open Project Settings -> General
Create new Android app or just download
google-services.json
from existing app

If you need to create new app, just:
Register it
Download
google-services.json
Press next-next-next =)

Put
google-services.json
to your app dir (like<project>/app/google-services.json
)Add the plugin as a dependency to your project-level build.gradle.kts file: Root-level (project-level) Gradle file (/build.gradle.kts)::
// Top-level build file where you can add configuration options common to all sub-projects/modules. plugins { alias(libs.plugins.android.application) apply false alias(libs.plugins.kotlin.android) apply false alias(libs.plugins.kotlin.compose) apply false // Add the dependency for the Google services Gradle plugin id("com.google.gms.google-services") version "4.4.2" apply false }
In your module (app-level) Gradle file (
<project>/<app-module>/build.gradle.kts
), add the Firebase Cloud Messaging dependency:plugins { alias(libs.plugins.android.application) alias(libs.plugins.kotlin.android) alias(libs.plugins.kotlin.compose) } dependencies { // Import the Firebase BoM implementation(platform("com.google.firebase:firebase-bom:33.7.0")) // ... }
Full official instructions can be found in Firebase Cloud Messaging Android guide.
Setup Push.Express
Get Firebase Private key
Go to Firebase Console and create a new project (or use existing one)
You can use one project for all your apps.
Open Project Settings
Go to Service accounts, press
Generate new private key
and save it to fileprivate-key.json
(you can use same key for all apps)
Integrate your Push.Express App with Firebase
Go to your Push.Express account
Open existing App settings or create a new App
Switch type application Firebase
Paste
private-key.json
file to Firebase Admin SDK private key textbox
Add sdk in your application
Before proceeding with the integration, make sure you have already installed the Firebase SDK in your application. If not, follow steps 4-6 in the Firebase Cloud Messaging integration guide
Add the JitPack repository to your build file
Ensure you have the latest Android Studio and Android Gradle Plugin!
In your settings.gradle.kts
, add the Jitpack repo to repositories list (only if you use Gradle Centralized Repository Declaration feature, default for new projects since Android Studio Electric Eel):
// settings.gradle (Project Settings) in Android Studio
// ...
dependencyResolutionManagement {
repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.FAIL_ON_PROJECT_REPOS)
repositories {
// ...
maven {
url = uri("https://jitpack.io")
}
}
}
Add Push.Express SDK dependency
In your module (app-level) Gradle file (<project>/<app-module>/build.gradle
), add the pushexpress-android-sdk dependency:
// build.gradle (Module :app) in Android Studio
// ...
dependencies {
// ...
implementation ("com.github.pushexpress:pushexpress-android-sdk:1.2.0")
}
Add required code
Get your
PUSHEXPRESS_APP_ID
from Push.Express account pageAdd code to your Android Studio app
import com.pushexpress.sdk.main.SdkPushExpress const val PUSHEXPRESS_APP_ID = "####-######" class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() { override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState) SdkPushExpress.initialize(PUSHEXPRESS_APP_ID) SdkPushExpress.setExternalId("<some_external_id>") // optional SdkPushExpress.activate() // Don't forget to activate SDK workflow! Log.d("Myapp", "App Instance Token: " + SdkPushExpress.getInstanceToken()) Log.d("Myapp", "App External ID: " + SdkPushExpress.getExternalId()) } }
Ask for notification permissions
// ... import android.content.pm.PackageManager import android.os.Build import android.widget.Toast import androidx.activity.result.contract.ActivityResultContracts import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() { override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState) // ... askNotificationPermission() } private val notificationPermissionLauncher = registerForActivityResult( ActivityResultContracts.RequestPermission() ) { isGranted: Boolean -> if (isGranted) { Toast.makeText(this, "Notifications permission granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT) .show() } else { Toast.makeText( this, "FCM can't post notifications without POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission", Toast.LENGTH_LONG ).show() } } private fun askNotificationPermission() { // This is only necessary for API Level > 33 (TIRAMISU) if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) { if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED ) { // FCM SDK (and your app) can post notifications. } else { // Directly ask for the permission notificationPermissionLauncher.launch( android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS) } } } }
Obfuscation
You can obfuscate your app with standard minifyEnabled true
, but if you want more uniq app code, follow the guide below =)
Step 1. Prerequisites
You will need to integrate your Push.Express account with Firebase.
Create or use existing app in Android Studio
Step 2. Download full SDK repo
Download pushexpress-android-sdk.zip
Unzip and rename directory to
pushexpress-android-sdk
Place
pushexpress-android-sdk
near your app dir, for example
./
\- MyApplication
\- pushexpress-android-sdk
Step 3. Obfuscate SDK locally
You need Linux (Ubuntu) or MacOS, it will not work on Windows out of the box!
Open Terminal app and do next steps.
Ensure you have installed
Perl
, coreutilsfind
andxargs
commandswhich perl && which find && which xargs && echo "OK"
In local SDK dir (
pushexpress-android-sdk
) run obfs.pl scriptcd pushexpress-android-sdk ./scripts/obfs.pl
Get new SDK package name, use it in next steps instead of 'com.sdk.pushexpress'

You need to do this step for each app, so you need to have separate local SDK copy for each app!
But you don't need (and it is really bad) to repeat this step if you just want to update your app.
Step 4. Add local SDK dependency
In your
settings.gradle
add path to local SDK// settings.gradle (Project Settings) in Android Studio include ':sdkpushexpress' project(':sdkpushexpress').projectDir = new File('../pushexpress-android-sdk/sdkpushexpress')
In your module (app-level) Gradle file (
<project>/<app-module>/build.gradle
), add the SDK dependency// build.gradle (Module :app) in Android Studio dependencies { ... implementation project (":sdkpushexpress") }
Run
File->Sync Project with Gradle files
in Android Studio
Step 5. Add required code
See How to use Push.Express SDK in your Android Studio project
Step 6. Enable project obfuscation
Enable R8.fullMode in your
gradle.properties
# Project-wide Gradle settings ... android.enableR8.fullMode=true
In your module (app-level) Gradle file (
<project>/<app-module>/build.gradle
), enable obfuscation (minifyEnabled true
)// build.gradle (Module :app) in Android Studio android { ... buildTypes { release { minifyEnabled true ...
Step 7. Build and try to send push
Select
Release
build variants for your app and SDK (don't forget to sign you app)Build->Clean Project
Build->Build bundle(s) / APK(s)->Build APK(s)
Check obfuscation with decompiler, for example, jadx
cd ./MyApplication/app/build/outputs/apk/release/ jadx app-release.apk grep -ril 'pushexpress' app-release/ find app-release/ -iname '*pushexpress*' # you should see no files here
Now you can try to send push in you local device or emulator, make sure all works as expected.
Step 5. Build and try to send push
Use Push.Express Documentation to learn how to view app installs on your devices and send notifications.
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