Firebase Phone Number Verification (Firebase PNV) is the third generation of number verification after SMS and Silent Network Authentication. It eliminates SMS OTP phishing because there is no message to phish, and users tap to consent instead of typing in their number. You can verify phone numbers even if the device is in airplane mode or has mobile data disabled, as long as it’s connected to the internet (wired or wireless).
Firebase PNV has expanded its network coverage again. 10 new carrier networks are available today:
- Malaysia (Tune Talk, U Mobile)
- Spain (MasOrange)
- Pakistan (PTML)
- Vodafone in six countries:
- Germany (DE)
- Greece (GR)
- Ireland (IE)
- Netherlands (NL)
- Romania (RO)
- United Kingdom (GB)
Carriers are helping developers move to a more secure and efficient phone number verification flow.
U Mobile’s Chief Business Officer, How Lih Ren said:
Johanna Wood, Director of Network APIs at Vodafone, commented:
Does it require a credit card?
If you just want to see what the end user experience looks like without setting up billing, finding a supported SIM, or completing production onboarding, SIM-less test mode is for you. There is no billing required to test, and you can get started in about 1 minute from project creation to generating a test token.
How do I use SIM-less test mode?
Setting up SIM-less test mode takes only a few steps. You can start with the Android codelab or use your own app with the getting started guide. When you set your app up for testing, you’re also setting up for production since the test token uses all the same methods as production. Once you’re finished with testing, remove the one line of code that activated test mode, and now you’re in production mode!
Where can I run in production?
We’re regularly adding new networks to the supported carriers list, and these networks are available for production use today:
Check out the docs for the most recent list of supported carriers.
Summary
Try Firebase PNV without a credit card or a live SIM, then upgrade to production when you’re ready. Get started with Firebase PNV, and let’s eliminate risky SMS OTPs together.