Firebase Android SDK (June 16, 2026): BoM 34.15.0, FCM token API deprecations, and new App Check reCAPTCHA

Original update (source): Firebase - “Firebase Android SDK Release Notes” (June 16, 2026)

• https://firebase.google.com/support/release-notes/android#2026-06-16

The headline

Firebase’s June 16 release is a reminder that “SDK updates” are not just engineering housekeeping.

When messaging token APIs get deprecated, or App Distribution auth changes, it becomes a reliability and growth issue: installs fail, push fails, QA gets blocked, and experiments go dark.

The bits worth stealing (and actioning)

From the June 16 release notes (BoM 34.15.0):

1) Cloud Messaging token API deprecations

Firebase Cloud Messaging deprecated the existing getToken, deleteToken, and onNewToken APIs, and added support for FCM registration using Firebase Installation ID (FID).

If your push attribution, reactivation, or support tooling assumes the old token lifecycle, this is a place to get surprised.

2) New App Check reCAPTCHA SDK

They call out an initial release of firebase-appcheck-recaptcha.

This matters if you are trying to reduce abuse without making sign-up feel like a hostile airport security line.

3) App Distribution Gradle plugin auth upgrades

The App Distribution Gradle plugin adds auth support for Application Default Credentials and Workload Identity Federation.

If you ship via CI, this is “make it boring” infrastructure work that reduces brittle secrets.

Tiny win

Do a quick audit of your “growth-critical SDKs”:

1. list the SDKs that can break onboarding or retention if they misbehave (FCM, attribution, paywalls)
2. pin versions intentionally (do not let them float invisibly)
3. add one CI check that fails fast if a deprecated API is still used

You will catch this stuff before it turns into a weird retention dip.

Read the original: https://firebase.google.com/support/release-notes/android#2026-06-16