Google, Facebook, and OTP Login Integration using Firebase in React : Part 1

Introduction

User authentication is an important feature in all modern web applications. Whether they are e-commerce sites, social platforms, or business applications, web applications need to give users secure and convenient ways to log-in. In this three-part article, we are going to show you how to implement some of the popular logging-in methods by utilizing Firebase, React, TypeScript, and Material-UI. In Part One (this article), we are going to set up Google Authentication, which is the quickest way of allowing users to sign-in with their google account they already have, and by the end of this article we are going to have a working Google Sign-In in your React app.

Why Choose Firebase Authentication?

Firebase Authentication offers several advantages :

Easy Integration : Minimal setup required
Multiple Providers : Google, Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, and more
Security : Built-in security features and best practices
Scalability : Handles millions of users without additional configuration
Free Tier : Generous free usage limits
Real-time Updates : Instant authentication state changes

What will we create?

We will create a stunning UI as shown in this video, building it in three parts, so follow along till the end.

Prerequisites

Node.js (version 16 or higher) – Download here
npm or yarn package manager
A Google account for Firebase Console access
Basic understanding of React and JavaScript/TypeScript
A code editor like VS Code

Don’t worry if you’re new to TypeScript or Firebase – we’ll explain everything step by step!

Setting Up Firebase

Step 1 : Create Your Firebase Project

Visit the Firebase Console
Click the “Create a project” button
Enter a project name (e.g., “my-auth-app”)
Choose whether to enable Google Analytics (recommended for production apps)
Click “Create project” and wait for setup to complete

Step 2 : Enable Authentication Methods

In your Firebase project dashboard, click “Authentication” in the left sidebar
Go to the “Sign-in method” tab
Enable the following providers:

For Google :

- Click on “Google”.
- Toggle “Enable”.
- Select your project support email.
- Click “Save”.

Step 3 : Get Your Firebase Configuration

Click the gear icon ⚙️ next to “Project Overview”.
Select “Project settings”.
Scroll to “Your apps” section.
Click the web icon </>.
Register your app with a nickname.
Copy the configuration object (we’ll use this later).

Creating the React TypeScript Project

Let’s create our project with all necessary dependencies :

				
					//Create a new react app using the following command
npm create vite@latest firebase-auth-demo -- --template react-ts

# Navigate to the project directory
cd firebase-auth-app

# Install required dependencies
npm install firebase @mui/material @emotion/react @emotion/styled @mui/icons-material @mui/lab

# Start the development server
npm run dev

Your browser should open automatically showing the default React app. If not, visit – http://localhost:5173.

Folder Structure :

				
					src/
├── components/
│   ├── auth/
│   │   ├── GoogleAuth.tsx
│   │   └── AuthenticationContainer.tsx
│   └── Dashboard.tsx
├── contexts/
│   └── AuthContext.tsx
├── services/
│   └── authService.ts
├── config/
│   └── firebase.ts
└── App.tsx

Firebase Configuration

Create src/config/firebase.ts :

				
					import { initializeApp } from 'firebase/app';
import { getAuth, GoogleAuthProvider} from 'firebase/auth';
import { getFirestore } from 'firebase/firestore';
const firebaseConfig = {
  apiKey: "your-api-key",
  authDomain: "your-project.firebaseapp.com",
  projectId: "your-project-id",
  storageBucket: "your-project.appspot.com",
  messagingSenderId: "your-sender-id",
  appId: "your-app-id"
};

// Initialize Firebase
const app = initializeApp(firebaseConfig);

// Initialize Firebase Authentication and get a reference to the service
export const auth = getAuth(app);

// Initialize Firestore
export const db = getFirestore(app);

// Configure providers
export const googleProvider = new GoogleAuthProvider();

export default app;

Authentication Service

Create src/services/authService.ts :

				
					import { signInWithPopup, type User, signOut as firebaseSignOut, onAuthStateChanged } from "firebase/auth";
import { auth, googleProvider } from '../config/firebase';

export interface AuthUser {
  uid: string;
  email: string | null;
  displayName: string | null;
  photoURL: string | null;
  phoneNumber: string | null;
}
class AuthService {
  // Google Sign In
  async signInWithGoogle(): Promise<AuthUser | null> {
    try {
      const result = await signInWithPopup(auth, googleProvider);
      return this.formatUser(result.user);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Google sign in error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
  
 // Sign Out
  async signOut(): Promise<void> {
    try {
      await firebaseSignOut(auth);
      this.cleanup();
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sign out error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }

  // Listen to auth state changes
  onAuthStateChange(callback: (user: AuthUser | null) => void): () => void {
    return onAuthStateChanged(auth, (user) => {
      callback(user ? this.formatUser(user) : null);
    });
  }

  // Format user object
  private formatUser(user: User): AuthUser {
    return {
      uid: user.uid,
      email: user.email,
      displayName: user.displayName,
      photoURL: user.photoURL,
    };
  }
export default new AuthService();

Understanding Key Functions

signInWithPopup() :

This Firebase function opens a popup window for Google OAuth. It handles the entire OAuth flow and returns user credentials upon successful authentication.

onAuthStateChanged() :

A Firebase listener that monitors authentication state changes. It automatically updates your app when users sign in or out, ensuring consistent state management.

GoogleAuthProvider() :

Firebase’s built-in provider for Google OAuth. You can add specific scopes (like ’email’, ‘profile’) to request additional permissions.

Context Pattern:

React Context provides global authentication state management, avoiding prop drilling and ensuring any component can access user data.

Error Handling :

The implementation includes comprehensive error handling for common scenarios :

- Popup blocked by browser
- User cancels sign-in
- Network connectivity issues
- Invalid configurations

Authentication Context

Create src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx :

				
					import React, { createContext, useContext, useEffect, useState, type ReactNode } from 'react';
import authService, { type  AuthUser } from '../services/authService';

interface AuthContextType {
  user: AuthUser | null;
  loading: boolean;
  signInWithGoogle: () => Promise<void>;
  signOut: () => Promise<void>;
}

const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType | undefined>(undefined);

export const useAuth = (): AuthContextType => {
  const context = useContext(AuthContext);
  if (!context) {
    throw new Error('useAuth must be used within an AuthProvider');
  }
  return context;
};

interface AuthProviderProps {
  children: ReactNode;
}

export const AuthProvider: React.FC<AuthProviderProps> = ({ children }) => {
  const [user, setUser] = useState<AuthUser | null>(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState<boolean>(true);

  useEffect(() => {
    const unsubscribe = authService.onAuthStateChange((user) => {
      setUser(user);
      setLoading(false);
    });

    return unsubscribe;
  }, []);

  const signInWithGoogle = async (): Promise<void> => {
    try {
      await authService.signInWithGoogle();
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Google sign in failed:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  };

 const signOut = async (): Promise<void> => {
    try {
      await authService.signOut();
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sign out failed:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  };

  const value = { user, loading, signInWithGoogle, signOut };
  return <AuthContext.Provider value={value}>{children}</AuthContext.Provider>;
};

Individual Authentication Components

GoogleAuth Component

Step 1 : Configure Google OAuth (Additional Setup)

Visit Google Cloud Console
Select your Firebase project
Go to “APIs & Services” → “Credentials”
Find your OAuth 2.0 Client ID (created automatically by Firebase)
Add your development URL (http://localhost:3000) to “Authorized origins”
For production, add your actual domain

Step 2 : Create Google Authentication Component

Create src/components/auth/GoogleAuth.tsx :

				
					// GoogleAuth.tsx
import { useAuth } from '../../contexts/AuthContext';
const GoogleAuth: React.FC = () => {
  const { signInWithGoogle } = useAuth();
 // here you can manage loading and errors etc.

  const handleGoogleSignIn = async () => {
    try {
      await signInWithGoogle();
    } catch (err: any) {
      setError(err.message || 'Google sign in failed');
    }
  };

  return (
    <Box>
      <Button variant=”contained” onClick={handleGoogleSignIn}>
        Sign in with Google
      </Button>
    </Box>
  );
};

export default GoogleAuth;

Authentication Container Component

Create src/components/auth/AuthenticationContainer.tsx :

				
					// AuthenticationContainer.tsx
import React from "react";
import GoogleAuth from "./GoogleAuth";
// import UI elements from material-UI as you need….

const AuthenticationContainer: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <Box display="flex" justifyContent="center" alignItems="center" minHeight="100vh">
    <Card>
      <CardContent>
        <Typography variant="h5" gutterBottom>
          Sign In
        </Typography>
        <GoogleAuth />
      </CardContent>
    </Card>
  </Box>
  );
};

export default AuthenticationContainer;

Create Dashboard Component

src/components/Dashboard.tsx :

				
					import React from "react";
import { Button, Typography, Box } from "@mui/material";
import { useAuth } from "../contexts/AuthContext";

const Dashboard: React.FC = () => {
  const { user, signOut } = useAuth();

  return (
    <Box display="flex" flexDirection="column" alignItems="center" gap={2} mt={5}>
      <Typography variant="h5">Welcome, {user?.displayName || "User"}!</Typography>
      <Button variant="outlined" onClick={signOut}>
        Sign Out
      </Button>
    </Box>
  );
};

export default Dashboard;

Updated Main App Component

Update src/App.tsx :

				
					// App.tsx
import React from "react";
import { CssBaseline, CircularProgress, Box, Typography } from "@mui/material";
import { ThemeProvider, createTheme } from "@mui/material/styles";
import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from "./contexts/AuthContext";
import AuthenticationContainer from "./components/auth/AuthenticationContainer";
import Dashboard from "./components/Dashboard";

const theme = createTheme({ // Customize theme as you need…..});
const LoadingScreen: React.FC = () => (// You can create this for better user experience….);

const AppContent: React.FC = () => {
  const { user, loading } = useAuth();
  if (loading) return <LoadingScreen />;
  return user ? <Dashboard /> : <AuthenticationContainer />;
};

const App: React.FC = () => (
  <ThemeProvider theme={theme}>
    <CssBaseline />
    <AuthProvider>
      <AppContent />
    </AuthProvider>
  </ThemeProvider>
);

export default App;

Running the Application

				
					npm run dev

Your application will be available at http://localhost:5173 with a complete authentication system supporting Google sign-in method.

Security Best Practices

Environment Variables : Never commit API keys to version control.
Firebase Security Rules : Implement proper Firestore security rules.
App Check : Enable Firebase App Check for production apps.
Input Validation : Always validate phone numbers and other inputs.
Error Handling : Implement comprehensive error handling and user feedback.

Next Steps

This foundation provides a robust Google authentication system. You can extend it by :

Adding user profile management.
Implementing protected routes.
Adding additional OAuth providers.
Integrating with Firestore for user data.

The authentication service and context pattern make it easy to add Facebook and phone authentication, which we’ll cover in the next parts of this series.

Conclusion

This implementation creates a secure production-ready and fully configurable authentication module with various sign-in options. The modular structure allows for easy maintenance and extensibility, and TypeScript gives you the type safety throughout your application. Material UI gives you a professional and accessible user interface that works across all form factors.The authentication workflow accounts for edge cases and user feedback that can be useful in real-world applications.