What is Remote Config?

Key-value pairs stored in the cloud that your app fetches. Change the value in the dashboard; the app updates instantly.

Use Cases

Feature toggles, seasonal themes (Halloween colors), forcing update dialogs, or tweaking game difficulty variables.

Default Values

Always ship in-app defaults. If the user is offline or fetch fails, the app must still function seamlessly with local values.

Conditions and Targeting

Deliver different values to different users. "Show promo banner ONLY to Android users in Canada".

Caching Strategies

Don't fetch on every startup. Cache for 12 hours. Force fetch only for critical updates. Excessive fetching hits API limits.

Safety Mechanisms

Remote Config can crash apps (e.g., sending a string where int is expected). Validate data defensively in code.

A/B Testing Integration

The killer feature. "Serve value A to 50% users, value B to 50%". Remote Config powers the experimental variables.