How to integrate @react-native-firebase/messaging with Expo managed workflow without errors?

Push notifications (remote notifications) functionality is unavailable in Expo Go on Android from SDK 53 per their documentation. This extends to both expo-notifications (as mentioned in the documentation), and @react-native-firebase/messaging as Expo Go no longer supports remote notifications.

You are getting this error:

ERROR [Error: Native module RNFBAppModule not found. Re-check module install, linking, configuration, build and install steps.]

because you are attempting to import @react-native-firebase/app or @react-native-firebase/messaging without using a development build as it's not supported in Expo Go.

If you are getting that error, or similar error, while on the development build try rebuilding with EAS. This can often happen if you use npm install @react-native-firebase/app and import without rebuilding.

Expo has great documentation their development builds about and learn how to create a development build.

For a step by step guide I recommend this youtube video. But as always documentation is going to be the best resource:

React Native Firebase

Expo

Yes — you can use @react-native-firebase/messaging in Expo SDK 53+ using Development Builds (no full eject required).

Expo SDK 51+ added support for Config Plugins, which allow React Native Firebase to work without switching to a fully bare workflow. The setup requires a few extra steps to avoid Android manifest conflicts.

✅ Solution Overview

1. Use Expo Development Builds (not Expo Go)

2. Add the Firebase Messaging config plugin

3. Add a custom config plugin to fix Android manifest meta-data conflicts

4. Add notification colors for Android

1. **Install Dependencies

npx expo install @react-native-firebase/app @react-native-firebase/messaging **

2. Add Firebase Config Files

• Android: google-services.json → project root

• iOS: GoogleService-Info.plist → project root

3. Create a Custom Config Plugin to Fix Manifest Conflicts

Create withFirebaseMessagingMeta.js in your project root:

const { withAndroidManifest } = require('@expo/config-plugins');

const withFirebaseMessagingMeta = (config) => {
  return withAndroidManifest(config, async (config) => {
    const androidManifest = config.modResults;
    const application = androidManifest.manifest.application[0];

    application['meta-data'] = application['meta-data'] || [];
    application['meta-data'].push({
      $: {
        'android:name': 'com.google.firebase.messaging.default_notification_color',
        'android:resource': '@color/notification_icon_color',
        'tools:replace': 'android:resource',
      },
    });

    return config;
  });
};

module.exports = withFirebaseMessagingMeta;

This resolves the conflict between expo-notifications and @react-native-firebase/messaging.

4. Update app.config.ts or app.json

Add Google services files and register the plugin:

export default {
  ios: {
    googleServicesFile: './GoogleService-Info.plist',
  },
  android: {
    googleServicesFile: './google-services.json',
  },
  plugins: [
    [
      'expo-notifications',
      {
        icon: './assets/icon.png',
        color: '#000000',
      },
    ],
    './withFirebaseMessagingMeta.js', // <--- Add this plugin
  ],
};

5. Initialize Firebase in Your App

(Standard Firebase initialization as usual.)

6. Build with Expo Development Client

# Generate native code

npx expo prebuild

# Build development client

eas build --profile development --platform android

# or

eas build --profile development --platform ios

✔ Summary

The critical fix is the custom config plugin (withFirebaseMessagingMeta.js).
It adds:

tools:replace="android:resource"

…which prevents the Android manifest conflict between Expo Notifications and Firebase Messaging over the default_notification_color meta-data entry.