TypeError: firebase.storage is not a function

Question

Following this example, I keep getting the error:

 TypeError: firebase.storage is not a function

From this line in my code:

Answer 1

When using Storage with Firebase, you're correct that you can't add buckets on the free tier. However, you DO get a bucket (just one) by default. My (eventually) successful approach was to:

1. Add Storage to my project in Firebase (NOT Google Cloud)

2. Add the Admin SDK and set up the necessary Service Account as per the Google Docs: https://firebase.google.com/docs/admin/setup?authuser=1

3. Add the @google-cloud/storage package as per the instructions on using the Admin SDK with storage: https://firebase.google.com/docs/storage/admin/start?authuser=1

4. Initialize the app:

   admin.initializeApp({
     credential: admin.credential.cert("/path/to/generated/json/here.json"),
     storageBucket: "folder-URL-from-Storage-page-excluding-gs://"
   });
   

5. Access the bucket object with (from Admin SDK docs):

   const bucket = admin.storage().bucket();

6. Operate on the bucket with the storage library. Example:

   bucket.upload('/path/file.ext', function(err, file, apiResponse) {
     //Do Stuff
   });
   

NOTE: I spent a couple of hours convinced it wasn't working because I didn't have a bucket, but it turned out my mistake was including the gs:// in the path to my storage bucket when initializing.

Answer 2

I encounter the same problem when I test my app locally, but everything works when the project is deployed.

This way, I actually use the following workaround :

if (!firebase.storage) {
    // prevent crash when working locally
    return;
}
let ref = firebase.storage().ref()
// perform production stuff ...

It's a little bit curious, but it works in my case.