When a simple email update turns into a disaster, here’s how to fix it fast!

A Firebase Auth Guide for Handling Email Update Failures

Imagine this: a user tries to update their email.

And then – bam – the update fails because their login isn’t recent.

Suddenly, the expected smooth experience turns into frustration.

Because here’s the thing.

Firebase Authentication manages your user logins.

And when a user updates their email,

Everything should flow really smoothly.

Right?

Except that Firebase requires that the user has recently signed in.

Especially for a security-sensitive action like this…

And if this condition isn’t met, the update fails.

And our user is left scratching their head.

Source: Firebase Documentation

Now, when this happens, we don’t just gain a frustrated user.

We also get a potential disruption in data.

Because this failed update can lead to out-of-sync flows.

The good news is, there’s a simple way to fix this.

Here are the three smart approaches you can take

Smart Approach #1: Clear Error Messaging

When the user’s session expires, we simply notify the user with a clear error message.

Pseudocode Example:

function updateEmailWithClearMessage(user, newEmail):
    if not isRecentLogin(user):
        displayError("Oops! Your email update didn't go through. Please sign in again to secure your account.")
        return
    if performEmailUpdate(user, newEmail):
        displaySuccess("Email updated successfully!")
    else:
        displayError("Update failed. Please try again later.")

✅Pro: As the name suggests, this keeps the message clear.

❌Con: The user will need to log in again. Manually.

Smart Approach #2: Forced Reauthentication

Here, we force the user to reauthenticate every time they try to update their email.

Pseudocode Example:

function updateEmailWithForceReauth(user, newEmail):
    promptUserReauthentication(user)  // Always require re-login
    if performEmailUpdate(user, newEmail):
        displaySuccess("Email updated successfully after reauthentication!")
    else:
        displayError("Update failed even after reauthentication.")

✅Pro: By design, it ensures maximum security with every fresh login.

❌Con: The user might get annoyed with the extra step.

Smart Approach #3: Pre-check Login Recency

In this approach, we check the login recency first and only prompt for reauthentication if needed.

Pseudocode Example:

function updateEmailWithPrecheck(user, newEmail):
    if isRecentLogin(user):
        if performEmailUpdate(user, newEmail):
            displaySuccess("Email updated successfully!")
        else:
            displayError("Update failed. Please try again.")
    else:
        promptUserReauthentication(user)
        if performEmailUpdate(user, newEmail):
            displaySuccess("Email updated successfully after reauthentication!")
        else:
            displayError("Update failed even after reauthentication.")

✅Pro: Strikes the balance between user convenience and security.

❌Con: Kind of complex, which could introduce bugs if not handled correctly.

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You've now learned three effective ways to handle this email update failure.

Remember, Firebase requires recent sign-in for sensitive actions.

And this includes updating the user’s email address.

Again, each approach has its benefits and trade-offs:

• Clear Error Messaging is simple but leaves security checks to the user.

• Forced Reauthentication offers maximum security at the cost of convenience.

• Pre-check Login Recency strikes a balance but is slightly more complex.

And with these valuable tips in mind,

You’ll now be able to turn a failed email update into an improved user experience.

Choose the approach that best fits your priorities and user expectations.

What’s your secret sauce for handling these updates?

Share it in the comments below!