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Android

Posted by Sushant Saurabh
Sushant Saurabh
8,352 Points

Do I have to have a third party Baas for Login and session management for my Android app?

Hi all,

I am creating an android app which aggregates data from different websites. Now I need user login in my app to give them user specific suggestions. The aggregated data is kept on a server and is refreshed / updated automatically and I am fetching it via an API structure. I don't want to use a third party Baas as it would mean managing two servers, one for users and for my aggregated data. I want to store and manage user data on my server only, but don't know how to fetch / push user data to the back-end via the app. Would I have to use a Baas like Parse or is there an equally easier way to do it in native android too?

Cheers

1 Answer

Jon Kussmann
PLUS
Jon Kussmann
Courses Plus Student 7,254 Points
Jon Kussmann
Jon Kussmann
Courses Plus Student 7,254 Points

Hi,

In order to send information (such as user info) from your Android App to your server, you do not have to use a Baas such as Parse. Your server will need the logic to handle a POST request and all your app needs to do is make that POST request with your information. It looks like you are already using your API to get information from your server, and it should look pretty similar.

If you haven't already, try using Retrofit by Square to make it easier to structure your network calls. I'm using it in one of my apps right now and it has helped a lot.

Sushant Saurabh
Sushant Saurabh
8,352 Points

I'll look into Retrofit, the issue was data encryption/security and user management that is provided by Parse won't be there with a simple POST request. I think "sniffing" user-data would become very easy and the accounts may get compromised.

Cheers