Solving the Glide Image Load Issue: How to Properly Cache Images from Firebase Storage

Learn how to effectively use `Glide` to load images from Firebase Storage while avoiding common pitfalls related to caching.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/66408137/ asked by the user 'XavierCodster' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/14538607/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66408385/ provided by the user 'MIA' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/10944045/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Glide Not Loading Images from Cache: A Common Problem

If you have ever faced issues when loading images with Glide from local cache, you are not alone. A common scenario occurs when you attempt to cache images fetched from Firebase Storage and then load them into your app using Glide.

In this guide, we will address the problem whereby Glide does not seem to load an image from the cached location created from Firebase Storage. This issue is often encountered due to the way temporary files are handled in Android.

The Problem

When using Firebase Storage to download images, developers typically save these images to a temporary file before attempting to display them in an ImageView. The following Kotlin code snippet illustrates this common approach:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

However, when you run this code, you might encounter a path that looks something like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Despite downloading the image successfully, Glide fails to load it in the ImageView.

Understanding the Issue

The primary reason for this issue revolves around the fact that Glide may not effectively handle paths of temporary files created in this manner. Temporary file paths can be finicky and sometimes not appropriate for Glide to access. Instead of caching the image properly, it results in a failed load.

The Solution: Simplifying the Process

Fortunately, there's a straightforward solution to this problem. Instead of saving the image to a temporary file, you can directly display the image using Glide. This method allows Glide to manage its cache more effectively, since it automatically caches images regardless of how they were fetched.

Step-by-Step Solution

Directly Load Image without Temporary File:
You can modify your approach to take advantage of Glide’s capabilities directly from the Firebase Storage reference. Here’s how:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Remove the Temporary File Logic:
Notice the absence of temporary file creation. By passing the uri from Firebase directly to Glide, you eliminate file path complications.

Caching Done Automatically:
Glide handles caching efficiently in the background, ensuring that images are saved in the app's cache for future use.

Conclusion

By removing the unnecessary steps of creating a temporary file and opting to load images directly from the Firebase Storage URL, you can resolve the issue of Glide not displaying images. This approach not only simplifies your code but also leverages the caching abilities of Glide, leading to a smoother experience for users.

If you have any questions or further concerns about using Glide with Firebase Storage, feel free to ask! Happy coding!

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