Firebase SDKs for Cloud Storage can be used to upload and download files directly from clients. The client is able to retry to resume the operation right where it left off, saving your user's time and bandwidth.

Under the hood, Cloud Storage stores your files in a Google Cloud Storage bucket and hence makes them accessible through both Firebase and Google Cloud. This gives you the flexibility to upload and download files from mobile clients via the Firebase SDKs, and do server-side processing, such as image thumbnail generation or video transcoding using Google Cloud Platform. As we have seen that Cloud Storage scales automatically, it can handle all types of application data, small to medium to large applications.

On the security front, the Firebase SDKs for Cloud Storage integrate seamlessly with Firebase Authentication to identify users. As we saw in Chapter 6, Firebase Security and Rules, Firebase also provides declarative rule language that lets you control access to individual files or groups of files.

Let's enhance our Helpdesk application where the user can upload their profile picture.