Firebase screen class dimension
The Firebase screen class dimension reports the class of the app UI shown during a screen_view — by default the name of the Activity, ViewController, or component class. GA4 and Firebase capture it automatically from the SDK. It is the developer-side identifier, distinct from screen name, which you can set to a friendlier label; conflating the two, or letting class fall back to a generic value, makes app screen reporting hard to read.
What this means
Firebase screen class is the developer-facing identifier of an app screen — typically the Android Activity/Fragment, iOS UIViewController, or framework component class active when a screen_view event fires. The Firebase/GA4 SDK records it automatically.
It is most useful for engineers tracing navigation back to specific code, and as a stable anchor when friendly names are inconsistent.
Class versus screen name
Screen name is a label you can override to something human-readable; screen class is the underlying code name. They serve different audiences — product analysts read screen name, engineers read screen class. If automatic detection cannot determine the class it can fall back to a generic value, collapsing distinct screens together. Set explicit screen names and meaningful classes so reports stay legible.
- Auto-captured code-level UI class
- Distinct from the overridable screen name
- Generic fallbacks collapse distinct screens
How it appears in analytics and logs
A screen class value is the code-level class of the displayed screen. A generic or repeated class often means automatic detection could not resolve a meaningful name.
Diagnostic use case
Use screen class to analyse app navigation by the underlying UI component, complementing the human-readable screen name.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID treats app screen identifiers as structural metadata, helping you keep code-level and friendly screen labels distinct in analysis.
Common mistakes
- Treating screen class and screen name as the same field.
- Leaving generic class fallbacks unaddressed.
- Putting personal data into class or screen labels.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Screen class is an app code identifier, not user identity. Avoid embedding personal data in class or screen names, since they appear in reports.
Related pages
- Screen name dimension: the app analog of page title
Screen name is the dimension that records which screen of a mobile app a user viewed — the app analog of the page-path or page-title dimension on the web. GA4 captures it from the screen_view event's screen_name and screen_class parameters. Unlike web pages, which expose a URL automatically, app screens carry no inherent name, so screen name is only meaningful when the app explicitly sets it.
- App version dimension
The app version dimension reports which build of your mobile app a session ran. GA4/Firebase reads it from the app's version string automatically. This page explains how it is populated, why multiple versions coexist in the wild, and how version skew affects event and funnel analysis.
- The screen_view event (apps)
screen_view is the GA4 event that records when a screen is displayed in a mobile app, the app analogue of the web's page_view. It carries firebase_screen and firebase_screen_class parameters identifying the screen. It is collected automatically by the Firebase/GA4 SDKs and is the basis for app navigation and screen-engagement analysis.
- Event explorer
Trace app navigation by screen and class.
Sources and verification notes
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.