diff --git a/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommAndroidNotifications.java b/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommAndroidNotifications.java
--- a/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommAndroidNotifications.java
+++ b/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommAndroidNotifications.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package app.comm.android.notifications;
 
+import android.app.NotificationChannel;
 import android.app.NotificationManager;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.os.Bundle;
@@ -12,6 +13,8 @@
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactMethod;
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.WritableMap;
 import com.google.firebase.messaging.RemoteMessage;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 public class CommAndroidNotifications extends ReactContextBaseJavaModule {
   private NotificationManager notificationManager;
@@ -63,4 +66,31 @@
             initialNotification);
     promise.resolve(jsReadableNotification);
   }
+
+  @ReactMethod
+  public void createChannel(
+      String channelID,
+      String name,
+      int importance,
+      String description) {
+    if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
+      // Method used below appeared in API level 26. Details:
+      // https://developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/notifications/channels#CreateChannel
+      return;
+    }
+    NotificationChannel channel =
+        new NotificationChannel(channelID, name, importance);
+    if (description != null) {
+      channel.setDescription(description);
+    }
+    notificationManager.createNotificationChannel(channel);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public Map<String, Object> getConstants() {
+    final Map<String, Object> constants = new HashMap<>();
+    constants.put(
+        "NOTIFICATIONS_IMPORTANCE_HIGH", NotificationManager.IMPORTANCE_HIGH);
+    return constants;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/native/push/android.js b/native/push/android.js
--- a/native/push/android.js
+++ b/native/push/android.js
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@
 type CommAndroidNotificationsModuleType = {
   +removeAllActiveNotificationsForThread: (threadID: string) => void,
   +getInitialNotification: () => Promise<?AndroidForegroundMessage>,
+  +createChannel: (
+    channelID: string,
+    name: string,
+    importance: number,
+    description: ?string,
+  ) => void,
+  +getConstants: () => { +NOTIFICATIONS_IMPORTANCE_HIGH: number, ... },
   ...
 };
 export type AndroidForegroundMessage = {
diff --git a/native/push/push-handler.react.js b/native/push/push-handler.react.js
--- a/native/push/push-handler.react.js
+++ b/native/push/push-handler.react.js
@@ -148,13 +148,12 @@
         ),
       );
     } else if (Platform.OS === 'android') {
-      const firebase = getFirebase();
-      const channel = new firebase.notifications.Android.Channel(
+      CommAndroidNotifications.createChannel(
         androidNotificationChannelID,
         'Default',
-        firebase.notifications.Android.Importance.Max,
-      ).setDescription('Comm notifications channel');
-      firebase.notifications().android.createChannel(channel);
+        CommAndroidNotifications.getConstants().NOTIFICATIONS_IMPORTANCE_HIGH,
+        'Comm notifications channel',
+      );
       const commAndroidNotificationsEventEmitter = getCommAndroidNotificationsEventEmitter();
       this.androidNotificationsEventSubscriptions.push(
         commAndroidNotificationsEventEmitter.addListener(