For our new friends:

Logto is an Auth0 alternative designed for modern apps and SaaS products. It offers both Cloud and Open-source services to help you quickly launch your identity and management (IAM) system. Enjoy authentication, authorization, and multi-tenant management all in one.

We recommend starting with a free development tenant on Logto Cloud. This allows you to explore all the features easily.

In this article, we will go through the steps to quickly build the GitHub sign-in experience (user authentication) with Android (Kotlin / Java) and Logto.

Prerequisites

• A running Logto instance. Check out the introduction page to get started.
• Basic knowledge of Android (Kotlin / Java).
• A usable GitHub account.

Create an application in Logto

Logto is based on OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication and OAuth 2.0 authorization. It supports federated identity management across multiple applications, commonly called Single Sign-On (SSO).

To create your Native app application, simply follow these steps:

1. Open the Logto Console. In the "Get started" section, click the "View all" link to open the application frameworks list. Alternatively, you can navigate to Logto Console > Applications, and click the "Create application" button.
2. In the opening modal, click the "Native app" section or filter all the available "Native app" frameworks using the quick filter checkboxes on the left. Click the "Android" framework card to start creating your application.
3. Enter the application name, e.g., "Bookstore," and click "Create application".

🎉 Ta-da! You just created your first application in Logto. You'll see a congrats page which includes a detailed integration guide. Follow the guide to see what the experience will be in your application.

Integrate Android with Logto

tip:

• The example is based on View system and View Model, but the concepts are the same when using Jetpack Compose.
• The example is written in Kotlin, but the concepts are the same for Java.
• Both Kotlin and Java sample projects are available on our SDK repository.
• The tutorial video is available on our YouTube channel.

Installation

note:

The minimum supported Android API level of Logto Android SDK is level 24.

Before you install Logto Android SDK, ensure mavenCentral() is added to your repository configuration in the Gradle project build file:

settings.gradle.kts

dependencyResolutionManagement {
  repositories {
    mavenCentral()
  }
}

Add Logto Android SDK to your dependencies:

Kotlin

build.gradle.kts

dependencies {
  implementation("io.logto.sdk:android:1.1.3")
}

Groovy

build.gradle

dependencies {
  implementation 'io.logto.sdk:android:1.1.3'
}

Since the SDK needs internet access, you need to add the following permission to your AndroidManifest.xml file:

AndroidManifest.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

  <!-- add internet permission -->
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

  <!-- other configurations... -->
</manifest>

Init LogtoClient

Create a LogtoViewModel.kt and init LogtoClient in this view model:

LogtoViewModel.kt

//...with other imports
import io.logto.sdk.android.LogtoClient
import io.logto.sdk.android.type.LogtoConfig

class LogtoViewModel(application: Application) : AndroidViewModel(application) {
    private val logtoConfig = LogtoConfig(
          endpoint = "<your-logto-endpoint>",
          appId = "<your-app-id>",
          scopes = null,
          resources = null,
          usingPersistStorage = true,
    )

    private val logtoClient = LogtoClient(logtoConfig, application)

    companion object {
        val Factory: ViewModelProvider.Factory = object : ViewModelProvider.Factory {
            @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
            override fun <T : ViewModel> create(
                modelClass: Class<T>,
                extras: CreationExtras
            ): T {
                // Get the Application object from extras
                val application = checkNotNull(extras[APPLICATION_KEY])
                return LogtoViewModel(application) as T
            }
        }
    }
}

then, create a LogtoViewModel for your MainActivity.kt:

MainActivity.kt

//...with other imports
class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    private val logtoViewModel: LogtoViewModel by viewModels { LogtoViewModel.Factory }
    //...other codes
}

Configure redirect URI

Let's switch to the Application details page of Logto Console. Add a Redirect URI io.logto.android://io.logto.sample/callback and click "Save changes".

Implement sign-in and sign-out

note:

Before calling logtoClient.signIn, make sure you have correctly configured Redirect URI in Admin Console.

You can use logtoClient.signIn to sign in the user and logtoClient.signOut to sign out the user.

For example, in an Android app:

LogtoModelView.kt

//...with other imports
class LogtoViewModel(application: Application) : AndroidViewModel(application) {
    // ...other codes

    // Add a live data to observe the authentication status
    private val _authenticated = MutableLiveData(logtoClient.isAuthenticated)
    val authenticated: LiveData<Boolean>
        get() = _authenticated

    fun signIn(context: Activity) {
        logtoClient.signIn(context, "io.logto.android://io.logto.sample/callback") { logtoException ->
            logtoException?.let { println(it) }
            // Update the live data
            _authenticated.postValue(logtoClient.isAuthenticated)
        }
    }

    fun signOut() {
        logtoClient.signOut { logtoException ->
            logtoException?.let { println(it) }
            // Update the live data
            _authenticated.postValue(logtoClient.isAuthenticated)
        }
    }
}

Then call the signIn and signOut methods in your activity:

MainActivity.kt

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        //...other codes

        // Assume you have a button with id "sign_in_button" in your layout
        val signInButton = findViewById<Button>(R.id.sign_in_button)
        signInButton.setOnClickListener {
            logtoViewModel.signIn(this)
        }

        // Assume you have a button with id "sign_out_button" in your layout
        val signOutButton = findViewById<Button>(R.id.sign_out_button)
        signOutButton.setOnClickListener {
            if (logtoViewModel.authenticated) { // Check if the user is authenticated
                logtoViewModel.signOut()
            }
        }

        // Observe the authentication status to update the UI
        logtoViewModel.authenticated.observe(this) { authenticated ->
            if (authenticated) {
                // The user is authenticated
                signInButton.visibility = View.GONE
                signOutButton.visibility = View.VISIBLE
            } else {
                // The user is not authenticated
                signInButton.visibility = View.VISIBLE
                signOutButton.visibility = View.GONE
            }
        }

    }
}

Checkpoint: Test your application

Now, you can test your application:

1. Run your application, you will see the sign-in button.
2. Click the sign-in button, the SDK will init the sign-in process and redirect you to the Logto sign-in page.
3. After you signed in, you will be redirected back to your application and see the sign-out button.
4. Click the sign-out button to clear token storage and sign out.

Add GitHub connector

To enable quick sign-in and improve user conversion, connect with Android as an identity provider. The Logto social connector helps you establish this connection in minutes by allowing several parameter inputs.

To add a social connector, simply follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Console > Connectors > Social Connectors.
2. Click "Add social connector" and select "GitHub".
3. Follow the README guide and complete required fields and customize settings.

note:

If you are following the in-place Connector guide, you can skip the next section.

Set up GitHub OAuth app

Step 1: Create an OAuth app on GitHub

Before you can use GitHub as an authentication provider, you must create an OAuth App on GitHub to obtain OAuth 2.0 credentials.

1. Go to GitHub and sign in with your account, or create a new account if needed.
2. Navigate to Settings > Developer settings > OAuth apps.
3. Click New OAuth App to register a new application:
   • Application name: Enter a descriptive name for your app.
   • Homepage URL: Enter your application's homepage URL.
   • Authorization callback URL: Copy the Callback URI from your Logto GitHub connector and paste it here. After users sign in with GitHub, they'll be redirected here with an authorization code that Logto uses to complete authentication.
   • Application description: (Optional) Add a brief description of your app.
4. Click Register application to create the OAuth App.

note:

We suggest not checking the box for Enable Device Flow, as users who sign in with GitHub on mobile devices would need to confirm the initial sign-in action in the GitHub mobile app. Many GitHub users do not install the GitHub mobile app on their phones, which could block the sign-in flow. Only enable this if you expect end-users to confirm their sign-in flow through the GitHub mobile app. See details about device flow.

For more details on setting up GitHub OAuth Apps, see Creating an OAuth App.

Step 2: Configure your Logto connector

After creating the OAuth app in GitHub, you'll be redirected to a details page where you can copy the Client ID and generate a Client secret.

1. Copy the Client ID from your GitHub OAuth app and paste it into the clientId field in Logto.
2. Click Generate a new client secret in GitHub to create a new secret, then copy and paste it into the clientSecret field in Logto.
3. Click Save and Done in Logto to connect your identity system with GitHub.

warning:

Keep your Client secret secure and never expose it in client-side code. GitHub client secrets cannot be recovered if lost - you'll need to generate a new one.

Step 3: Configure scopes (Optional)

Scopes define the permissions your app requests from users and control which data your app can access from their GitHub accounts.

Use the Scopes field in Logto to request extra permissions from GitHub. Choose one of the following approaches based on your needs:

Option 1: No extra API scopes needed

• Leave the Scopes field in your Logto GitHub connector blank.
• The default scope read:user will be requested to ensure Logto can get basic user info (e.g., email, name, avatar) properly.

Option 2: Request additional scopes at sign-in

• Browse all available GitHub scopes for OAuth apps and add only the scopes your app needs.
• Enter all desired scopes in the Scopes field, separated by spaces.
• Any scopes you list here override the defaults, so always include the authentication scope: read:user.
• Common additional scopes include:
  • repo: Full control of private repositories
  • public_repo: Access to public repositories
  • user:email: Access to user email addresses
  • notifications: Access to notifications
• Ensure all scopes are spelled correctly and valid. An incorrect or unsupported scope will result in an "Invalid scope" error from GitHub.

Option 3: Request incremental scopes later

• After the user signs in, you can request additional scopes on demand by reinitiating a federated social authorization flow and updating users' stored token set.
• These additional scopes do not need to be filled in the Scopes field in your Logto GitHub connector, and can be achieved through Logto's Social Verification API.

By following these steps, your Logto GitHub connector requests exactly the permissions your app needs - no more, no less.

tip:

If your app requests these scopes to access the GitHub API and perform actions, make sure to enable Store tokens for persistent API access in Logto GitHub connector. See the next section for details.

Step 4: General settings

Here are some general settings that won't block the connection to GitHub but may affect the end-user authentication experience.

Sync profile information

In the GitHub connector, you can set the policy for syncing profile information, such as user names and avatars. Choose from:

• Only sync at sign-up: Profile info is fetched once when the user first signs in.
• Always sync at sign-in: Profile info is updated every time the user signs in.

Store tokens to access GitHub APIs (Optional)

If you want to access GitHub APIs and perform actions with user authorization (whether via social sign-in or account linking), Logto needs to get specific API scopes and store tokens.

1. Add the required scopes following the instructions above.
2. Enable Store tokens for persistent API access in the Logto GitHub connector. Logto will securely store GitHub access tokens in the Secret Vault.

note:

When using a GitHub OAuth App as described in this tutorial, you cannot get a refresh token from GitHub because its access token does not expire unless the user manually revokes it. Therefore, you do not need to add offline_access in the Scopes field — doing so may cause an error.

If you want the access token to expire or use refresh tokens, consider integrating with a GitHub App instead. Learn about the differences between GitHub Apps and OAuth Apps.

Step 5: Test your integration (Optional)

Before going live, test your GitHub integration:

1. Use the connector in a Logto development tenant.
2. Verify that users can sign in with GitHub.
3. Check that the correct scopes are being requested.
4. Test API calls if you're storing tokens.

GitHub OAuth Apps work with any GitHub user account immediately - there's no need for test users or app approval like some other platforms.

Save your configuration

Double check you have filled out necessary values in the Logto connector configuration area. Click "Save and Done" (or "Save changes") and the GitHub connector should be available now.

Enable GitHub connector in Sign-in Experience

Once you create a social connector successfully, you can enable it as a "Continue with GitHub" button in Sign-in Experience.

1. Navigate to Console > Sign-in experience > Sign-up and sign-in.
2. (Optional) Choose "Not applicable" for sign-up identifier if you need social login only.
3. Add configured GitHub connector to the "Social sign-in" section.

Testing and Validation

Return to your Android (Kotlin / Java) app. You should now be able to sign in with GitHub. Enjoy!

Further readings

End-user flows: Logto provides a out-of-the-box authentication flows including MFA and enterprise SSO, along with powerful APIs for flexible implementation of account settings, security verification, and multi-tenant experience.

Authorization: Authorization defines the actions a user can do or resources they can access after being authenticated. Explore how to protect your API for native and single-page applications and implement Role-based Access Control (RBAC).

Organizations: Particularly effective in multi-tenant SaaS and B2B apps, the organization feature enable tenant creation, member management, organization-level RBAC, and just-in-time-provisioning.

Customer IAM series Our serial blog posts about Customer (or Consumer) Identity and Access Management, from 101 to advanced topics and beyond.