diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
index c991d1ad..cc5fd4a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Grant execute permission for gradlew
         run: chmod +x gradlew
+      - name: Decode google-services.json
+        env:
+          DEBUG_GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_BASE64: ${{ secrets.DEBUG_GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_BASE64 }}
+        run: |
+          echo $DEBUG_GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_BASE64 | base64 --decode > app/google-services.json
 
       - name: Apply Spotless
         run: ./gradlew spotlessApply
@@ -122,6 +127,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Grant execute permission for gradlew
         run: chmod +x gradlew
+      - name: Decode google-services.json
+        env:
+          DEBUG_GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_BASE64: ${{ secrets.DEBUG_GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_BASE64 }}
+        run: |
+          echo $DEBUG_GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON_BASE64 | base64 --decode > app/google-services.json
 
       - name: Build
         run: ./gradlew assembleDebug assembleDebugAndroidTest
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e1ed07cf..cfac5c60 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ The app combines a variety of different Google technologies, such as:
 1. Clone the repository.
 2. Create a [Firebase project](https://firebase.google.com/products/firebase-ai-logic) and
    generate a `google-services.json` file.
-   Replace the current placeholder [`app/google-services.json`](app/google-services.json) file with your own JSON file created
-   above. Be sure to enable [Vertex AI API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/aiplatform.googleapis.com).
+   Place the file in the app folder: `app/google-services.json`. Be sure to enable [Vertex AI API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/aiplatform.googleapis.com).
    Ensure to also enable [AppCheck](https://console.firebase.google.com/project/_/appcheck) on your Firebase project to prevent API abuse.
 
 3. This project makes use of remote config on Firebase too, you can import the [Firebase Remote config](https://firebase.google.com/docs/remote-config) settings from 
diff --git a/app/.gitignore b/app/.gitignore
index 42afabfd..65d12b95 100644
--- a/app/.gitignore
+++ b/app/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-/build
\ No newline at end of file
+/build
+google-services.json
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/google-services.json b/app/google-services.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 479980dc..00000000
--- a/app/google-services.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "project_info": {
-    "project_number": "abc",
-    "project_id": "YourProjectId",
-    "storage_bucket": "abc"
-  },
-  "client": [
-    {
-      "client_info": {
-        "mobilesdk_app_id": "APlaceholderAPIKeyWith-ThirtyNineCharsX",
-        "android_client_info": {
-          "package_name": "com.android.developers.androidify"
-        }
-      },
-      "oauth_client": [],
-      "api_key": [
-        {
-          "current_key": "APlaceholderAPIKeyWith-ThirtyNineCharsX"
-        }
-      ],
-      "services": {
-        "appinvite_service": {
-          "other_platform_oauth_client": []
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  ],
-  "configuration_version": "1"
-}