$authWithOAuthPopup flow ending up in auth.firebase.com/blank/page.html

I'm trying to authorize app-users via google in an ionic app based on angularfire. The complete flow is working fine on my workstation's chrome browser (using ionic serve) but fails when deploying on my android device:

$authWithOAuthPopup, when used on Android (via 'ionic run', i.e. installed as apk) results in browser getting stuck in auth.firebase.com/blank/page.html.

  • All is working fine in html (via 'ionic serve') so I assume, that firebase and google configuration are fine. cordova.js is included properly.
  • The cordova inapp browser is installed and can open other urls. I have whitelisted firebase(io) and google domains and also allowed everything else. I am using cordova-plugin-inappbrowser 1.0.2-dev "InAppBrowser" and cordova-plugin-whitelist 1.0.0 "Whitelist". I have tried older versions of the inappbrowser as well.
  • I am not using ionic livereload to avoid any potential cross-domain/proxy issues
  • When remote debugging, no errors are being reported: after $authWithOAuthPopup control gets lost somewhere deep in the minified firebase.js code and never returns to angularfire level
  • The following traffic is generated (detailed urls below): 1) firebase code calls auth.firebase.com/v2//auth/google, 2) accounts.google.com returns to 3)auth.firebase.com/v2.... which transfers to 4) auth.firebase.com/blank/page.html.
  • On the blank page I can see cookies.

Thanks for any advice in advance...

Detailed URLs from the webflow:

Initiator: firebase.js:147: https: //auth.firebase.com/v2/gastrohub/auth/google?&v=js-2.2.6&transport=redirect&suppress_status_codes=true&requestId=p2k757pm4hsjv5531z7045voxcyuelsi0wt3&redirectTo=https%3A%2F%2Fauth.firebase.com%2Fblank%2Fpage.html

https: //accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth?response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fauth.firebase.com%2Fv2%2Fgastrohub%2Fauth%2Fgoogle%2Fcallback&scope=%20profile&state=%7B%22firebase%22%3A%22gastrohub%22%2C%22requestId%22%3A%22p2k757pm4hsjv5531z7045voxcyuelsi0wt3%22%2C%22redirectTo%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fauth.firebase.com%2Fblank%2Fpage.html%22%2C%22transport%22%3A%22redirect%22%2C%22v%22%3A%22js-2.2.6%22%7D&client_id=434498505800-p5rjvl6basvlsf4fh3t1ta9ej4pt2i28.apps.googleusercontent.com

https: //auth.firebase.com/v2/gastrohub/auth/google/callback?state=%7B%22firebase%22:%22gastrohub%22,%22requestId%22:%22p2k757pm4hsjv5531z7045voxcyuelsi0wt3%22,%22redirectTo%22:%22https://auth.firebase.com/blank/page.html%22,%22transport%22:%22redirect%22,%22v%22:%22js-2.2.6%22%7D&code=4/vgz4uJ8SgIswewKQHcMiXZbwddU_F9llfWKaRfEhOMI

https: //auth.firebase.com/blank/page.html