Capacitor App Upgrade
Upgrade a Capacitor app project to a newer major version (4→5, 5→6, 6→7, or 7→8).
Prerequisites
| Target Version | Node.js | Xcode | Android Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 16+ | 14.1+ | Flamingo 2022.2.1+ (Java 17) |
| 6 | 18+ | 15.0+ | Hedgehog 2023.1.1+ |
| 7 | 20+ | 16.0+ | Ladybug 2024.2.1+ (Java 21) |
| 8 | 22+ | 26.0+ | Otter 2025.2.1+ |
Procedures
Step 1: Detect Current Version
Read @capacitor/core version from package.json (dependencies or devDependencies). Determine the current major version.
Ask the user for the target version. Default to the latest (8) if not specified.
Step 2: Execute Upgrade
Do not run npx cap migrate. It is an interactive command that cannot be invoked by an agent. Always apply each upgrade manually using the steps in the corresponding reference file.
For each major version jump between the current and target version, apply the corresponding upgrade guide sequentially:
| Current → Target | Reference |
|---|---|
| 4 → 5 | references/upgrade-v4-to-v5.md |
| 5 → 6 | references/upgrade-v5-to-v6.md |
| 6 → 7 | references/upgrade-v6-to-v7.md |
| 7 → 8 | references/upgrade-v7-to-v8.md |
For multi-version jumps (e.g., 5 → 8), apply each upgrade in order:
- Read and apply
references/upgrade-v5-to-v6.md - Run
npx cap sync, build, and verify on both platforms - Read and apply
references/upgrade-v6-to-v7.md - Run
npx cap sync, build, and verify on both platforms - Read and apply
references/upgrade-v7-to-v8.md - Run
npx cap sync, build, and verify on both platforms
Do not skip intermediate versions.
Step 3: Final Verification
After completing all upgrade steps:
npx cap sync
npx cap run android
npx cap run iosError Handling
- If Android build fails after upgrade, run Tools > AGP Upgrade Assistant in Android Studio.
- If iOS build fails, verify the deployment target matches the target version requirements in the reference file.
- If Gradle property syntax warnings appear (v8+), search all
.gradlefiles for property assignments without=and update them. - If a multi-version upgrade fails mid-way, fix the current version step before proceeding to the next.
Related Skills
capacitor-app-development— For general Capacitor development topics, troubleshooting, and best practices after completing the upgrade.capacitor-plugin-upgrades— If the project contains Capacitor plugins that also need upgrading, use this skill after the app upgrade.capacitor-plugins— For installing or reconfiguring plugins after the app upgrade.ionic-app-upgrades— If the project uses the Ionic Framework UI library, the Ionic version may also need upgrading alongside Capacitor.