capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6
Upgrades a Capacitor app from v5 to v6 using npx cap migrate from @capacitor/cli@latest-6, then the manual checklist - Node 18+, Xcode 15+, Android Studio Hedgehog, AGP 8.2.1, Gradle 8.2.1, compile/target SDK 34, compileSdkVersion to compileSdk, the androidScheme default flipping to https (data loss risk), iOS local plugins no longer auto-registered, iOS zoom disabled by default, and official plugin breaking changes (addListener returns only a Promise, Camera Photo Picker, Filesystem ctime/mtime numbers). Use when @capacitor/core is 5.x and the target is 6.x, or after the upgrade users are logged out on Android, a custom iOS plugin is "not implemented", or addListener(...).remove no longer compiles. Do not use for other major versions, plugin library upgrades, or non-Capacitor apps.
- Installs
- 642
- Last 24h
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- Security
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6 automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Capacitor App Upgrade v5 to v6
Move a Capacitor 5 app to Capacitor 6. Source of truth: https://capacitorjs.com/docs/updating/6-0
When to Use
@capacitor/corein the snapshot below is5.xand the user wants6.x.- After upgrading: Android users lose localStorage/cookies, a local (non-npm) iOS plugin reports
"<Name>" plugin is not implemented on ios, pinch-zoom stopped working on iOS, or TypeScript errors aroundaddListener. - The user asks for the exact 5 -> 6 checklist.
Do not use:
- App on 4.x ->
capacitor-app-upgrade-v4-to-v5first. On 6.x ->capacitor-app-upgrade-v6-to-v7. Multi-hop planning ->capacitor-app-upgrades. - Plugin library upgrade ->
capacitor-plugin-upgrade-v5-to-v6. - Moving iOS from CocoaPods to SPM (experimental in 6) ->
cocoapods-to-spm.
Live Project Snapshot
Current Capacitor packages from package.json:
!node -e "const fs=require('fs');if(!fs.existsSync('package.json'))process.exit(0);const pkg=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('package.json','utf8'));const out=[];for(const section of ['dependencies','devDependencies']){for(const [name,version] of Object.entries(pkg[section]||{})){if(name.startsWith('@capacitor/'))out.push(section+'.'+name+'='+version)}}console.log(out.sort().join('\n'))"
References
Only load a reference when its topic is in play.
| File | Load when |
|---|---|
references/android.md | Editing variables.gradle, build.gradle, wrapper, or Kotlin by hand |
references/plugins.md | The app uses official @capacitor/* plugins or stores addListener results |
Preflight
| Tool | Minimum for Capacitor 6 |
|---|---|
| Node.js | 18+ (latest LTS recommended) |
| Xcode | 15.0+ |
| Android Studio | Hedgehog 2023.1.1+ |
| Java (Gradle JDK) | 17 |
| AGP / Gradle | 8.2.1 / 8.2.1 |
| Android SDK | minSdk 22, compileSdk 34, targetSdk 34 |
| iOS deployment target | 13.0 (unchanged) |
node -v && xcodebuild -version && java -version
git status --short
grep -rn "androidScheme" capacitor.config.* # decide the scheme BEFORE migrating
Procedure
-
Confirm 5.x from the snapshot.
-
Decide
androidSchemefirst (judgement call, ask the user if unclear). Capacitor 6 defaults existing apps tohttps. Changing scheme changes the WebView origin, so localStorage, IndexedDB, cookies and service workers from the installed app are no longer readable.- No
androidSchemeset today -> addserver: { androidScheme: "http" }to keep user data. - Already
"https"-> the entry can be removed.
- No
-
Run the automated migration:
npm i -D @capacitor/cli@latest-6 npx cap migrateRead the output and finish every step it reports as failed.
-
iOS:
- Plugin classes are no longer auto-registered. npm plugins are handled by the CLI-generated list. Local plugins written in the app target (custom code guide) need a
CAPBridgeViewControllersubclass that overridescapacitorDidLoad()and callsbridge?.registerPluginInstance(MyPlugin()), andMain.storyboardmust use that subclass as the view controller's custom class. - Zoom is disabled by default. If the app relied on pinch zoom, set
zoomEnabled: truein the Capacitor config.
- Plugin classes are no longer auto-registered. npm plugins are handled by the CLI-generated list. Local plugins written in the app target (custom code guide) need a
-
Android: apply
references/android.md(AGP 8.2.1, Gradle 8.2.1, google-services 4.4.0,compileSdk, Kotlin 1.9.10). -
Update all
@capacitor/*plugins to^6.0.0and community plugins to their Capacitor 6 releases. Fix code perreferences/plugins.md. -
Run verification.
Traps
addListenernow returns onlyPromise<PluginListenerHandle>.const h = Plugin.addListener(...); h.remove()no longer compiles; useconst h = await Plugin.addListener(...).- Camera now uses the Android Photo Picker. Gallery cancel rejects with
"User cancelled photos app"on Android, like other platforms; update error matching. - Filesystem
stat()on iOS returnsctime/mtimeas numbers, not strings. - Do not remove
READ_MEDIA_IMAGES/ storage permissions ifsaveToGallery: trueor another plugin needs them.
Verification
grep -rn "androidScheme" capacitor.config.* # explicit decision recorded
grep -n "compileSdkVersion rootProject" android/app/build.gradle # expect none (now compileSdk)
grep -n "gradle:8.2.1\|google-services:4.4.0" android/build.gradle
grep -n "distributionUrl" android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties # gradle-8.2.1
grep -n "SdkVersion" android/variables.gradle # 22 / 34 / 34
grep -rnE "= *[A-Za-z]+\.addListener\(" src/ # each must be awaited
grep -rn "registerPluginInstance" ios/App/App/ # present if the app has local plugins
npx cap sync
cd android && ./gradlew assembleDebug
Build and launch iOS in Xcode 15+. On a device that had the v5 build installed, upgrade in place and confirm login/localStorage survived.
Error Handling
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
Migrate can only be used on capacitor 5 and above, please use the CLI in Capacitor 5 to upgrade to 5 first | Run capacitor-app-upgrade-v4-to-v5 first. |
Capacitor 6 requires JDK 17 or higher. Some steps may fail. | Set Gradle JDK to 17+. |
Unable to find "<text>" in <file>. Try updating it manually | Apply the diff from references/android.md. |
"<Plugin>" plugin is not implemented on ios (local plugin) | Register it in a CAPBridgeViewController subclass (step 4). |
Property 'remove' does not exist on type 'Promise<PluginListenerHandle>' | await the addListener call. |
| Users logged out / data gone on Android | Scheme changed. Restore the previous androidScheme value. |
FAQ
What does the capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6 skill do?
Upgrades a Capacitor app from v5 to v6 using npx cap migrate from @capacitor/cli@latest-6, then the manual checklist - Node 18+, Xcode 15+, Android Studio Hedgehog, AGP 8.2.1, Gradle 8.2.1, compile/target SDK 34, compileSdkVersion to compileSdk, the androidScheme default flipping to https (data loss risk), iOS local plugins no longer auto-registered, iOS zoom disabled by default, and official plugin breaking changes (addListener returns only a Promise, Camera Photo Picker, Filesystem ctime/mtime numbers). Use when @capacitor/core is 5.x and the target is 6.x, or after the upgrade users are logged out on Android, a custom iOS plugin is "not implemented", or addListener(...).remove no longer compiles. Do not use for other major versions, plugin library upgrades, or non-Capacitor apps.
How do I install capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6 in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6/ (personal) or .claude/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6/ (project).
Which AI agents can use capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6 safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains capacitor-app-upgrade-v5-to-v6?
It is published by cap-go in cap-go/capgo-skills. It has 642 recorded installs.
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