Introducing Capgo Cloud Build - Build Native Apps Without the Hassle

We’re excited to announce Capgo Cloud Build - a new way to build your Capacitor apps for iOS and Android directly in the cloud, without the need for local development environments or CI/CD infrastructure.

The Problem We’re Solving

Building native mobile apps has always been a pain point for web developers. You need:

Local Development Tools: Install and maintain Xcode (30+ GB) and Android Studio on your machine
Mac Hardware: iOS builds require a Mac, which can be expensive or impossible on Linux/Windows CI runners
CI/CD Configuration: Set up complex GitHub Actions or other CI/CD workflows with build caching, credentials management, and more
Dependency Management: Keep build tools, SDKs, and certificates up to date across environments

What if you could skip all of that and just run a single command?

Introducing Cloud Build

With Capgo Cloud Build, building your app is as simple as:

# First time: Save your credentials locally
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials save --platform ios
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials save --platform android

# Then build
npx @capgo/cli@latest build com.example.app

That’s it. No Xcode, no Android Studio, no complex CI/CD setup. Just one command that:

Zips your project locally
Uploads it to Capgo’s cloud infrastructure
Builds your app on dedicated infrastructure using your saved credentials
Streams logs to your terminal in real-time
Submits to the App Store and Play Store (if configured)

How It Works

We built Capgo Cloud Build using the same approach as Expo EAS Build - dedicated cloud infrastructure that handles all the complexity for you.

But here’s what makes us different: we’ve been doing this for 3 years. We’ve been building native apps for our clients internally since the beginning of Capgo, and we’ve learned exactly what it takes to build Capacitor apps reliably.

Our Expertise

Over the past three years, we’ve:

Built our own Fastlane system - We’ve created custom Fastlane configurations specifically optimized for Capacitor apps
Mastered Capacitor builds - We have deep knowledge of what’s important when building for Capacitor, from plugin configurations to native dependencies
Focused on native-only - We build only the native parts (iOS and Android). Your JavaScript stays on your side - we never touch or store your web code
Refined our infrastructure - Thousands of internal builds have helped us perfect our build system before making it available to you

This isn’t a new experiment. It’s battle-tested infrastructure we’ve relied on for years, now available as a service.

For Android

Android builds run in secure Cloudflare sandboxes with instant cleanup after completion. Your app is compiled using Gradle with our Capacitor-optimized build scripts, signed, and ready to submit to the Play Store.

For iOS

iOS builds run on dedicated Mac machines (Scaleway Mac minis) provisioned on-demand. We use our custom Fastlane setup - refined over years of Capacitor builds - to build, sign, and submit your app to TestFlight. Each build runs in an isolated macOS user account for security, and machines are automatically cleaned up after 24 hours.

Real-Time Logs

Unlike other solutions, we stream build logs directly to your terminal as they happen. You can watch:

Dependency installation
Build compilation
Code signing
App store submission
Any errors or warnings

And here’s the important part: we don’t store your logs. They’re only available during the build through your CLI session, ensuring your privacy.

How Credentials Work

Before you can build, you need to provide your signing credentials. Capgo handles this with maximum security in mind.

Saving Credentials Locally

Your credentials are stored locally on your machine in ~/.capgo/credentials.json:

# For iOS - provide certificates and provisioning profiles
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials save --platform ios \
  --certificate ./path/to/cert.p12 \
  --p12-password "your-password" \
  --provisioning-profile ./path/to/profile.mobileprovision

# For Android - provide keystore and passwords
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials save --platform android \
  --keystore ./path/to/keystore.jks \
  --keystore-alias "your-alias" \
  --keystore-key-password "key-password" \
  --keystore-store-password "store-password"

These credentials are never uploaded to Capgo until you request a build. They stay safely on your machine.

What Happens During a Build

When you run a build command:

Local: CLI reads credentials from ~/.capgo/credentials.json
Upload: Credentials are sent securely over HTTPS to Capgo’s build servers along with your project
Build: Credentials are used ONLY during the active build process
Cleanup: Credentials are automatically deleted from Capgo servers after the build completes

Security Guarantees

Here’s what we guarantee about your credentials:

✅ Never stored permanently - Credentials exist on Capgo servers only during the active build
✅ Automatic deletion - Deleted immediately after build completion (maximum 24 hours even if build fails)
✅ No logs, no artifacts - We don’t store build logs or IPA/APK files that might contain credential traces
✅ Ephemeral environments - Build environments are completely destroyed after use
✅ Direct to stores - Apps go directly to App Store/Play Store - Capgo never keeps them

Managing Your Credentials

You have full control over your saved credentials:

# List saved credentials (passwords masked)
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials list

# Clear credentials for a specific platform
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials clear --platform ios

# Clear all credentials
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials clear

What Credentials Are Needed?

For iOS:

Build certificate (.p12 file and password)
Provisioning profile(s) (.mobileprovision files)
Optional: App Store Connect API key (for automated submission)

For Android:

Keystore file (.jks or .keystore)
Keystore alias
Keystore key password
Keystore store password
Optional: Google Play service account JSON (for automated submission)

See our credentials documentation for detailed setup instructions.

Privacy & Security First

Beyond credentials, we’ve designed the entire build system with privacy and security in mind:

No Log Storage: Build logs stream to your terminal in real-time via Server-Sent Events (SSE) but are never persisted to disk or databases
No Artifact Storage: Your built IPA/APK files go directly from our build machines to App Store/Play Store servers - Capgo never stores them
Automatic Cleanup:
- Android: Build sandbox destroyed instantly after completion
- iOS: Mac user account cleaned after build, machine dismissed after 24 hours
Isolated Builds: Each iOS build runs in a completely separate macOS user account with its own keychain
Your Code Privacy: We only build native parts - your JavaScript/HTML/CSS never touches our servers
No Build History: We don’t maintain a database of your builds, versions, or any build metadata beyond what’s needed for active builds

Use It Anywhere

Cloud Build works everywhere - your local machine, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or any CI/CD platform.

Local Development

On your local machine, save credentials once and build anytime:

# One-time credential setup
npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials save --platform ios \
  --certificate ./certs/dist.p12 \
  --p12-password "$P12_PASSWORD" \
  --provisioning-profile ./certs/profile.mobileprovision

# Build anytime
npx @capgo/cli@latest build com.example.app --platform ios

CI/CD Integration

In CI environments, you can either:

Option 1: Save credentials in CI (recommended for simplicity)

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Save credentials and build
  env:
    CAPGO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CAPGO_TOKEN }}
    P12_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.P12_PASSWORD }}
  run: |
    # Decode base64-encoded credentials from secrets
    echo "${{ secrets.IOS_CERTIFICATE_BASE64 }}" | base64 -d > cert.p12
    echo "${{ secrets.PROVISIONING_PROFILE_BASE64 }}" | base64 -d > profile.mobileprovision

    # Save credentials
    npx @capgo/cli@latest build credentials save --platform ios \
      --certificate ./cert.p12 \
      --p12-password "$P12_PASSWORD" \
      --provisioning-profile ./profile.mobileprovision

    # Build
    npx @capgo/cli@latest build com.example.app --platform ios

Option 2: Provide credentials inline (for advanced use cases)

You can also pass credentials directly in environment variables - see the credentials documentation for details.

No need to configure Mac runners, manage build caches, or install SDKs in your CI environment. Capgo handles all of that in the cloud.

Simple, Transparent Pricing

We charge based on actual build time used:

Android builds: 1× multiplier
iOS builds: 2× multiplier (due to dedicated Mac hardware costs)

No surprise fees, no minimum commitments. You only pay for what you use.

Your Code, Your Responsibility

One important principle of Capgo Cloud Build: we only build the native parts.

Your JavaScript, HTML, and CSS stay on your side. We never process, inspect, or store your web code. You’re responsible for building your web assets locally (using npm run build or your preferred build tool), and we handle the native compilation.

This separation is intentional:

Better security - Your application logic never leaves your control
Faster builds - We don’t waste time rebuilding your web code
Clear responsibility - You control your web build process; we handle the native complexity

What About Live Updates?

Cloud Build complements our existing live update system. Here’s how they work together:

Cloud Build: For native app changes (plugins, permissions, native code) that require App Store/Play Store review
Live Updates: For web code changes (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that can be deployed instantly without review

Use Cloud Build when you add a new plugin or change native configurations. Use live updates for everything else. Together, they give you the fastest possible deployment workflow.

Current Status: Public Beta

Cloud Build is currently in public beta. We’re working with a select group of early adopters to refine the experience before opening it to everyone.

Interested in trying it out? Join our Discord and let us know - we’d love to have you as an early tester!

Getting Started

Ready to build without the hassle? Check out the Cloud Build documentation to learn more about:

Setting up credentials - iOS certificates and Android keystores
Getting started guide - Your first build in 5 minutes
iOS-specific setup - Certificates, provisioning profiles, and App Store Connect
Android-specific setup - Keystores and Play Store configuration
CI/CD integration - Automate builds in your pipeline
Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

What’s Next?

We’re actively working on:

Faster iOS builds: Caching dependencies across builds to reduce build times
Build artifacts storage: Optional download of IPA/APK files for manual distribution
Custom build scripts: Support for pre/post-build hooks and custom Fastlane lanes
Build logs history: Optional log storage for debugging and audit trails

We’re building Capgo Cloud Build to be the simplest, most developer-friendly way to build native mobile apps. If you have feedback or feature requests, we’d love to hear from you in our Discord community.

Happy building!