No Local Mac Required for iOS
Build and ship iOS apps without owning Mac hardware. Anyone on Windows, Linux, or any CI/CD system can trigger iOS builds and publish to TestFlight.
Introduction to Capgo Build
Copy a setup prompt with the install steps and the full markdown guide for this plugin.
Capgo Build is a cloud-based native app compilation service for Capacitor apps. It lets you build iOS and Android apps without maintaining local development environments - no Xcode, no Android Studio, no Mac hardware required on your own machine.
What Capgo Build Does
Section titled “What Capgo Build Does”Capgo Build compiles the native parts of your Capacitor app in the cloud:
- iOS builds run on dedicated Mac Mini Silicon M4 machines
- Android builds run on the same Mac Mini Silicon M4 build fleet with Android Studio 2025 available
- Automatic code signing handles certificates, provisioning profiles, and keystores
- Direct store submission uploads signed apps to App Store Connect and Google Play
You trigger builds with a single CLI command that works from anywhere - your local machine, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or any CI/CD pipeline.
Build Machines and Toolchain
Section titled “Build Machines and Toolchain”Capgo Build runs native jobs on dedicated Mac Mini Silicon M4 machines:
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Machine | Mac Mini Silicon M4 |
| CPU | 10-core M4 CPU (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores) |
| GPU | 10-core GPU |
| Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine |
| Memory | 16GB of RAM |
| OS image | macOS Tahoe 26.2 |
The build image supports Xcode 26.2, Android Studio 2025, and .NET 9/.NET 10 SDK workloads for native build pipelines.
When to Use Capgo Build vs Live Updates
Section titled “When to Use Capgo Build vs Live Updates”Capgo offers two complementary features for updating your app. Here’s when to use each:
| Scenario | Live Updates | Capgo Build |
|---|---|---|
| Bug fix in JavaScript/TypeScript code | ✓ | |
| UI changes (HTML, CSS, images) | ✓ | |
| Updating web dependencies | ✓ | |
| Adding or removing a Capacitor plugin | ✓ | |
| Updating a native SDK version | ✓ | |
| Changing native permissions (Info.plist, AndroidManifest) | ✓ | |
| Updating Capacitor version | ✓ | |
| Modifying native code (Swift, Kotlin, Java) | ✓ | |
| Changing app icon or splash screen | ✓ | |
| First app store submission | ✓ |
Why Use Capgo Build
Section titled “Why Use Capgo Build”Skip Local Environment Setup
No need to install Xcode, Android Studio, or manage SDK versions. Capgo Build handles all native tooling - you just run the CLI command.
Centralized Credentials
Store your certificates and keystores in your CI/CD secrets once. Any team member can trigger builds without needing signing credentials on their local machine.
Works With Any CI/CD
A single CLI command integrates with any pipeline. GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins - trigger builds as part of your existing workflow.
Real-Time Build Logs
Watch your build progress live in your terminal. Logs stream via Server-Sent Events so you can debug issues instantly as they happen.
Direct Store Submission
Signed apps upload directly to App Store Connect and Google Play. No manual steps between build completion and store submission.
How It Works
Section titled “How It Works”When you run the build command:
- Upload - The CLI zips only what’s needed (native platform folder + native dependencies) and uploads to secure cloud storage
- Build - Your app compiles on dedicated infrastructure using Fastlane
- Sign - Certificates and keystores are applied (they exist only in memory during the build)
- Submit - Signed apps are uploaded directly to App Store Connect or Google Play
- Cleanup - All build artifacts and credentials are automatically deleted
Your source code stays on your machine. Only the platform-specific native code is uploaded.
Security Model
Section titled “Security Model”Capgo Build is designed with zero credential storage:
- Runtime-only credentials - Certificates and keystores are never stored in Capgo. They are uploaded and removed immediately after the build finishes.
- Ephemeral environments - Each build runs in isolation and is destroyed after completion
- No log storage - Build logs stream to your terminal only, never stored on Capgo servers
- Minimal upload - Only the native platform you request is uploaded, not your full codebase. See exactly what gets uploaded
Pricing
Section titled “Pricing”Build time is the only cost:
- Build minutes are included in your Capgo plan
- Extra minutes available via credit system
- Builds run on Mac Mini Silicon M4 machines with the native toolchains already installed
- No storage fees
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps” Getting Started Create your first build and see Capgo Build in action.
Credentials Setup Configure certificates for iOS and keystores for Android.
iOS Builds Complete guide to building and submitting iOS apps.
Android Builds Complete guide to building and submitting Android apps.