Getting Started

Copy a setup prompt with the install steps and the full markdown guide for this plugin.

        Set up this Capacitor plugin in the project.

Use the package manager already used by the project.
Install these package(s): `@capgo/capacitor-native-navigation`
Run the required Capacitor sync/update step after installation.
Read this markdown guide for the full setup steps: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Cap-go/website/refs/heads/main/apps/docs/src/content/docs/docs/plugins/native-navigation/getting-started.mdx
Use that guide for platform-specific steps, native file edits, permissions, config changes, imports, and usage setup.
If that guide references other docs pages, read them too.

Install the package

npm i @capgo/capacitor-native-navigation

Sync native projects
Terminal window
```
npx cap sync
```

Configure native chrome

import { NativeNavigation } from '@capgo/capacitor-native-navigation';

await NativeNavigation.configure({
  contentInsetMode: 'css',
  animationDuration: 360,
  colors: {
    tint: '#0f172a',
    inactiveTint: '#64748b',
  },
});

Render the native navbar

await NativeNavigation.setNavbar({
  title: 'Home',
  subtitle: 'Native chrome',
  transparent: true,
  backButton: { visible: false },
  rightItems: [
    {
      id: 'compose',
      title: 'Compose',
      icon: {
        svg: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><path d="M12 20h9"/><path d="M16.5 3.5a2.12 2.12 0 0 1 3 3L7 19l-4 1 1-4Z"/></svg>',
      },
    },
  ],
});

Render the native tabbar

await NativeNavigation.setTabbar({
  selectedId: 'home',
  labelVisibilityMode: 'selected',
  icons: true,
  colors: {
    dynamic: true,
    tint: '#0f172a',
    inactiveTint: '#64748b',
  },
  tabs: [
    {
      id: 'home',
      title: 'Home',
      icon: {
        svg: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><path d="M3 10.5 12 3l9 7.5"/><path d="M5 10v10h14V10"/></svg>',
      },
    },
    {
      id: 'settings',
      title: 'Settings',
      badge: '2',
      icon: {
        svg: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="3"/><path d="M12 2v3M12 19v3M2 12h3M19 12h3"/></svg>',
      },
    },
  ],
});

Handle native intent events

await NativeNavigation.addListener('navbarBack', () => {
  router.back();
});

await NativeNavigation.addListener('navbarItemTap', ({ id }) => {
  if (id === 'compose') router.push('/compose');
});

await NativeNavigation.addListener('tabSelect', ({ id }) => {
  router.push(`/${id}`);
});

Transition flow

Native transitions are a transaction around your normal JavaScript route change:

const transition = await NativeNavigation.beginTransition({
  direction: 'forward',
});

router.push('/detail');
await router.ready?.();

await NativeNavigation.setNavbar({
  title: 'Detail',
  backButton: { visible: true, title: 'Back' },
});

await NativeNavigation.finishTransition({
  id: transition.id,
  direction: 'forward',
});

Zoom transition

Use the zoom helpers for card-to-detail or media-preview flows. Pass the tapped element before your router changes content, then finish after the detail page is ready.

import { beginZoomTransition, finishZoomTransition } from '@capgo/capacitor-native-navigation';

const card = document.querySelector('[data-message-card]');
if (card) {
  const transition = await beginZoomTransition(card, { cornerRadius: 18 });

  router.push('/message/42');
  await router.ready?.();

  await NativeNavigation.setNavbar({
    title: 'Message',
    backButton: { visible: true, title: 'Inbox' },
  });

  await finishZoomTransition(undefined, {
    id: transition.id,
    cornerRadius: 18,
  });
}

Use with @capgo/capacitor-transitions

Use Native Navigation for the native navbar, tabbar, safe-area insets, and native intent events. Use @capgo/capacitor-transitions for the WebView page stack underneath the native chrome.

npm install @capgo/capacitor-native-navigation @capgo/capacitor-transitions
npx cap sync

Initialize both packages once:

import { NativeNavigation } from '@capgo/capacitor-native-navigation';
import '@capgo/capacitor-transitions';
import { initTransitions, setupRouterOutlet, setDirection } from '@capgo/capacitor-transitions/react';

initTransitions({ platform: 'auto' });

const outlet = document.querySelector('cap-router-outlet');
if (outlet) {
  setupRouterOutlet(outlet, { platform: 'auto', swipeGesture: 'auto' });
}

await NativeNavigation.configure({
  contentInsetMode: 'css',
});

Keep cap-router-outlet focused on pages, not duplicate web bars:

<cap-router-outlet platform="auto" swipe-gesture="auto">
  <cap-page>
    <cap-content slot="content" fullscreen>
      <main class="page">Inbox content</main>
    </cap-content>
  </cap-page>
</cap-router-outlet>

Drive both packages from the same router actions:

async function openMessage(id: string) {
  setDirection('forward');
  await router.push(`/messages/${id}`);
  await NativeNavigation.setNavbar({
    title: 'Message',
    backButton: { visible: true, title: 'Inbox' },
  });
}

await NativeNavigation.addListener('navbarBack', () => {
  setDirection('back');
  router.back();
});

await NativeNavigation.addListener('tabSelect', ({ id }) => {
  setDirection('root');
  router.push(`/${id}`);
});

Pick one animation layer per route change. Let @capgo/capacitor-transitions animate normal page pushes, and use Native Navigation’s zoom helpers only for shared-element or zoom routes.

CSS insets

With contentInsetMode: 'css', the plugin writes native bar dimensions to document.documentElement.

.page {
  padding-top: var(--cap-native-navigation-top);
  padding-bottom: var(--cap-native-navigation-bottom);
}

Available variables:

--cap-native-navigation-top
--cap-native-navigation-right
--cap-native-navigation-bottom
--cap-native-navigation-left
--cap-native-navbar-height
--cap-native-tabbar-height

Icon descriptors

Icons must be serializable because native UI renders them. You can use cross-platform SVG, platform-specific SVG, SF Symbols, bundled iOS images, Android drawable resources, or bundled Android images.

const icon = {
  svg: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M3 10.5 12 3l9 7.5"/></svg>',
  width: 24,
  height: 24,
  template: true,
  src: 'fallback_asset_name',
  ios: {
    svg: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M3 10.5 12 3l9 7.5"/></svg>',
    sfSymbol: 'house.fill',
    image: 'BundledAssetName',
  },
  android: {
    svg: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M3 10.5 12 3l9 7.5"/></svg>',
    resource: 'ic_menu_view',
    image: 'bundled_drawable_name',
  },
};

Inline SVG supports the icon-focused subset used by common icon sets such as Lucide and Feather: path, line, polyline, polygon, circle, and rect. SVG icons are rendered as template images by default, so native tint colors can recolor them.

Optional web components

The package can register custom elements for framework-agnostic declarative setup:

import { defineNativeNavigationElements } from '@capgo/capacitor-native-navigation';

defineNativeNavigationElements();

<cap-native-navigation-provider enabled="true" content-inset-mode="css"></cap-native-navigation-provider>

<cap-native-navbar
  title="Home"
  transparent
  right-items='[{"id":"compose","title":"Compose","icon":{"svg":"<svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12 20h9\"/></svg>"}}]'
></cap-native-navbar>

<cap-native-tabbar
  selected-id="home"
  tabs='[{"id":"home","title":"Home","icon":{"ios":{"sfSymbol":"house.fill"}}}]'
></cap-native-tabbar>

Platform notes

iOS renders UINavigationBar and UITabBar; iOS 26+ uses the system Liquid Glass bar behavior.
Android renders an AppCompat toolbar and Material bottom navigation.
Web fallback does not draw native bars. It mirrors events and inset variables for browser development.
The plugin keeps one full-screen Capacitor WebView. Native owns the frame, bars, safe-area reporting, and transition shell.

Keep going from Getting Started

If you are using Getting Started to plan native media and interface behavior, connect it with Using @capgo/capacitor-native-navigation for the native capability in Using @capgo/capacitor-native-navigation, Using @capgo/capacitor-live-activities for the native capability in Using @capgo/capacitor-live-activities, @capgo/capacitor-live-activities for the implementation detail in @capgo/capacitor-live-activities, Using @capgo/capacitor-video-player for the native capability in Using @capgo/capacitor-video-player, and @capgo/capacitor-video-player for the implementation detail in @capgo/capacitor-video-player.