Getting Started

Installation

npm

bun add @capgo/capacitor-updater
bunx cap sync

yarn

yarn add @capgo/capacitor-updater
bunx cap sync

pnpm

pnpm add @capgo/capacitor-updater
bunx cap sync

bun

bun add @capgo/capacitor-updater
bunx cap sync

Quick Start

For most users, we recommend following the main Quickstart guide which covers both the plugin installation and Capgo cloud integration.

This getting-started guide focuses on the technical plugin details for advanced users who want to understand the underlying mechanisms or implement self-hosted updates.

Overview

The Capacitor Updater plugin enables over-the-air (OTA) updates for your Capacitor applications. This allows you to push updates to your app without going through app store reviews.

How It Works

1. Bundle Download: The plugin downloads update bundles (ZIP files containing your web assets)
2. Extraction: Bundles are extracted to the device’s storage
3. Hot Reload: The app switches to the new bundle without requiring a restart
4. Fallback: If an update fails, the app reverts to the previous working version

Usage Modes

1. Auto-Update Mode (Recommended)

The simplest way to use the plugin with automatic update management:

import { CapacitorUpdater } from '@capgo/capacitor-updater';

// Plugin handles everything automatically
// Configure in capacitor.config.ts

Add to your capacitor.config.ts:

{
  plugins: {
    CapacitorUpdater: {
      autoUpdate: 'atBackground',
      updateUrl: 'https://your-update-server.com/api/updates'
    }
  }
}

2. Manual Mode

For advanced control over the update process:

import { CapacitorUpdater } from '@capgo/capacitor-updater';

// Download an update
const bundle = await CapacitorUpdater.download({
  url: 'https://your-server.com/updates/v1.0.1.zip',
  version: '1.0.1'
});

// Set the bundle (will be used on next app start)
await CapacitorUpdater.set({
  id: bundle.id
});

// Or reload immediately
await CapacitorUpdater.reload();

Platform Configuration

iOS

No additional configuration required. The plugin works out of the box.

Android

No additional configuration required. The plugin works out of the box.

Basic API Usage

Download an Update

import { CapacitorUpdater } from '@capgo/capacitor-updater';

const bundle = await CapacitorUpdater.download({
  url: 'https://example.com/update.zip',
  version: '1.0.1'
});

console.log('Downloaded bundle:', bundle.id);

Set Active Bundle

// Set bundle to be used on next app start
await CapacitorUpdater.set({
  id: bundle.id
});

Reload with New Bundle

// Reload app immediately with new bundle
await CapacitorUpdater.reload();

List Bundles

const { bundles } = await CapacitorUpdater.list();
console.log('Available bundles:', bundles);

Delete a Bundle

await CapacitorUpdater.delete({
  id: 'bundle-id'
});

Get Current Bundle

const { bundle } = await CapacitorUpdater.current();
console.log('Current bundle:', bundle.version);

Event Listeners

Listen for update events:

import { CapacitorUpdater } from '@capgo/capacitor-updater';

// Listen for download progress
CapacitorUpdater.addListener('download', (info) => {
  console.log('Download progress:', info.percent);
});

// Listen for download completion
CapacitorUpdater.addListener('downloadComplete', (bundle) => {
  console.log('Download complete:', bundle.version);
});

// Listen for update failures
CapacitorUpdater.addListener('updateFailed', (error) => {
  console.error('Update failed:', error);
});

// Listen for successful updates
CapacitorUpdater.addListener('updateAvailable', (info) => {
  console.log('Update available:', info.version);
});

Configuration Options

Configure the plugin in your capacitor.config.ts:

{
  plugins: {
    CapacitorUpdater: {
      // Auto-update settings
      autoUpdate: 'atBackground',
      updateUrl: 'https://api.example.com/updates',

      // Update behavior
      resetWhenUpdate: true,

      // Version settings
      version: '1.0.0',

      // Security
      allowModifyUrl: false,

      // Stats collection
      statsUrl: 'https://api.example.com/stats',

      // Channel (for Capgo cloud)
      defaultChannel: 'production'
    }
  }
}

Integration Patterns

With Capgo Cloud

The easiest way to get started:

// Install the Capgo CLI
bun add -g @capgo/cli

// Login to Capgo
npx @capgo/cli login

// Upload your first bundle
npx @capgo/cli bundle upload

// The plugin auto-updates from Capgo cloud

See the main Quickstart guide for details.

Self-Hosted Updates

Host your own update server:

// Configure your update endpoint
{
  plugins: {
    CapacitorUpdater: {
      autoUpdate: 'atBackground',
      updateUrl: 'https://your-server.com/api/check-update'
    }
  }
}

Your server should return:

{
  "version": "1.0.1",
  "url": "https://your-server.com/updates/1.0.1.zip"
}

See Self-Hosted Mode for complete details.

Manual Update Flow

Complete control over updates:

import { CapacitorUpdater } from '@capgo/capacitor-updater';

async function checkAndUpdate() {
  // Check for updates from your server
  const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/check-update');
  const { version, url } = await response.json();

  // Download the update
  const bundle = await CapacitorUpdater.download({
    url,
    version
  });

  // Notify bundle is ready
  await CapacitorUpdater.notifyAppReady();

  // Set as next version
  await CapacitorUpdater.set({ id: bundle.id });

  // Reload when ready
  await CapacitorUpdater.reload();
}

Best Practices

• Always call notifyAppReady() when your app successfully loads
• Test updates thoroughly before pushing to production
• Implement proper error handling for network failures
• Use version numbers consistently
• Keep bundle sizes small for faster downloads
• Monitor update success rates

Next Steps

• Plugin API Reference - Complete API documentation
• Plugin Settings - All configuration options
• Events - Available update events
• Self-Hosted Mode - Run your own update server
• Local Development - Test updates locally
• Debugging - Troubleshooting guide

Support

• Known Issues - Common problems and solutions
• GitHub Discussions - Community support
• Discord - Real-time chat

Keep going from Getting Started

If you are using Getting Started to plan native plugin work, connect it with Using @capgo/capacitor-updater for the native capability in Using @capgo/capacitor-updater, Capgo Plugin Directory for the product workflow in Capgo Plugin Directory, Capacitor Plugins by Capgo for the implementation detail in Capacitor Plugins by Capgo, Adding or Updating Plugins for the implementation detail in Adding or Updating Plugins, and Ionic Enterprise Plugin Alternatives for the product workflow in Ionic Enterprise Plugin Alternatives.