Framework to Capacitor Integration

Comprehensive guide for integrating web frameworks with Capacitor to build mobile apps.

When to Use This Skill

Converting a Next.js app to a mobile app
Integrating React, Vue, Angular, or Svelte with Capacitor
Configuring static exports for Capacitor
Setting up routing for mobile apps
Optimizing framework builds for native platforms

Framework Support Matrix

Framework	Static Export	SSR Support	Recommended Approach
Next.js	✅ Yes	❌ No	Static export (output: 'export')
React	✅ Yes	N/A	Create React App or Vite
Vue	✅ Yes	❌ No	Vite or Vue CLI
Angular	✅ Yes	❌ No	Angular CLI
Svelte	✅ Yes	❌ No	SvelteKit with adapter-static
Remix	✅ Yes	❌ No	SPA mode
Solid	✅ Yes	❌ No	Vite
Qwik	✅ Yes	❌ No	Static site mode

CRITICAL: Capacitor requires static HTML/CSS/JS files. SSR (Server-Side Rendering) does not work in native apps.

Next.js + Capacitor

Next.js is popular for React apps. Capacitor requires static export.

Step 1: Create or Update next.config.js

For Next.js 13+ (App Router):

// next.config.js
/** @type {import('next').NextConfig} */
const nextConfig = {
  output: 'export',
  images: {
    unoptimized: true, // Required for static export
  },
  trailingSlash: true, // Helps with routing on mobile
};

module.exports = nextConfig;

For Next.js 12 (Pages Router):

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  output: 'export',
  images: {
    unoptimized: true,
  },
  trailingSlash: true,
};

Step 2: Build Static Files

bun run build

This creates an out/ directory with static files.

Step 3: Install Capacitor

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

Configuration:

App name: Your app name
App ID: com.company.app
Web directory: out (Next.js static export output)

Step 4: Configure Capacitor

Create capacitor.config.ts:

import type { CapacitorConfig } from '@capacitor/cli';

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'out', // Next.js static export directory
  server: {
    androidScheme: 'https',
  },
};

export default config;

Step 5: Add Platforms

bun add @capacitor/ios @capacitor/android
bunx cap add ios
bunx cap add android

Step 6: Build and Sync

# Build Next.js
bun run build

# Sync with native projects
bunx cap sync

Step 7: Run on Device

iOS:

bunx cap open ios
# Build and run in Xcode

Android:

bunx cap open android
# Build and run in Android Studio

Next.js Routing Considerations

Use hash routing for complex apps:

// next.config.js
const nextConfig = {
  output: 'export',
  basePath: '',
  assetPrefix: '',
};

Or use Next.js's built-in routing (works with trailingSlash: true).

Next.js Image Optimization

next/image doesn't work with static export. Use alternatives:

Option 1: Use standard img tag

// Instead of next/image
<img src="/images/photo.jpg" alt="Photo" />

Option 2: Use a custom Image component

// components/CapacitorImage.tsx
import { Capacitor } from '@capacitor/core';

export const CapacitorImage = ({ src, alt, ...props }) => {
  const isNative = Capacitor.isNativePlatform();
  const imageSrc = isNative ? src : src;
  
  return <img src={imageSrc} alt={alt} {...props} />;
};

Next.js API Routes

API routes don't work in static export. Use alternatives:

External API: Call a separate backend
Capacitor plugins: Use native features
Local storage: Use @capacitor/preferences

import { Preferences } from '@capacitor/preferences';

// Save data
await Preferences.set({
  key: 'user',
  value: JSON.stringify(userData),
});

// Load data
const { value } = await Preferences.get({ key: 'user' });
const userData = JSON.parse(value || '{}');

Next.js Middleware

Middleware doesn't work in static export. Handle logic client-side:

// In your React components
import { useEffect } from 'react';
import { useRouter } from 'next/router';

export default function ProtectedPage() {
  const router = useRouter();

  useEffect(() => {
    const checkAuth = async () => {
      const { value } = await Preferences.get({ key: 'token' });
      if (!value) {
        router.push('/login');
      }
    };
    checkAuth();
  }, []);

  return <div>Protected content</div>;
}

Complete Next.js + Capacitor Example

package.json:

{
  "name": "my-capacitor-app",
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "next dev",
    "build": "next build",
    "build:mobile": "next build && cap sync",
    "ios": "cap open ios",
    "android": "cap open android"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "next": "^14.0.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "@capacitor/core": "^6.0.0",
    "@capacitor/ios": "^6.0.0",
    "@capacitor/android": "^6.0.0",
    "@capacitor/camera": "^6.0.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@capacitor/cli": "^6.0.0",
    "typescript": "^5.0.0"
  }
}

React + Capacitor

React works great with Capacitor using Vite or Create React App.

Option 1: Vite (Recommended)

Create new project:

bun create vite my-app --template react-ts
cd my-app
bun install

Install Capacitor:

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

Configure vite.config.ts:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    outDir: 'dist', // Capacitor webDir
  },
});

capacitor.config.ts:

import type { CapacitorConfig } from '@capacitor/cli';

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'dist',
};

export default config;

Add platforms and build:

bun add @capacitor/ios @capacitor/android
bunx cap add ios
bunx cap add android
bun run build
bunx cap sync

Option 2: Create React App

Create new project:

bunx create-react-app my-app --template typescript
cd my-app

Install Capacitor:

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

capacitor.config.ts:

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'build', // CRA outputs to build/
};

Build and sync:

bun run build
bunx cap sync

React Router Configuration

Use HashRouter for mobile:

import { HashRouter as Router, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';

function App() {
  return (
    <Router>
      <Routes>
        <Route path="/" element={<Home />} />
        <Route path="/about" element={<About />} />
      </Routes>
    </Router>
  );
}

Vue + Capacitor

Vue works seamlessly with Capacitor.

Create Vue + Capacitor Project

Using Vite:

bun create vite my-app --template vue-ts
cd my-app
bun install

Install Capacitor:

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

vite.config.ts:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [vue()],
  build: {
    outDir: 'dist',
  },
});

capacitor.config.ts:

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'dist',
};

Add platforms:

bun add @capacitor/ios @capacitor/android
bunx cap add ios
bunx cap add android
bun run build
bunx cap sync

Vue Router Configuration

Use hash mode for mobile:

// router/index.ts
import { createRouter, createWebHashHistory } from 'vue-router';

const router = createRouter({
  history: createWebHashHistory(),
  routes: [
    { path: '/', component: Home },
    { path: '/about', component: About },
  ],
});

export default router;

Angular + Capacitor

Angular has excellent Capacitor integration.

Create Angular + Capacitor Project

Create Angular app:

bunx @angular/cli new my-app
cd my-app

Install Capacitor:

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

capacitor.config.ts:

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'dist/my-app/browser', // Angular 17+ output
};

For Angular 16 and below:

webDir: 'dist/my-app',

Add platforms:

bun add @capacitor/ios @capacitor/android
bunx cap add ios
bunx cap add android
bun run build
bunx cap sync

Angular Router Configuration

HashLocationStrategy for mobile:

// app.config.ts (Angular 17+)
import { provideRouter, withHashLocation } from '@angular/router';

export const appConfig: ApplicationConfig = {
  providers: [
    provideRouter(routes, withHashLocation()),
  ],
};

For Angular 16 and below:

// app.module.ts
import { LocationStrategy, HashLocationStrategy } from '@angular/common';

@NgModule({
  providers: [
    { provide: LocationStrategy, useClass: HashLocationStrategy }
  ],
})
export class AppModule {}

Svelte + Capacitor

Svelte and SvelteKit work great with Capacitor.

SvelteKit + Capacitor

Create SvelteKit app:

bunx create-svelte my-app
cd my-app
bun install

Install adapter-static:

bun add -D @sveltejs/adapter-static

Configure svelte.config.js:

import adapter from '@sveltejs/adapter-static';

const config = {
  kit: {
    adapter: adapter({
      pages: 'build',
      assets: 'build',
      fallback: 'index.html',
    }),
  },
};

export default config;

Install Capacitor:

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

capacitor.config.ts:

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'build',
};

Build and sync:

bun run build
bunx cap sync

Vite + Svelte (Simpler Option)

Create with Vite:

bun create vite my-app --template svelte-ts
cd my-app
bun install

Install Capacitor:

bun add @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
bunx cap init

capacitor.config.ts:

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  appId: 'com.company.app',
  appName: 'My App',
  webDir: 'dist',
};

Common Patterns Across Frameworks

1. Environment Detection

Detect if running in native app:

import { Capacitor } from '@capacitor/core';

const isNative = Capacitor.isNativePlatform();
const platform = Capacitor.getPlatform(); // 'ios', 'android', or 'web'

if (isNative) {
  // Use native plugins
} else {
  // Use web APIs
}

2. Deep Linking

Handle deep links in your app:

import { App } from '@capacitor/app';

App.addListener('appUrlOpen', (data) => {
  // Handle deep link
  const slug = data.url.split('.app').pop();
  // Navigate to route
});

3. Live Updates with Capgo

Add live updates to any framework:

bun add @capgo/capacitor-updater

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

// Check for updates
const { id } = await CapacitorUpdater.download({
  url: 'https://api.capgo.app/updates',
});

// Apply update
await CapacitorUpdater.set({ id });

4. Native UI Components

Use Ionic Framework for any framework:

bun add @ionic/core

React:

bun add @ionic/react @ionic/react-router

Vue:

bun add @ionic/vue @ionic/vue-router

Angular:

bun add @ionic/angular

5. Storage

Use Capacitor Preferences for all frameworks:

import { Preferences } from '@capacitor/preferences';

// Set value
await Preferences.set({ key: 'theme', value: 'dark' });

// Get value
const { value } = await Preferences.get({ key: 'theme' });

// Remove value
await Preferences.remove({ key: 'theme' });

// Clear all
await Preferences.clear();

6. Camera Access

Same API across all frameworks:

import { Camera, CameraResultType } from '@capacitor/camera';

const photo = await Camera.getPhoto({
  quality: 90,
  allowEditing: true,
  resultType: CameraResultType.Uri,
});

const imageUrl = photo.webPath;

Build Scripts for All Frameworks

Add these to package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "vite", // or next dev, ng serve, etc.
    "build": "vite build", // or next build, ng build, etc.
    "build:mobile": "vite build && cap sync",
    "ios": "cap run ios",
    "android": "cap run android",
    "sync": "cap sync"
  }
}

Routing Best Practices

Hash vs. History Mode

Hash mode (recommended for mobile):

Works without server configuration
URLs look like: #/about
No server-side routing needed

History mode (requires server):

Clean URLs: /about
Requires server fallback to index.html
Can have issues on mobile

Recommendation: Use hash mode for Capacitor apps.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Blank Screen on Mobile

Cause: Incorrect webDir or build output.

Solution:

Check build output directory matches webDir in capacitor.config.ts
Rebuild: bun run build
Sync: bunx cap sync
Check browser console in device

Issue: Routing Doesn't Work

Cause: Using history mode without proper configuration.

Solution: Switch to hash routing:

React: HashRouter
Vue: createWebHashHistory()
Angular: HashLocationStrategy
SvelteKit: Configure fallback

Issue: Environment Variables Not Working

Cause: Build-time variables not being replaced.

Solution: Use framework-specific env variable patterns:

Next.js: NEXT_PUBLIC_
Vite: VITE_
Create React App: REACT_APP_
Angular: environment.ts

Issue: API Calls Fail on Device

Cause: CORS or localhost URLs.

Solution:

Use production API URLs
Configure CORS on backend
Use Capacitor HTTP plugin for native requests:

import { CapacitorHttp } from '@capacitor/core';

const response = await CapacitorHttp.get({
  url: 'https://api.example.com/data',
});

Framework-Specific Plugins

Ionic Framework provides native UI components:

@ionic/react - React components
@ionic/vue - Vue components
@ionic/angular - Angular components

Konsta UI for Tailwind CSS:

Works with React, Vue, Svelte
iOS and Material Design themes

See ionic-design and konsta-ui skills for details.

Deployment Checklist

Resources

Capacitor Docs: https://capacitorjs.com/docs
Next.js Static Export: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/deploying/static-exports
Ionic Framework: https://ionicframework.com
Capgo Blog: https://capgo.app/blog
Community Forum: https://forum.ionicframework.com

Framework-Specific Guides

For detailed guides on specific frameworks:

Next.js + Capacitor: https://capgo.app/blog/how-to-use-capacitor-with-nextjs
Ionic Framework: See ionic-design skill
Konsta UI: See konsta-ui skill

Next Steps

Choose your framework and follow the setup above
Configure static export/build
Install and configure Capacitor
Add platforms (iOS/Android)
Build and sync
Test on devices
Add native features with plugins
Set up live updates with Capgo