Terminal.skills
Skills/capacitor
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capacitor

Turn web apps into native mobile apps with Capacitor — access native device APIs from JavaScript. Use when someone asks to "convert my website to a mobile app", "Capacitor", "web to native app", "access camera from JavaScript", "deploy web app to App Store", "hybrid mobile app", or "Ionic Capacitor". Covers native API access, plugin system, web-to-native bridge, and app store deployment.

#mobile#capacitor#hybrid#native#ios
terminal-skillsv1.0.0
Works with:claude-codeopenai-codexgemini-clicursor
Source

Usage

$
✓ Installed capacitor v1.0.0

Getting Started

  1. Install the skill using the command above
  2. Open your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Cursor)
  3. Reference the skill in your prompt
  4. The AI will use the skill's capabilities automatically

Example Prompts

  • "Review the open pull requests and summarize what needs attention"
  • "Generate a changelog from the last 20 commits on the main branch"

Documentation

Overview

Capacitor wraps your web app in a native container and gives it access to native device APIs — camera, file system, push notifications, biometrics, geolocation, and more. Your existing React/Vue/Angular/Svelte app becomes an iOS and Android app without rewriting in Swift or Kotlin. Built by the Ionic team, it's the modern replacement for Cordova/PhoneGap.

When to Use

  • Have a web app and want native iOS/Android versions
  • Need native device features (camera, push notifications, biometrics)
  • Want one codebase for web + iOS + Android
  • Converting a PWA to a native app for App Store distribution
  • Team knows web tech but not Swift/Kotlin

Instructions

Setup

bash
npm install @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
npx cap init "My App" com.mycompany.myapp

# Add platforms
npm install @capacitor/ios @capacitor/android
npx cap add ios
npx cap add android

Build and Run

bash
# Build your web app first
npm run build

# Copy web assets to native projects
npx cap sync

# Open in native IDE
npx cap open ios      # Opens Xcode
npx cap open android  # Opens Android Studio

# Or run directly
npx cap run ios --target "iPhone 15"
npx cap run android

Native Plugins

bash
# Install plugins
npm install @capacitor/camera @capacitor/filesystem @capacitor/push-notifications
npm install @capacitor/haptics @capacitor/share @capacitor/browser
npx cap sync
typescript
// src/native/camera.ts — Access the device camera
import { Camera, CameraResultType, CameraSource } from "@capacitor/camera";

async function takePhoto(): Promise<string> {
  const photo = await Camera.getPhoto({
    quality: 80,
    allowEditing: false,
    resultType: CameraResultType.Uri,
    source: CameraSource.Camera,
  });
  return photo.webPath!;  // File URI to display in <img>
}

async function pickFromGallery(): Promise<string[]> {
  const photos = await Camera.pickImages({
    quality: 80,
    limit: 5,
  });
  return photos.photos.map((p) => p.webPath!);
}
typescript
// src/native/notifications.ts — Push notifications
import { PushNotifications } from "@capacitor/push-notifications";

async function registerPush() {
  const permission = await PushNotifications.requestPermissions();
  if (permission.receive === "granted") {
    await PushNotifications.register();
  }

  PushNotifications.addListener("registration", (token) => {
    console.log("FCM Token:", token.value);
    // Send token to your server
  });

  PushNotifications.addListener("pushNotificationReceived", (notification) => {
    console.log("Received:", notification.title, notification.body);
  });
}
typescript
// src/native/filesystem.ts — File system access
import { Filesystem, Directory } from "@capacitor/filesystem";

async function saveFile(data: string, filename: string) {
  await Filesystem.writeFile({
    path: filename,
    data: data,
    directory: Directory.Documents,
  });
}

async function readFile(filename: string): Promise<string> {
  const result = await Filesystem.readFile({
    path: filename,
    directory: Directory.Documents,
  });
  return result.data as string;
}

Platform Detection

typescript
// src/utils/platform.ts — Adapt behavior per platform
import { Capacitor } from "@capacitor/core";

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

// Use native features when available, fallback to web
async function share(text: string) {
  if (isNative) {
    const { Share } = await import("@capacitor/share");
    await Share.share({ text });
  } else {
    navigator.share?.({ text }) ?? navigator.clipboard.writeText(text);
  }
}

Examples

Example 1: Convert a React app to mobile

User prompt: "I have a React web app. Make it available on iOS and Android."

The agent will add Capacitor, configure native projects, add platform detection for native features, and prepare for App Store/Play Store submission.

Example 2: Add camera and file upload

User prompt: "Add photo capture and file upload to my mobile web app."

The agent will install Capacitor camera and filesystem plugins, create a photo capture component with gallery fallback, and implement file upload.

Guidelines

  • npx cap sync after every web build — copies assets to native projects
  • npx cap run for testing — faster than opening IDE each time
  • Platform detectionCapacitor.isNativePlatform() for conditional native features
  • Plugins are web-compatible — most plugins have web fallbacks
  • Live reload for developmentnpx cap run ios --livereload
  • Custom native code — write Swift/Kotlin plugins when needed
  • App Store deployment — Xcode for iOS, Android Studio for Android
  • capacitor.config.ts — configure server URL, plugins, app info
  • Permissions in native config — camera, location, etc. need Info.plist/AndroidManifest entries
  • Not for gaming — great for content apps, tools, dashboards; use Unity/Flutter for games

Information

Version
1.0.0
Author
terminal-skills
Category
Development
License
Apache-2.0