# capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8

Walks a Capacitor 7 app through the move to 8: npx cap migrate first, then the manual iOS and Android checklist.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 704 installs · ★ 73
- Author: Cap-go
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/Cap-go/capgo-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-17
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8

## What it does

The skill kicks in when `@capacitor/core` sits at 7.x and you want 8.x. It reads the Capacitor packages in `package.json` and shows the current versions. Then it runs the automated part: `npm i -D @capacitor/cli@latest` followed by `npx cap migrate`. That command bumps packages to `^8.0.0`, raises the iOS deployment target and Podfile to 15.0, adds `density` to `configChanges`, upgrades the Gradle wrapper and logs the breaking changes. Whatever it reports as failed is on you to finish.

The manual pass covers the rest. `android.adjustMarginsForEdgeToEdge` is gone from `capacitor.config.*`; insets move to the System Bars plugin and CSS `env(safe-area-inset-*)`. On iOS `appendUserAgent` no longer adds two extra spaces, so if a server parses the old User-Agent you add a leading space back yourself. Any `bridge_layout_main` reference becomes `capacitor_bridge_layout_main`. Android and plugin details live in separate reference files the skill loads only when that topic comes up.

Check your toolchain before starting: Node.js 22+, Xcode 26.0+, Android Studio Otter 2025.2.1+, JDK 21, AGP 8.13.0, Gradle 8.14.3, Kotlin 2.2.20, minSdk 24, compileSdk and targetSdk 36. minSdk 24 and iOS 15.0 drop older devices, so tell whoever owns the app before you begin. The skill does not cover other major versions, plugin library upgrades, or non-Capacitor projects. Past 8.x it points to `capacitor-uiscene-migration` for Xcode 27 and to the v9 upgrade.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8 -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8 -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8 -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Cap-go/capgo-skills capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8 -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Cap-go/capgo-skills --path skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Cap-go/capgo-skills --skill capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8 -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/Cap-go/capgo-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- move a Capacitor app from 7.x to 8.x without skipping steps
- fix content sliding under the Android status and navigation bars
- clear Gradle deprecation warnings about space-assignment syntax
- rename `bridge_layout_main` references after the file rename
- bring official plugins up to their v8 releases

## Example prompts
- Check which `@capacitor/core` version this project uses and upgrade it from 7 to 8
- After `npx cap migrate`, walk the manual Android and iOS checklist and show what is left
- Content sits under the navigation bar on Android — fix it with System Bars and `env(safe-area-inset-*)`

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: fbc9fe1c84770151.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE fbc9fe1c84770151
```text
---
name: capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8
description: Upgrades a Capacitor app from v7 to v8 using `npx cap migrate` from `@capacitor/cli@latest`, then the manual checklist - Node 22+, Xcode 26+, iOS deployment target 15.0, Android Studio Otter, AGP 8.13.0, Gradle 8.14.3, JDK 21, minSdk 24, compile/target SDK 36, Kotlin 2.2.20, Gradle `=` property assignment syntax, `density` in configChanges, removed `android.adjustMarginsForEdgeToEdge` (use the System Bars plugin and CSS env vars), `bridge_layout_main.xml` renamed, iOS `appendUserAgent` whitespace fix, and official plugin changes (Geolocation timeout, Screen Orientation/Barcode Scanner on Android 16 large screens). Use when `@capacitor/core` is 7.x and the target is 8.x. Points to the 8.5 UIScene adoption and v9 next steps. Do not use for other major versions, plugin library upgrades, or non-Capacitor apps.
allowed-tools:
  - Bash(node -e *)
---

# Capacitor App Upgrade v7 to v8

Move a Capacitor 7 app to Capacitor 8 (current stable line: 8.5.x). Source of truth: https://capacitorjs.com/docs/updating/8-0

## When to Use

- `@capacitor/core` in the snapshot below is `7.x` and the user wants `8.x`.
- After bumping to 8: content under the Android status/navigation bar (edge-to-edge), `bridge_layout_main` not found, Gradle "space-assignment syntax" deprecation warnings, Kotlin 2 `kotlinOptions` errors, or Geolocation timeouts.
- The user asks for the exact 7 -> 8 checklist.

Do not use:

- App on 6.x -> `capacitor-app-upgrade-v6-to-v7` first. Multi-hop planning -> `capacitor-app-upgrades`.
- App already on 8.x -> `capacitor-uiscene-migration` (8.5 scene lifecycle), then `capacitor-app-upgrade-v8-to-v9`.
- Plugin library upgrade -> `capacitor-plugin-upgrade-v7-to-v8`.
- CocoaPods to SPM -> `cocoapods-to-spm`.

## Live Project Snapshot

Current Capacitor packages from `package.json`:
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE fbc9fe1c84770151

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the fbc9fe1c84770151 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 1861 of 7976 bytes. © Cap-go · MIT · https://github.com/Cap-go/capgo-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/capacitor-app-upgrade-v7-to-v8/SKILL.md

_Part of the page did not fit — see the HTML version._

---
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