This update covers two pieces of that work: the first Capacitor 9 alpha for early testing, and improved compatibility for Cordova plugins adopting Swift Package Manager through Cordova iOS 8.

Ionic is a popular open-source framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. With Ionic, developers can create high-performance mobile apps that run seamlessly on iOS, Android, and the web, leveraging a single codebase. Through tutorials, documentation, and community forums, Ionic empowers developers to build feature-rich mobile apps with native-like user experiences, access to device features, and robust performance.

Ionic Blog

Capacitor 9 Alpha 1 is now available for testing. The headline change is that Cordova support is now optional — it's no longer bundled into the Capacitor runtime by default, reducing native code and startup overhead for apps that don't use Cordova plugins. Testers are needed to validate three plugin configurations: Capacitor-only, mixed Capacitor and Cordova, and Cordova-only setups. Additionally, Capacitor 7 and 8 now support Cordova plugins that declare Swift Package Manager dependencies via the Cordova iOS 8 format, resolving them automatically in SPM-based iOS projects. Future Capacitor 9 work includes Scene UI support, new device form factor exploration, and AI-assisted tooling.

Capacitor 9 Starts Here

Capacitor 9 Alpha 1 is out — and we need testers!

Cordova plugin SPM dependencies now resolve in Capacitor