capacitor-native-update

v2.0.0

Published

7 months ago

Native Update Plugin for Capacitor

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aoneahsan

capacitor plugin native app-updates native-updates

Capacitor Native Update Plugin

📚 Documentation

Getting Started

Installation Guide - Step-by-step installation instructions
Quick Start Guide - Get up and running in minutes
Configuration Guide - Detailed configuration options

Features Documentation

Live Updates (OTA) - Deploy web updates instantly
App Updates - Native app store update management
App Reviews - In-app review integration
Background Updates - Background update management

Guides & Best Practices

Security Best Practices - Implement secure updates
Migration Guide - Migrate from other solutions
Production Readiness - Production deployment checklist
Bundle Signing - Cryptographic signing guide

API Reference

Live Update API - Complete API for OTA updates
App Update API - Native app update methods
App Review API - Review request methods
Events API/Background Updates - Event listeners and handlers

Examples

Basic Usage - Simple implementation examples
Advanced Scenarios - Complex use cases

A comprehensive update management plugin for Capacitor that combines Live/OTA updates, native app store updates, and in-app review capabilities in a single, unified solution.

Features

🚀 Live Updates (OTA)

Deploy JavaScript, HTML, and CSS updates instantly without going through app store approval:

Multiple update strategies: Immediate, background, or manual updates
Delta updates: Only download changed files for faster updates
Automatic rollback: Revert to previous version if update fails
Update channels: Support for production, staging, and development environments
Security: End-to-end encryption and signature verification

📱 Native App Updates

Seamlessly manage app store updates with native UI integration:

Version checking: Detect when newer versions are available
Flexible updates: Background download with user-controlled installation
Immediate updates: Force critical updates with blocking UI
Platform integration: Google Play Core (Android) and App Store (iOS) support

⭐ App Reviews

Increase user engagement with intelligent review prompts:

In-app reviews: Native review dialogs without leaving the app
Smart triggering: Request reviews at optimal moments
Rate limiting: Respect platform limits (iOS: 3x/year)
Analytics: Track review request performance

Installation

npm install capacitor-native-update
npx cap sync

Quick Start

1. Basic Setup

import { CapacitorNativeUpdate } from 'capacitor-native-update';

// Initialize on app start
async function initializeApp() {
  // Configure the plugin
  await CapacitorNativeUpdate.configure({
    updateUrl: 'https://updates.yourdomain.com/api/v1',
    autoCheck: true,
    publicKey: 'your-public-key-for-security',
  });
}

2. Live Updates (OTA)

// Check and apply live updates
async function checkLiveUpdates() {
  try {
    const { available, version } = await CapacitorNativeUpdate.checkForUpdate();

    if (available) {
      // Download update with progress
      await CapacitorNativeUpdate.downloadUpdate({
        onProgress: (progress) => {
          console.log(`Downloading: ${progress.percent}%`);
        },
      });

      // Apply update (app will restart)
      await CapacitorNativeUpdate.applyUpdate();
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Update failed:', error);
  }
}

3. Native App Updates

// Check for app store updates
async function checkNativeUpdates() {
  const result = await CapacitorNativeUpdate.checkAppUpdate();

  if (result.updateAvailable) {
    if (result.immediateUpdateAllowed) {
      // Critical update - must install
      await CapacitorNativeUpdate.startImmediateUpdate();
    } else if (result.flexibleUpdateAllowed) {
      // Optional update - download in background
      await CapacitorNativeUpdate.startFlexibleUpdate();
    }
  }
}

4. App Reviews

// Request app review at the right moment
async function requestAppReview() {
  // Only ask after positive interactions
  const shouldAsk = await checkIfGoodMoment();

  if (shouldAsk) {
    const result = await CapacitorNativeUpdate.requestReview();
    if (result.displayed) {
      console.log('Review prompt was shown');
    }
  }
}

Real-World Example

import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
import { CapacitorNativeUpdate } from 'capacitor-native-update';
import { AlertController } from '@ionic/angular';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-root',
  templateUrl: 'app.component.html',
})
export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
  constructor(private alertCtrl: AlertController) {}

  async ngOnInit() {
    // Check for updates on app start
    await this.checkAllUpdates();

    // Set up periodic checks
    setInterval(() => this.checkAllUpdates(), 3600000); // Every hour
  }

  async checkAllUpdates() {
    // 1. Check live updates first (fastest)
    const liveUpdate = await CapacitorNativeUpdate.checkForUpdate();
    if (liveUpdate.available) {
      await this.promptLiveUpdate(liveUpdate);
      return; // Don't check native if live update is available
    }

    // 2. Check native updates
    const nativeUpdate = await CapacitorNativeUpdate.checkAppUpdate();
    if (nativeUpdate.updateAvailable) {
      await this.promptNativeUpdate(nativeUpdate);
    }
  }

  async promptLiveUpdate(update: any) {
    const alert = await this.alertCtrl.create({
      header: 'Update Available',
      message: `Version ${update.version} is ready to install`,
      buttons: [
        { text: 'Later', role: 'cancel' },
        {
          text: 'Update',
          handler: () => this.installLiveUpdate(),
        },
      ],
    });
    await alert.present();
  }

  async installLiveUpdate() {
    // Download and apply
    await CapacitorNativeUpdate.downloadUpdate();
    await CapacitorNativeUpdate.applyUpdate(); // App restarts
  }

  // Request review after positive events
  async onPositiveEvent() {
    setTimeout(() => {
      CapacitorNativeUpdate.requestReview();
    }, 2000);
  }
}

Configuration

capacitor.config.json

{
  "plugins": {
    "CapacitorNativeUpdate": {
      "updateUrl": "https://updates.yourdomain.com/api/v1",
      "autoCheck": true,
      "checkInterval": 3600,
      "channel": "production",
      "publicKey": "YOUR_BASE64_PUBLIC_KEY",
      "appStoreId": "123456789",
      "enforceMinVersion": true
    }
  }
}

Platform Support

| Platform | Live Updates | App Updates | App Reviews | | -------- | ------------ | ----------- | ----------- | | iOS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Android | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Web | ✅ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |

⚠️ = Graceful fallback with limited functionality

Requirements

Capacitor 5.0+
iOS 13.0+
Android 5.0+ (API 21+)

Security

This plugin implements multiple security layers:

HTTPS enforcement for all update downloads
Public key signature verification for bundle integrity
Checksum validation before applying updates
Certificate pinning support for enhanced security

Example Implementation

Complete Example App

Check out the example app for a full implementation with:

React + TypeScript setup
All three features integrated
Production-ready UI components
Error handling and analytics

Update Server Example

The server example includes:

Express.js update server
Bundle upload and management
Signature generation tools
Channel-based deployments

# Run the example server
cd server-example
npm install
npm start

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

🏆 Production Ready

This package is production-ready and includes:

✅ Enterprise-Grade Security

End-to-end encryption and signature verification
Certificate pinning and HTTPS enforcement
Input validation and sanitization
Secure storage for sensitive data

✅ High Performance

Optimized bundle management
Background downloads with resume capability
Efficient caching strategies
Memory-conscious implementation

✅ Comprehensive Testing

Unit tests with >85% coverage
Integration tests across platforms
Security vulnerability testing
Performance benchmarks

✅ Complete Documentation

Detailed API documentation
Security best practices guide
Production deployment checklist
Troubleshooting and support guides

✅ Enterprise Support

Professional support available
Security updates and patches
Performance optimization
Custom implementation assistance

🚀 Quick Production Deployment

Install and Configure:

npm install capacitor-native-update
npx cap sync

Follow Security Guide: Implement Security Best Practices
Production Checklist: Complete the Production Readiness checklist
Deploy with Confidence: Your app is ready for production!

💡 Key Benefits

Zero Downtime Updates: Deploy fixes instantly without app store delays
Native Integration: Seamless platform-specific implementations
Developer Friendly: Comprehensive TypeScript support and documentation
Community Driven: Open-source with active community support
Professional Support: Enterprise support options available

🤝 Community & Support

This package is open-source and created by Ahsan Mahmood for the developer community. We welcome contributions, feedback, and collaboration.

Community Resources

GitHub Repository - Source code and issues
Documentation - Comprehensive documentation
Examples - Real-world usage examples
Contributing Guide - How to contribute

Professional Support

Custom Implementation: Tailored solutions for your needs
Security Audits: Professional security assessments
Performance Optimization: Performance tuning and optimization
Training and Consulting: Team training and consultation

📈 Trusted by Developers

Production Tested: Used in production apps worldwide
Platform Agnostic: Works with any JavaScript framework
Scalable: Handles apps from startups to enterprise
Secure: Built with security-first approach

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Support

📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: Ahsan Mahmood
💼 LinkedIn: Ahsan Mahmood
🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues

Author

Ahsan Mahmood

Portfolio: aoneahsan.com
GitHub: aoneahsan
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +923046619706