We just published a guide that walks through how to set up a complete app update strategy for Capacitor apps.
The idea is to combine two approaches:
- Native app updates using the App Update plugin — check if a new version is available in the Play Store or App Store and prompt users to update. On Android, this supports both immediate and flexible in-app update flows. On iOS, it redirects users to the App Store.
- OTA live updates using the Live Update plugin — push web layer changes (HTML, CSS, JS) directly to users’ devices without going through an app store review.
The guide also covers how to set up:
- Background auto-updates that download and stage bundles silently
- Versioned channels so each native version only receives compatible live updates
- Automatic rollback protection to guard against broken updates
By combining both plugins, native changes go through the store as usual, while web layer updates are delivered instantly. Users always end up on the latest version either way
