Native Functionality
Ionic provides access to native device features through Capacitor, a cross-platform app runtime that makes it easy to build native mobile apps using web technologies.
Overview
Capacitor is Ionic's official native runtime, allowing you to access native device features like the camera, geolocation, file system, and more. It provides a consistent API across iOS, Android, and the web.
Core Concepts
Plugins
Capacitor plugins provide access to native device features. Ionic maintains a set of official plugins, and the community provides many more.
Official Plugins
- Camera: Take photos and videos
- Geolocation: Get device location
- Filesystem: Read and write files
- Storage: Key-value storage
- Network: Network status and information
- App: App lifecycle and state
- Keyboard: Keyboard visibility and events
- Status Bar: Status bar appearance
- Splash Screen: Splash screen control
- Haptics: Haptic feedback
Community Plugins
The Capacitor community provides hundreds of plugins for various native features. Browse the Capacitor Plugin Directory to find plugins for your needs.
Getting Started
To use native functionality in your Ionic app:
- Install Capacitor in your project
- Install the plugins you need
- Use the plugin APIs in your code
Platform Support
Capacitor plugins work on:
- iOS: Full support
- Android: Full support
- Web: Limited support (many plugins provide web fallbacks)