CocoaPods to Swift Package Manager Migration

Step-by-step guide for migrating Capacitor iOS projects from CocoaPods to Swift Package Manager.

When to Use This Skill

• User wants to migrate from CocoaPods to SPM
• User is setting up a new project with SPM
• User needs to add SPM dependencies to Capacitor
• User has CocoaPods issues and wants an alternative
• User wants faster builds (SPM often faster)

Why Migrate to SPM?

Aspect	CocoaPods	SPM
Build Speed	Slower	Faster
Apple Integration	Third-party	Native Xcode
Ruby Dependency	Required	None
Version Management	Podfile.lock	Package.resolved
Xcodeproj Changes	Modifies project	Uses workspace
Binary Caching	Limited	Built-in

Migration Process

Step 1: Analyze Current Dependencies

First, identify what you're currently using:

cd ios/App
cat Podfile
pod outdated

Common Capacitor pods to migrate:

# Podfile (before)
target 'App' do
  capacitor_pods
  pod 'Firebase/Analytics'
  pod 'Firebase/Messaging'
  pod 'Alamofire'
  pod 'KeychainAccess'
end

Step 2: Find SPM Equivalents

Most popular libraries support SPM. Use these URLs:

Library	SPM URL
Firebase	https://github.com/firebase/firebase-ios-sdk
Alamofire	https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire
KeychainAccess	https://github.com/kishikawakatsumi/KeychainAccess
SDWebImage	https://github.com/SDWebImage/SDWebImage
SnapKit	https://github.com/SnapKit/SnapKit
Realm	https://github.com/realm/realm-swift
Lottie	https://github.com/airbnb/lottie-spm

Step 3: Clean CocoaPods

cd ios/App

# Remove CocoaPods integration
pod deintegrate

# Remove Podfile.lock and Pods directory
rm -rf Podfile.lock Pods

# Remove workspace (we'll use project directly or create new workspace)
rm -rf App.xcworkspace

Step 4: Add SPM Dependencies in Xcode

1. Open ios/App/App.xcodeproj in Xcode
2. Select the project in navigator
3. Go to Package Dependencies tab
4. Click + to add package
5. Enter the package URL
6. Choose version rules
7. Select target App

Step 5: Update Podfile for Capacitor Core

Capacitor still needs CocoaPods for its core. Create minimal Podfile:

# ios/App/Podfile
require_relative '../../node_modules/@capacitor/ios/scripts/pods_helpers'

platform :ios, '14.0'
use_frameworks!

install! 'cocoapods', :disable_input_output_paths => true

def capacitor_pods
  pod 'Capacitor', :path => '../../node_modules/@capacitor/ios'
  pod 'CapacitorCordova', :path => '../../node_modules/@capacitor/ios'
end

target 'App' do
  capacitor_pods
  # Other plugin pods that don't support SPM yet
end

post_install do |installer|
  assertDeploymentTarget(installer)
end

Then run:

cd ios/App && pod install

Step 6: Configure Plugin for SPM Support

If you're creating a Capacitor plugin with SPM support:

Package.swift:

// swift-tools-version: 5.9
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
    name: "CapacitorNativeBiometric",
    platforms: [.iOS(.v14)],
    products: [
        .library(
            name: "CapacitorNativeBiometric",
            targets: ["NativeBiometricPlugin"]
        ),
    ],
    dependencies: [
        .package(url: "https://github.com/nicholasalx/capacitor-swift-pm", from: "6.0.0"),
    ],
    targets: [
        .target(
            name: "NativeBiometricPlugin",
            dependencies: [
                .product(name: "Capacitor", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"),
                .product(name: "Cordova", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"),
            ],
            path: "ios/Sources/NativeBiometricPlugin",
            publicHeadersPath: "include"
        ),
    ]
)

Step 7: Xcode Project Structure for SPM

ios/
├── App/
│   ├── App/
│   │   ├── AppDelegate.swift
│   │   ├── Info.plist
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── App.xcodeproj/
│   │   └── project.xcworkspace/
│   │       └── xcshareddata/
│   │           └── swiftpm/
│   │               └── Package.resolved  # SPM lock file
│   ├── Podfile
│   └── Podfile.lock
└── ...

Hybrid Approach (Recommended)

Most Capacitor projects work best with a hybrid approach:

Keep in CocoaPods:

• @capacitor/ios core
• Capacitor plugins without SPM support

Move to SPM:

• Firebase
• Third-party libraries
• Your own Swift packages

Example Hybrid Setup

Podfile:

require_relative '../../node_modules/@capacitor/ios/scripts/pods_helpers'

platform :ios, '14.0'
use_frameworks!

install! 'cocoapods', :disable_input_output_paths => true

def capacitor_pods
  pod 'Capacitor', :path => '../../node_modules/@capacitor/ios'
  pod 'CapacitorCordova', :path => '../../node_modules/@capacitor/ios'
  # Plugins without SPM support
  pod 'CapacitorCamera', :path => '../../node_modules/@capacitor/camera'
end

target 'App' do
  capacitor_pods
  # NO Firebase here - use SPM instead
end

Xcode Package Dependencies:

• Firebase iOS SDK
• Any other SPM-compatible libraries

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Duplicate Symbols

Cause: Same library in both CocoaPods and SPM

Solution: Remove from Podfile if using SPM

# Podfile - WRONG
pod 'Firebase/Analytics'  # Remove this

# Use SPM instead in Xcode

Issue: Module Not Found

Cause: SPM package not linked to target

Solution:

1. Xcode > Project > Targets > App
2. General > Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content
3. Add the SPM package product

Issue: Build Errors After Migration

Cause: Missing frameworks or wrong imports

Solution: Clean and rebuild

# Clean derived data
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData

# Clean build folder in Xcode
# Cmd + Shift + K

# Rebuild
bunx cap sync ios
cd ios/App && pod install

Issue: Capacitor Plugin Not Found

Cause: Plugin needs registration

Solution: Ensure plugin is registered in AppDelegate.swift:

import Capacitor
import YourPlugin

@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    func application(
        _ application: UIApplication,
        didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?
    ) -> Bool {
        // Capacitor handles plugin registration automatically
        return true
    }
}

Creating SPM-Compatible Capacitor Plugin

Directory Structure

my-capacitor-plugin/
├── Package.swift
├── ios/
│   └── Sources/
│       └── MyPlugin/
│           ├── MyPlugin.swift
│           ├── MyPlugin.m           # Objc bridge if needed
│           └── include/
│               └── MyPlugin.h       # Public headers
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts
│   ├── definitions.ts
│   └── web.ts
└── package.json

Package.swift Template

// swift-tools-version: 5.9
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
    name: "CapacitorMyPlugin",
    platforms: [.iOS(.v14)],
    products: [
        .library(
            name: "CapacitorMyPlugin",
            targets: ["MyPluginPlugin"]
        ),
    ],
    dependencies: [
        .package(url: "https://github.com/nicholasalx/capacitor-swift-pm", from: "6.0.0"),
    ],
    targets: [
        .target(
            name: "MyPluginPlugin",
            dependencies: [
                .product(name: "Capacitor", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"),
                .product(name: "Cordova", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"),
            ],
            path: "ios/Sources/MyPlugin"
        ),
    ]
)

Plugin Swift Code

import Foundation
import Capacitor

@objc(MyPlugin)
public class MyPlugin: CAPPlugin, CAPBridgedPlugin {
    public let identifier = "MyPlugin"
    public let jsName = "MyPlugin"
    public let pluginMethods: [CAPPluginMethod] = [
        CAPPluginMethod(name: "echo", returnType: CAPPluginReturnPromise),
    ]

    @objc func echo(_ call: CAPPluginCall) {
        let value = call.getString("value") ?? ""
        call.resolve(["value": value])
    }
}

Migration Checklist

• List all current CocoaPods dependencies
• Identify SPM equivalents for each
• Run pod deintegrate
• Add SPM packages in Xcode
• Create minimal Podfile for Capacitor core
• Run pod install
• Clean derived data
• Build and test
• Commit Package.resolved to git
• Update CI/CD scripts if needed

Resources

• Swift Package Manager Documentation: https://swift.org/package-manager
• Capacitor iOS Documentation: https://capacitorjs.com/docs/ios
• CocoaPods to SPM Migration: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/adding-package-dependencies-to-your-app