[Bug]: Capacitor 8 + Swift Package Manager: CapApp-SPM generated but plugin products are not exposed in Xcode

[zermenoeduardo06-sys]

Capacitor Version

💊 Capacitor Doctor 💊

Latest Dependencies:

@capacitor/cli: 8.0.2
@capacitor/core: 8.0.2
@capacitor/android: 8.0.2
@capacitor/ios: 8.0.2

Installed Dependencies:

@capacitor/cli: 8.0.0
@capacitor/core: 8.0.0
@capacitor/android: 8.0.0
@capacitor/ios: 8.0.0

[success] iOS looking great! 👌

Other API Details

npm --version output:
10.x

node --version output:
v20.x

pod --version output (iOS Cocoapods issues only):
Not applicable (this project explicitly uses Swift Package Manager, not CocoaPods)

Capacitor CLI:
@capacitor/cli 8.x

Capacitor iOS:
@capacitor/ios 8.x

Xcode:
Xcode 15.x

macOS:
macOS Sonoma

Additional details:
- iOS platform added using: npx cap add ios --packagemanager SPM
- CocoaPods is NOT installed or used
- CapApp-SPM/Package.swift is generated successfully
- Capacitor reports plugins found for iOS
- However, Xcode does not expose any plugin products from CapApp-SPM
- This blocks linking plugins to the App target entirely

Platforms Affected

• iOS
• Android
• Web

Current Behavior

After running npx cap add ios --packagemanager SPM:

1. CapApp-SPM should appear in Xcode's Package Dependencies ✓ (works)
2. CapApp-SPM products (CapacitorApp, plugin libraries) should be available in "Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content" ✗ (broken)
3. These products should be auto-linked to the App target, or at minimum be selectable manually

The SPM workflow should match the CocoaPods experience where plugins are automatically available after cap sync.

Expected Behavior

https://github.com/user/capacitor-spm-bug-repro

Steps:

1. Create new Capacitor 8 project
2. Install plugins: npm install @capacitor/camera @capacitor/haptics
3. Run: npx cap add ios --packagemanager SPM
4. Open ios/App/App.xcodeproj in Xcode 15+
5. Navigate to App target → General → Frameworks
6. Click "+" and observe no CapApp-SPM products available

Project Reproduction

https://github.com/zermenoeduardo06-sys/chefly-ai-nutrition-coach-7e9f3e0d/tree/main/capacitor-spm-bug-repro

Additional Information

[fabiomartino]

Hi @zermenoeduardo06-sys,

It appears that the issue you are encountering is related to an environment mismatch. For Capacitor v8, the system requirements have been updated to support the latest native toolchains and the move to Swift Package Manager (SPM) as the default for iOS.

According to the official Capacitor v8 Environment Setup, you must ensure your machine meets the following criteria:

• Node.js: Version 22.x or higher is required.
• Xcode: Version 26.0 or higher is mandatory for iOS development.
• Android Studio: Version Ladybug (2024.2.1) or higher for Android.

Since Capacitor v8 utilizes SPM by default, using an older version of Xcode (like v15 or below) will prevent the IDE from correctly resolving plugin dependencies and manifests.

You can find the detailed requirements here:
Capacitor iOS Requirements

Recommended Steps:

1. Update Node.js to v22+.
2. Update Xcode to v26.0+.
3. Run npx cap doctor to verify your environment.
4. Delete your ios/ folder and run npx cap add ios followed by npx cap sync to ensure the SPM structure is correctly generated.

[OS-pedrogustavobilro]

Hey @zermenoeduardo06-sys, this should be fixed by updating your Xcode to 26. For me, using your repro steps, I see the plugins as "Package Dependencies" in Xcode 26.

Have you followed the steps suggested by @fabiomartino to update your dev environment for Capacitor 8?

[OS-pedrogustavobilro]

Closing this issue due to lack of reply. This should be fixed by Xcode 26 with Capacitor 8 (which is required).

In case this issue still happens with Xcode 26, please re-open and provide an update sample app repo that can be reproducible on Xcode 26.

Thank you!

[BenD-SLK]

Hey, I can confirm that I also have this issue (or something that looks like it) using Xcode 26 on capacitor 8. Unfortunately I'm probably unable to provide a full sample repo due to time constraints, but happy to give additional details. Full versions:

💊   Capacitor Doctor  💊 

Latest Dependencies:

  @capacitor/cli: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/core: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/android: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/ios: 8.1.0

Installed Dependencies:

  @capacitor/cli: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/core: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/android: 8.1.0
  @capacitor/ios: 8.1.0

[success] iOS looking great! 👌

% node -v
v24.14.0

% npm -v
11.11.0

XCode: 26.2

MacOS: 26.3 Tahoe

On build, I get a build error for "Missing package product 'CapApp-SPM'"

[OS-pedrogustavobilro]

@BenD-SLK this may be a different error than the one reported in the issue. Could I suggest you to clear some SPM cache to see if that fixes it.

in Xcode, File -> Packages -> "Reset Package Cache", then File -> Packages -> "Resolve Package Versions".

Or if that doesn't work, can try this command which will nuke spm and Xcode caches, for all projects (not just the one you're on). Close Xcode, and run these 3 commands from terminal

rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/org.swift.swiftpm
rm -rf ~/Library/org.swift.swiftpm
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData

Hope it helps!