Plugin(s)

• Accelerometer
• Age Signals
• Android Battery Optimization
• Android Dark Mode Support
• Android Edge-to-Edge Support
• Android Foreground Service
• App Review
• App Shortcuts
• App Update
• Asset Manager
• Audio Player
• Audio Recorder
• Background Task
• Badge
• Barometer
• Biometrics
• Bluetooth Low Energy
• Cloudinary
• Contacts
• Datetime Picker
• File Compressor
• File Opener
• File Picker
• Geocoder
• Google Sign-In
• libSQL
• Live Update
• Managed Configurations
• Media Session
• NFC
• OAuth
• Pedometer
• Photo Editor
• Posthog
• Purchases
• Printer
• RealtimeKit
• Secure Preferences
• Screen Orientation
• Screenshot
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Synthesis
• Share Target
• Square Mobile Payments
• SQLite
• Superwall
• Torch
• Zip

Version

8.0.2 (eventually 9)

Platform(s)

• Android
• iOS
• Web

Current behavior

Summary

@capawesome/capacitor-app-update@8.0.2 fails to build when the host project uses Android Gradle
Plugin 9.0+. AGP 9.0 removed support for getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt') and now
requires proguard-android-optimize.txt instead.

Error

A problem occurred evaluating project ':capawesome-capacitor-app-update'.

getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt') is no longer supported since it includes
-dontoptimize, which prevents R8 from performing many optimizations. Instead use
getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), and if needed, temporarily use
-dontoptimize in a custom keep rule file while fixing breakages.

Root Cause

https://github.com/capawesome-team/capacitor-plugins/blob/main/packages/capacitor-app-update/andr
oid/build.gradle#L35:

proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'

Suggested Fix

• proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'

• proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'

This is a backwards-compatible change — proguard-android-optimize.txt has been available since
AGP 3.4 and works on all AGP versions currently in use. It simply enables R8 optimizations that
proguard-android.txt was disabling.

Context

• AGP 9.0.1 was released alongside Android Studio Narwhal Feature Drop (2025.2.1)
• Capacitor 8 currently ships with AGP 8.13.0, so this isn't urgent yet, but projects that track
  the latest AGP or upgrade Android Studio will hit this
• The same proguard-android.txt deprecation was a warning in AGP 8.x and became a hard error in
  9.0

Environment

• @capawesome/capacitor-app-update: 8.0.2
• @capacitor/android: 8.1.0
• AGP: 9.0.1
• Gradle: 9.2.1

Expected behavior

The plugin should build successfully with AGP 9.0+ without requiring any workarounds from the host project.

Reproduction

https://github.com/capawesome-team/capacitor-plugins

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a Capacitor 8 project with @capawesome/capacitor-app-update@8.0.2
2. Update android/build.gradle to AGP 9.0.1: classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:9.0.1'
3. Update Gradle wrapper to 9.2.1
4. Run ./gradlew assembleDebug
5. Build fails at project evaluation with the proguard-android.txt error

Other information

Wow, lots of hurdles to create a bug ticket!

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] Android looking great! 👌
[success] iOS looking great! 👌

Before submitting

• I have read and followed the bug report guidelines.
• I have attached links to possibly related issues and discussions.
• I understand that incomplete issues (e.g. without reproduction) are closed.