Building Native Mobile Apps with Next.js 14 and Capacitor: A Step-by-Step Guide
#nextjs#mobile#uidesign#design
Nakiboddin Saiyad

Nakiboddin Saiyad @nakib_saiyad

About: Nakib is a Digital Marketing Executive with over a year of experience. He specializes in aiding startups with web development, mobile app development, and software solutions, driving maximum results.

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Building Native Mobile Apps with Next.js 14 and Capacitor: A Step-by-Step Guide

Publish Date: Apr 7
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In today's rapidly changing digital landscape, building apps that can nicely coexist on web and mobile platforms is no longer an option. It's a requirement. With contemporary frameworks such as Next.js 14 and offerings such as Capacitor, developers can now build high-performance native mobile apps using well-known web technologies.

If you're a mobile app design company interested in minimizing development times or a startup that has to go live quickly, this tutorial will guide you through developing a native mobile app with Next.js 14 and Capacitor in an easy-to-follow step-by-step manner.

Why Choose Next.js 14 with Capacitor?

Next.js 14 is a robust React framework optimized for performance, scalability, and developer productivity. It supports:

  • React Server Components
  • Streaming & partial rendering
  • API routes & full-stack capabilities

Capacitor, on the other hand, enables you to wrap any web app in a native mobile shell and gain access to native features like:

  • Camera
  • Push notifications
  • Geolocation
  • Native file access By integrating both tools, you can write once and deploy to iOS, Android, and web—without code duplication.

Step-by-Step: Build a Native Mobile App with Next.js and Capacitor

Step 1: Set Up the Next.js 14 Project 

npx create-next-app@latest my-next-mobile-app
cd my-next-mobile-app
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Step 2: Install Capacitor 

npm install @capacitor/core @capacitor/cli
npx cap init
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Add your app name and a unique app ID (like com.yourapp.id).

Step 3: Export the App as Static Files

Capacitor requires a static build. Update next.config.js:

const nextConfig = {
  output: 'export',
  trailingSlash: true,
};
module.exports = nextConfig;
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Then run:

npm run build
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The static output will be available in the out/ folder.

Step 4: Add Capacitor Platforms 

npx cap add android
npx cap add ios
npx cap copy
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To open and run the apps:

npx cap open android
npx cap open ios
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Step 5: Use Native Plugins

You can install native plugins such as Camera or Geolocation:

npm install @capacitor/camera
npx cap sync
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Use them in your code:

import { Camera } from '@capacitor/camera';

const takePhoto = async () => {
  const image = await Camera.getPhoto({
    quality: 90,
    resultType: 'base64',
    source: 'camera'
  });
};
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Final Thoughts

Cross-platform mobile app development is no longer a constraint. Frameworks like Next.js 14 and Capacitor allow developers to deliver robust, native-like apps with ease.

If you need an application of production quality, you might need to hire Next.js developers who are experienced in integrating backend services, optimizing app performance, and native compatibility.

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