@capgo/capacitor-downloader
June 16, 2026 · View on GitHub
Download file in background or foreground
Why Capacitor Downloader?
A reliable native file downloader built for Capacitor apps that continues downloads even when your app is backgrounded or closed:
- Background downloads - Downloads continue even when app is minimized, backgrounded, or closed (main advantage)
- Progress tracking - Real-time progress updates during downloads
- Network control - Choose between WiFi-only or cellular network downloads
- Custom headers - Add authentication tokens and custom HTTP headers
- Resumable downloads - Pause and resume downloads (platform dependent)
- Event listeners - Monitor download progress, completion, and failures
- Large file support - Handle multi-gigabyte files without memory issues
- Free and open source - No paid services required
Perfect for downloading large media files, offline content, app updates, and any scenario where downloads need to survive app lifecycle events.
Documentation
The most complete doc is available here: https://capgo.app/docs/plugins/downloader/
Compatibility
| Plugin version | Capacitor compatibility | Maintained |
|---|---|---|
| v8.*.* | v8.*.* | ✅ |
| v7.*.* | v7.*.* | On demand |
| v6.*.* | v6.*.* | ❌ |
| v5.*.* | v5.*.* | ❌ |
Note: The major version of this plugin follows the major version of Capacitor. Use the version that matches your Capacitor installation (e.g., plugin v8 for Capacitor 8). Only the latest major version is actively maintained.
Install
You can use our AI-Assisted Setup to install the plugin. Add the Capgo skills to your AI tool using the following command:
npx skills add https://github.com/cap-go/capacitor-skills --skill capacitor-plugins
Then use the following prompt:
Use the `capacitor-plugins` skill from `cap-go/capacitor-skills` to install the `@capgo/capacitor-downloader` plugin in my project.
If you prefer Manual Setup, install the plugin by running the following commands and follow the platform-specific instructions below:
npm install @capgo/capacitor-downloader
npx cap sync
API
Capacitor plugin for downloading files with background support. Provides resumable downloads with progress tracking.
download(...)
download(options: DownloadOptions) => Promise<DownloadTask>
Start a new download task.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
options | DownloadOptions | - Download configuration |
Returns: Promise<DownloadTask>
pause(...)
pause(options: { id: string; }) => Promise<void>
Pause an active download. Download can be resumed later from the same position.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
options | { id: string; } | - Options containing the download task ID |
resume(...)
resume(options: { id: string; }) => Promise<void>
Resume a paused download. Continues from where it was paused.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
options | { id: string; } | - Options containing the download task ID |
stop(...)
stop(options: { id: string; }) => Promise<void>
Stop and cancel a download permanently. Downloaded data will be deleted.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
options | { id: string; } | - Options containing the download task ID |
checkStatus(...)
checkStatus(options: { id: string; }) => Promise<DownloadTask>
Check the current status of a download.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
options | { id: string; } | - Options containing the download task ID |
Returns: Promise<DownloadTask>
getFileInfo(...)
getFileInfo(options: { path: string; }) => Promise<{ size: number; type: string; }>
Get information about a downloaded file.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
options | { path: string; } | - Options containing the file path |
Returns: Promise<{ size: number; type: string; }>
addListener('downloadProgress', ...)
addListener(eventName: 'downloadProgress', listenerFunc: (progress: { id: string; progress: number; }) => void) => Promise<PluginListenerHandle>
Listen for download progress updates. Fired periodically as download progresses.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
eventName | 'downloadProgress' | - Must be 'downloadProgress' |
listenerFunc | (progress: { id: string; progress: number; }) => void | - Callback receiving progress updates |
Returns: Promise<PluginListenerHandle>
addListener('downloadCompleted', ...)
addListener(eventName: 'downloadCompleted', listenerFunc: (result: { id: string; }) => void) => Promise<PluginListenerHandle>
Listen for download completion. Fired when a download finishes successfully.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
eventName | 'downloadCompleted' | - Must be 'downloadCompleted' |
listenerFunc | (result: { id: string; }) => void | - Callback receiving completion notification |
Returns: Promise<PluginListenerHandle>
addListener('downloadFailed', ...)
addListener(eventName: 'downloadFailed', listenerFunc: (error: { id: string; error: string; }) => void) => Promise<PluginListenerHandle>
Listen for download failures. Fired when a download encounters an error.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
eventName | 'downloadFailed' | - Must be 'downloadFailed' |
listenerFunc | (error: { id: string; error: string; }) => void | - Callback receiving error information |
Returns: Promise<PluginListenerHandle>
removeAllListeners()
removeAllListeners() => Promise<void>
Remove all event listeners. Cleanup method to prevent memory leaks.
getPluginVersion()
getPluginVersion() => Promise<{ version: string; }>
Get the plugin version number.
Returns: Promise<{ version: string; }>
Interfaces
DownloadTask
Represents the current state and progress of a download task.
| Prop | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
id | string | Unique identifier for the download task |
progress | number | Download progress from 0 to 100 |
state | 'PENDING' | 'RUNNING' | 'PAUSED' | 'DONE' | 'ERROR' | Current state of the download |
DownloadOptions
Configuration options for starting a download.
| Prop | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
id | string | Unique identifier for this download task |
url | string | URL of the file to download |
destination | string | Local file path where the download will be saved |
headers | { [key: string]: string; } | Optional HTTP headers to include in the request |
network | 'cellular' | 'wifi-only' | Network type requirement for download |
priority | 'high' | 'normal' | 'low' | Download priority level |
PluginListenerHandle
| Prop | Type |
|---|---|
remove | () => Promise<void> |
Credit
This plugin was inspired from: https://github.com/kesha-antonov/react-native-background-downloader