name: capacitor-splash-screen
description: Guide to configuring splash screens in Capacitor apps including asset generation, animation, and programmatic control. Use this skill when users need to customize their app launch experience.

Splash Screen in Capacitor

Configure and customize splash screens for iOS and Android.

When to Use This Skill

• User wants to customize splash screen
• User needs splash screen assets
• User wants animated splash
• User has splash screen issues

Quick Start

Install Plugin

bun add @capacitor/splash-screen
bunx cap sync

Basic Configuration

// capacitor.config.ts
import type { CapacitorConfig } from '@capacitor/cli';

const config: CapacitorConfig = {
  plugins: {
    SplashScreen: {
      launchShowDuration: 2000,
      launchAutoHide: true,
      backgroundColor: '#ffffff',
      androidSplashResourceName: 'splash',
      androidScaleType: 'CENTER_CROP',
      showSpinner: false,
      splashFullScreen: true,
      splashImmersive: true,
    },
  },
};

Programmatic Control

import { SplashScreen } from '@capacitor/splash-screen';

// Hide after app is ready
async function initApp() {
  // Initialize your app
  await loadUserData();
  await setupServices();

  // Hide splash screen
  await SplashScreen.hide();
}

// Show splash (useful for app refresh)
await SplashScreen.show({
  autoHide: false,
});

// Hide with animation
await SplashScreen.hide({
  fadeOutDuration: 500,
});

Generate Assets

Using Capacitor Assets

bun add -D @capacitor/assets

# Place source images in resources/
# resources/splash.png (2732x2732 recommended)
# resources/splash-dark.png (optional)

bunx capacitor-assets generate

iOS Sizes

Android Sizes

iOS Storyboard

<!-- ios/App/App/Base.lproj/LaunchScreen.storyboard -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<document type="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder3.CocoaTouch.Storyboard.XIB" version="3.0">
    <scenes>
        <scene sceneID="1">
            <objects>
                <viewController id="2" sceneMemberID="viewController">
                    <view key="view" contentMode="scaleToFill" id="3">
                        <rect key="frame" x="0" y="0" width="414" height="896"/>
                        <color key="backgroundColor" systemColor="systemBackgroundColor"/>
                        <subviews>
                            <imageView
                                contentMode="scaleAspectFit"
                                image="splash"
                                translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints="NO"
                                id="4">
                            </imageView>
                        </subviews>
                        <constraints>
                            <constraint firstItem="4" firstAttribute="centerX" secondItem="3" secondAttribute="centerX" id="5"/>
                            <constraint firstItem="4" firstAttribute="centerY" secondItem="3" secondAttribute="centerY" id="6"/>
                        </constraints>
                    </view>
                </viewController>
            </objects>
        </scene>
    </scenes>
</document>

Android Configuration

XML Splash Screen (Android 11+)

<!-- android/app/src/main/res/values/styles.xml -->
<resources>
    <style name="AppTheme.NoActionBarLaunch" parent="Theme.SplashScreen">
        <item name="windowSplashScreenBackground">@color/splash_background</item>
        <item name="windowSplashScreenAnimatedIcon">@drawable/splash</item>
        <item name="windowSplashScreenAnimationDuration">1000</item>
        <item name="postSplashScreenTheme">@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar</item>
    </style>
</resources>

Colors

<!-- android/app/src/main/res/values/colors.xml -->
<resources>
    <color name="splash_background">#FFFFFF</color>
</resources>

<!-- android/app/src/main/res/values-night/colors.xml -->
<resources>
    <color name="splash_background">#121212</color>
</resources>

Dark Mode Support

// capacitor.config.ts
plugins: {
  SplashScreen: {
    launchAutoHide: false, // Control manually
    backgroundColor: '#ffffff',
    // iOS will use LaunchScreen.storyboard variations
    // Android uses values-night/colors.xml
  },
},

// Detect dark mode and configure
import { SplashScreen } from '@capacitor/splash-screen';

const isDark = window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches;

// Show appropriate themed content
await SplashScreen.hide({
  fadeOutDuration: 300,
});

Animated Splash

Lottie Animation

import { SplashScreen } from '@capacitor/splash-screen';

async function showAnimatedSplash() {
  // Keep native splash while loading
  await SplashScreen.show({ autoHide: false });

  // Load Lottie animation in web
  const lottie = await import('lottie-web');

  // Show web-based animated splash
  document.getElementById('splash-animation').style.display = 'block';

  const animation = lottie.loadAnimation({
    container: document.getElementById('splash-animation'),
    path: '/animations/splash.json',
    loop: false,
  });

  animation.addEventListener('complete', async () => {
    // Hide native splash
    await SplashScreen.hide({ fadeOutDuration: 0 });
    // Hide web splash
    document.getElementById('splash-animation').style.display = 'none';
  });
}

Best Practices

1. Keep it fast - Under 2 seconds total
2. Match branding - Use consistent colors/logo
3. Support dark mode - Provide dark variants
4. Don't block - Load essentials only
5. Progressive reveal - Fade out smoothly

Troubleshooting

Resources

• Capacitor Splash Screen: https://capacitorjs.com/docs/apis/splash-screen
• Capacitor Assets: https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-assets
• Android Splash Screens: https://developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/launch/splash-screen