Apache Cordova

aid: apache-cordova
name: Apache Cordova
description: >-
  Apache Cordova is an open-source mobile development framework governed by the Apache Software Foundation that enables developers to build mobile applications using standard web technologies — HTML, CSS,
  and JavaScript. It bridges web code to native device capabilities through a plugin architecture, targeting iOS, Android, Electron, and Browser platforms from a single codebase.
type: Index
position: Consumer
access: 3rd-Party
image: https://kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
- Apache
- Cross-Platform
- Hybrid Apps
- JavaScript
- Mobile
- Open Source
- Plugins
created: '2026-03-16'
modified: '2026-04-19'
url: >-
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
- aid: apache-cordova:apache-cordova
  name: Apache Cordova
  description: >-
    Apache Cordova provides a JavaScript plugin API for accessing native device capabilities (camera, GPS, file system, contacts, etc.), a CLI for project management and multi-platform builds, a plugin
    development API for creating native bridges, and platform-specific runtimes for iOS, Android, and Electron.
  humanURL: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/
  tags:
  - Android
  - CLI
  - Electron
  - iOS
  - JavaScript
  - Mobile
  - Plugins
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/guide/overview/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/config_ref/
  - type: CLI
    url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-cli
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova
    title: npm Package
  - type: GitHubRepository
    url: https://github.com/apache/cordova
  - type: GitHubOrganization
    url: https://github.com/apache
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-android
    title: Android Platform
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-ios
    title: iOS Platform
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-electron
    title: Electron Platform
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-browser
    title: Browser Platform
  - type: SDK
    url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-js
    title: JavaScript Bridge
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-camera
    title: Camera Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-file
    title: File Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-geolocation
    title: Geolocation Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-inappbrowser
    title: InAppBrowser Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-media
    title: Media Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-media-capture
    title: Media Capture Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-dialogs
    title: Dialogs Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-device
    title: Device Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-network-information
    title: Network Information Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-vibration
    title: Vibration Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-battery-status
    title: Battery Status Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-screen-orientation
    title: Screen Orientation Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-statusbar
    title: Statusbar Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-device-motion
    title: Device Motion Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-device-orientation
    title: Device Orientation Plugin
  - type: SDK
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-file-transfer
    title: File Transfer Plugin
  - type: Tools
    url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-plugman
    title: Plugman Plugin Manager
  - type: CodeExamples
    url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-app-hello-world
    title: Hello World Template
  - type: CodeExamples
    url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-mobile-spec
    title: Mobile Spec Test Suite
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-schema/apache-cordova-camera-options-schema.json
    title: Camera Options
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-schema/apache-cordova-config-widget-schema.json
    title: Config Widget
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-schema/apache-cordova-geolocation-position-schema.json
    title: Geolocation Position
  - type: JSONStructure
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-structure/apache-cordova-camera-options-structure.json
  - type: JSONStructure
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-structure/apache-cordova-config-widget-structure.json
  - type: JSONStructure
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-structure/apache-cordova-geolocation-position-structure.json
  - type: JSONLD
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-ld/apache-cordova-camera-context.jsonld
  - type: JSONLD
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-ld/apache-cordova-config-context.jsonld
  - type: JSONLD
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/json-ld/apache-cordova-geolocation-context.jsonld
  - type: Example
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/examples/apache-cordova-camera-options-example.json
  - type: Example
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/examples/apache-cordova-config-widget-example.json
  - type: Example
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/examples/apache-cordova-geolocation-position-example.json
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: [email protected]
common:
- type: Portal
  url: https://cordova.apache.org/
- type: Blog
  url: https://cordova.apache.org/blog/
- type: ReleaseNotes
  url: https://cordova.apache.org/blog/
- type: Documentation
  url: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/
- type: GettingStarted
  url: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/guide/overview/
- type: Support
  url: https://cordova.apache.org/contact/
- type: StackOverflow
  url: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/cordova
- type: GitHubOrganization
  url: https://github.com/apache
- type: Features
  data:
  - name: Plugin Architecture
    description: Extensible plugin system that bridges JavaScript to native device APIs for camera, GPS, file system, contacts, battery, and more.
  - name: Cross-Platform CLI
    description: Command-line interface for creating, building, testing, and deploying applications to multiple platforms from a single codebase.
  - name: Native Device Access
    description: Access to native hardware capabilities including camera, geolocation, network information, vibration, media capture, and device info.
  - name: WebView-Based Runtime
    description: Renders applications in a native WebView, enabling web technologies to run as native mobile apps on iOS, Android, and Electron.
  - name: Plugin Development API
    description: Full API for creating custom native plugins in Swift/Objective-C (iOS) and Java/Kotlin (Android) that expose device APIs to JavaScript.
  - name: Allowlist Security
    description: Built-in allowlist mechanism for controlling which URLs and resources the application is permitted to access.
- type: UseCases
  data:
  - name: Cross-Platform Mobile Apps
    description: Build iOS and Android apps from a single HTML/CSS/JavaScript codebase, reducing development time and cost.
  - name: Hybrid App Development
    description: Combine web application UIs with native device capabilities for apps that need both web flexibility and native hardware access.
  - name: Enterprise Mobile Solutions
    description: Rapidly prototype and deploy enterprise mobile applications leveraging existing web development skills.
  - name: Desktop Apps via Electron
    description: Package web apps as Electron desktop applications using the same Cordova plugin model.
  - name: IoT and Device Interfaces
    description: Interface with Bluetooth, sensors, and other hardware through community and custom Cordova plugins.
- type: Integrations
  data:
  - name: Ionic Framework
    description: Ionic uses Cordova (and Capacitor) as its native runtime, providing UI components on top of the Cordova platform.
  - name: Adobe PhoneGap
    description: PhoneGap was a commercial distribution of Apache Cordova, now retired, but helped establish the Cordova ecosystem.
  - name: npm Package Registry
    description: Cordova plugins and the CLI are published and distributed via npm, the Node.js package registry.
  - name: Gradle (Android)
    description: Android platform builds use Gradle for dependency management and compilation.
  - name: Xcode (iOS)
    description: iOS platform builds require Xcode for compilation, signing, and deployment.
  - name: Electron
    description: Cordova-Electron platform target allows packaging Cordova apps as desktop Electron applications.
- type: CLI
  url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-cli
- type: Tools
  url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-plugman
  title: Plugman Plugin Manager
- type: Tools
  url: https://github.com/apache/cordova-paramedic
  title: Paramedic Test Runner
- type: Vocabulary
  url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/apache-cordova/refs/heads/main/vocabulary/apache-cordova-vocabulary.yaml