> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://sunbird.gitbook.io/sunbird-spark/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://sunbird.gitbook.io/sunbird-spark/use/developer-guide/sunbird-spark-mobile-app.md).
# Sunbird Spark Mobile App
### Tech Overview
The Spark mobile app is built on React + Ionic 8 with Capacitor 8 as the native bridge. It runs natively on Android (minSdkVersion 26 / Android 8.0).
#### Key Architectural Decisions
* Vite as the build tool - the app uses Vite 7 for fast hot module replacement during web development and faster production builds.
* **Offline-first design** — Content is downloaded as `.ecar` files (content packages) to device filesystem storage, with metadata tracked in SQLite. PDF, Video, ePub, and QuML players can render content from local files without any network connection.
* **Telemetry sync** — Telemetry events are staged in SQLite when offline and synced to the server in batches when connectivity is restored.
* **Multilingual support** — The app ships with translations for English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic. Arabic includes RTL layout support, and language preference is persisted in browser localStorage across sessions.
#### Component Diagram
#### Developer setup
| Layer | Technology | Version |
| ------------- | ------------------------ | ------- |
| UI Framework | Ionic React | 8.x |
| Build Tool | Vite | 7.x |
| Native Bridge | Capacitor | 8.x |
| Language | Language | 5.x |
| Testing | Vitest + Testing Library | - |
### Prerequisites
Before cloning, ensure you have the following installed.
\
All Platforms
| Tools | Version | Notes |
| ------- | ---------- | -------------------------- |
| Node.js | 22.x | 20.x will fail with Vite 7 |
| NPM | 10.x | Comes bundled with Node 22 |
| Git | Any recent | - |
Android Builds only
| Tools | Required Versions |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Android Studio | Latest Stable |
| Android SDK | compileSdk 36 (Android 15) |
| JDK | 17+ (required by Gradle 8.11) |
| Gradle | 8.11.1 — managed by the wrapper, no manual install needed |
{% hint style="info" %}
iOS is not currently supported. The ios/ platform has not been added to this project.
{% endhint %}
#### Step 1 — Clone the repository
```
git clone
cd
```
#### Step 2 — Install Dependencies
```
npm install
```
This also runs two postinstall scripts automatically:
* copy-assets.js — copies PDF, Video, ePub, and QuML player assets from `node_modules/@project-sunbird/*` into:
— public/assets/
— public/content/assets/
* scripts/copyContentPlayer.js — assembles @project-sunbird/content-player into:
— public/content-player/
— with any local overrides applied on top
If either script fails, check that all @project-sunbird/\* packages were installed correctly before proceeding.
#### Step 3 — Configure environment variables (Android)
Open `android/gradle.properties` and fill in the required values:
```
base_url=https://your-sunbird-backend.org
mobile_app_consumer=mobile_device
mobile_app_key=
mobile_app_secret=
producer_id=dev.sunbirded
```
These are injected as Android string resources at build time and read at runtime via the `capacitor-read-native-setting` plugin.
The app will not connect to a backend without these values.
#### Step 4 — Add Google Services for push notifications
Place your `google-services.json` file in:
```
android/app
```
The build system checks for this file and applies the Google Services Gradle plugin conditionally.
#### Step 5 — Build and run on Android
```
npm run build && npx cap sync android && cd android && ./gradlew assembleDebug && cd ..
```
| Command | Purpose |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| npm run build | Compiles TypeScript and bundles web assets into `dist/` |
| npx cap sync android | Copies `dist/` into the Android project and syncs native plugins |
| ./gradlew assembleDebug | Builds the debug APK |
The output APK will be available at:
```
android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
```
Use `./gradlew clean assembleDebug` only when you suspect stale build artifacts (e.g., after changing native dependencies or syncing new Capacitor plugins).
#### Step 6 - Open in Android Studio
```
npx cap open android
```
Then select a device or emulator and click Run.
---
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