using-mobile-native-capabilities

Using Mobile Native Capabilities

The lightning/mobileCapabilities module exposes a set of factory functions that return service objects for native device features (barcode scanning, biometrics, location, etc.). Each service extends a common BaseCapability with an isAvailable() method, so an LWC can degrade gracefully on surfaces where the capability is not present (desktop, mobile web).

This skill routes an agent through (1) picking the right capability, (2) loading the authoritative type definitions, and (3) wiring the service into an LWC with the correct availability gating, error handling, and deprecation-aware API choice.

When to Use This Skill

• User asks for an LWC that uses a device capability listed in the index below.
• User mentions lightning/mobileCapabilities, "mobile capability", or "Nimbus" by name.
• User wants to know which mobile native APIs are available, or which one fits their feature.

Do NOT use this skill for:

• Mobile-offline review of an LWC (lwc:if, inline GraphQL, Komaci-priming violations) — use reviewing-lwc-mobile-offline.
• Picking generic Lightning Base Components — use using-lightning-base-components.

Prerequisites

• Knowledge that the LWC will run inside a supported mobile container (Salesforce Mobile App, Field Service Mobile App). These capabilities are unavailable on desktop and mobile web; gate every call behind isAvailable().
• Familiarity with the lightning/mobileCapabilities module declaration (see mobile-capabilities).

Capability Index

Capability	Reference	One-line use
App Review	App Review	Prompt the user for a native in-app review.
AR Space Capture	AR Space Capture	Capture a 3D scan of a physical space using AR.
Barcode Scanner	Barcode Scanner	Read QR / UPC / EAN / Code-128 / etc. from the camera.
Biometrics	Biometrics	Authenticate via Face ID / fingerprint.
Calendar	Calendar	Read or create events on the device calendar.
Contacts	Contacts	Read or create entries in the device address book.
Document Scanner	Document Scanner	Scan paper documents using the camera with edge detection.
Geofencing	Geofencing	Trigger logic when the device crosses a geographic boundary.
Location	Location	Read GPS coordinates and watch for updates.
NFC	NFC	Read or write NFC tags.
Payments	Payments	Take an Apple Pay / Google Pay payment.

Workflow

Step 1 — Identify the capability

Map the user's feature ask to one row of the capability index. If the ask spans multiple capabilities (e.g. "scan a barcode and store it on a contact"), plan for each capability separately — there is one factory function per capability.

Step 2 — Load the shared and capability-specific references

Read these two shared references once per session — they apply to every capability and are not duplicated in the per-capability files:

• BaseCapability — the common interface with isAvailable() that every service extends.
• mobile-capabilities — the lightning/mobileCapabilities module declaration showing every re-exported service.

Then open the capability's reference file from the table above. Each per-capability reference contains the service-specific TypeScript API (factory function, service interface, options types, result types, error types) and assumes the two shared references above are already in context.

Do not infer the API from memory — read it. The services evolve and some methods are explicitly @deprecated in favor of newer alternatives.

Step 3 — Wire the service into the LWC

For each capability:

1. Import the factory from lightning/mobileCapabilities:

   import { getBarcodeScanner } from 'lightning/mobileCapabilities';
   

2. Get an instance: const scanner = getBarcodeScanner();
3. Gate the call behind isAvailable():

   if (!scanner.isAvailable()) {
     // graceful fallback or user message
     return;
   }
   

4. Call the non-deprecated entry point. Several services keep older methods marked @deprecated alongside the recommended one — always prefer the recommended method in the reference.
5. Wrap the promise in try/catch and handle the typed failure codes the service exposes (e.g. BarcodeScannerFailureCode, LocationServiceFailureCode). User-cancelled vs. permission-denied vs. service-unavailable are distinct UX states.

Step 4 — Surface failure modes to the user

Each service defines its own failure-code enum. Translate codes into user-actionable messages: a USER_DENIED_PERMISSION should ask the user to grant permission; a USER_DISABLED_PERMISSION must direct them to the OS settings; a SERVICE_NOT_ENABLED should be a developer-visible error, not shown to the user.

Step 5 — Stay inside the supported surface

Mobile capabilities are available only when the LWC runs inside a supported Salesforce mobile app. If the same component is rendered on desktop or mobile web, the factory will still return an object but isAvailable() will return false. Never assume availability — gate every call.

Examples

Example — "Scan a barcode and write it into a field"

1. Map to: Barcode Scanner.
2. Read Barcode Scanner.
3. Use scan(options) (not the deprecated beginCapture / resumeCapture / endCapture triple).
4. In options, set the barcodeTypes to the symbologies needed (default is all supported types) and enableMultiScan: false for a single read.
5. On resolve, write result[0].value to the bound field. On reject, inspect error.code against BarcodeScannerFailureCode.

Example — "Take an Apple Pay payment for an order total"

1. Map to: Payments.
2. Read Payments.
3. Gate on isAvailable().
4. Build the payment request object per the reference.
5. On resolve, surface the transaction id to the calling flow. On reject, handle user-cancelled and payment-failed paths separately.

Verification Checklist

• Every capability call is preceded by isAvailable().
• The non-deprecated entry point is used (no beginCapture / resumeCapture / endCapture for barcode, etc.).
• Each rejection path is mapped to the typed failure code enum.
• Imports come from lightning/mobileCapabilities, not from a private path.
• No assumption that the capability runs on desktop or mobile web.

Troubleshooting

• isAvailable() returns false on a real device — the device is running an unsupported app surface (not Salesforce Mobile or Field Service Mobile), or the service is gated by an org-level setting. The fix is org configuration, not code.
• TypeScript can't find the import — confirm the LWC has access to lightning/mobileCapabilities. The module is declared globally inside Salesforce mobile containers; outside that, the types must be installed separately.
• Deprecated barcode methods still work — yes, but new code must use scan() and dismiss(). Refactor any sample code the agent received before returning it.
• Multiple capabilities in one component — get separate instances per capability (they are independent service objects); do not try to share state between them.