Plugin uses properties/classes removed in iOS 26

[gillycheesesteak]

Bug Report

Problem

Plugin uses properties/classes that are removed in iOS 26

What is expected to happen?

Build succeeds with deployment-target of 26

What does actually happen?

Build fails with errors

error: 'ALAssetsLibraryAssetForURLResultBlock' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use fetchAssetsWithLocalIdentifiers:options: on PHAsset to fetch assets by local identifier (or to lookup PHAssets by a previously known ALAssetPropertyAssetURL use fetchAssetsWithALAssetURLs:options:) from the Photos framework instead
error: 'defaultRepresentation' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHImageRequestOptions with the PHImageManager from the Photos framework instead
error: 'size' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use requestImageDataForAsset:options:resultHandler: on PHImageManager to request image data for a PHAsset from the Photos framework instead
error: 'getBytes:fromOffset:length:error:' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use requestImageDataForAsset:options:resultHandler: on PHImageManager to request image data for a PHAsset from the Photos framework instead
error: 'UTI' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use requestImageDataForAsset:options:resultHandler: on PHImageManager for a PHAsset to request image data from the Photos framework and check the dataUTI passed to your result handler instead
error: 'ALAsset' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHAsset from the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetRepresentation' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHImageRequestOptions with the PHImageManager from the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetsLibraryAccessFailureBlock' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetsLibrary' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHPhotoLibrary from the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetsLibrary' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHPhotoLibrary from the Photos framework instead
error: 'assetForURL:resultBlock:failureBlock:' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use fetchAssetsWithLocalIdentifiers:options: on PHAsset to fetch assets by local identifier (or to lookup PHAssets by a previously known ALAssetPropertyAssetURL use fetchAssetsWithALAssetURLs:options:) from the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetsLibraryAssetForURLResultBlock' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use fetchAssetsWithLocalIdentifiers:options: on PHAsset to fetch assets by local identifier (or to lookup PHAssets by a previously known ALAssetPropertyAssetURL use fetchAssetsWithALAssetURLs:options:) from the Photos framework instead
error: 'defaultRepresentation' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHImageRequestOptions with the PHImageManager from the Photos framework instead
error: 'filename' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetPropertyDate' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use the creationDate property on a PHAsset from the Photos framework instead
error: 'valueForProperty:' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHAsset class properties from the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAsset' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHAsset from the Photos framework instead
error: 'ALAssetRepresentation' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use PHImageRequestOptions with the PHImageManager from the Photos framework instead
error: 'size' is unavailable: obsoleted in iOS 26.0 - Use requestImageDataForAsset:options:resultHandler: on PHImageManager to request image data for a PHAsset from the Photos framework instead

Information

Command or Code

Environment, Platform, Device

Github actions macos 15 runner

Version information

macos 15
Xcode 26.2
deployment-target: 26

Checklist

• I searched for existing GitHub issues
• I updated all Cordova tooling to most recent version
• I included all the necessary information above

[GitToTheHub]

You can use a lower deployment-target like 18.0 to get a successful build

[jarnove]

That's a temporary solution, right?

Lowering the deployment target to 18.0 will be effective until Apple mandates the use of the iOS 26 SDK, which is expected to occur in late 2026.

SDK version issue - This app was built with the iOS 18.5 SDK. Starting April 28, 2026, all iOS and iPadOS apps must be built with the iOS 26 SDK or later, included in Xcode 26 or later, in order to be uploaded to App Store Connect or submitted for distribution.

[GitToTheHub]

Setting the deployment-target is the minimum iOS version you support, not the SDK you compiled against. To compile against the iOS 26 SDK you have to use XCode 26. Setting the deployment-target to 26.0 would mean, your apps will run minimum on iOS 26 but not on iOS 18. Normally you want support older iOS versions also, especially, when devices can no longer be updated.

[jarnove]

Of course, my bad, I was a bit too fast. I mixed up the two.

But still, changing the deployment-target to 18.0 will be ok, but when we're forced to use Xcode 26.0 / iOS 26 to build with by April, this will give issues because the ALAssetsLibrary isn't included anymore, no?

[breautek]

but when we're forced to use Xcode 26.0 / iOS 26 to build with by April, this will give issues because the ALAssetsLibrary isn't included anymore, no?

No, not necessarily. The deployment-target allows Apple to make certain optimizations. So if it's set lower, as to indicate that you support lower iOS devices -- then the SDK will enable backwards compatibility to those devices in most cases.

If something was removed in an iOS version and the deployment target was set higher -- then Apple can optimize by removing that backwards compatibility. That's why setting it high can lead to breakage.

cordova-ios@8 if I recall right supports iOS 13+ and so any plugin may be using ios 13+ APIs even if they are deprecated, as the replacement APIs may not be available in those older iOS devices.

Plugins could do preprocessor compiler conditions to swap the implementation where necessary but sometimes the newer API works very differently than the deprecated API and it requires a breaking change to get it to really work -- so if we wanted to support a higher deployment target on this plugin, someone would have to first evaluate if using the replacement API will require breaking changes or not.

I feel this issue isn't really a bug, it kinda sounds like there is simply a misunderstanding what the deployment target setting actually does. Apple's terminology is questionably confusing here in my opinion.