bug(network): iOS getStatus() returns the last reachability callback value instead of reading current flags #2620

Bug Report

Plugin(s)

@capacitor/network 8.0.1 (same code on main at 87c0bb8 and in 9.0.0-alpha.2)

Capacitor Version

@capacitor/core: 8.5.3
@capacitor/ios: 8.5.3
@capacitor/network: 8.0.1
Xcode 27.1, iOS SDK 27.1

Platform(s)

iOS

Current Behavior

Network.getStatus() doesn't take a reading. It returns whatever the last SCNetworkReachability callback stored.

getStatus (NetworkPlugin.swift:29-32) calls Network.currentStatus() (Network.swift:31-33), which reads Reachability.connection (Reachability.swift:95-105):

public var connection: Connection {
    if flags == nil {
        try? setReachabilityFlags()
    }
    switch flags?.connection {

Flags are only read synchronously when they're nil (first call, or the initial check in startNotifier). After that, flags is only updated by the reachability callback, so getStatus() answers with the state as of the last callback. Called right after a network change, before that callback has landed on the reachability queue, it returns the previous state.

Expected Behavior

getStatus() reads the current flags when it is called.

Code Reproduction

No sample app needed beyond the plugin's own example:

import { Network } from '@capacitor/network';
Network.addListener('networkStatusChange', s => console.log('event', Date.now(), s));

1. Run on a device on Wi-Fi.
2. Turn Wi-Fi off in Control Center (with cellular off or available).
3. Immediately call await Network.getStatus() (e.g. from a button, or in a tight loop logging every few ms) and compare it to the next networkStatusChange event. Until the event arrives, getStatus() keeps returning the previous connectionType/connected, because nothing re-reads the flags.

Other Technical Details

• This is only about getStatus() freshness. A PR follows that re-reads the flags synchronously in getStatus() and keeps the existing SCNetworkReachability implementation.
• Moving to NWPathMonitor is a bigger change and overlaps feat(network): expose connection condition flags #2555, which already adds an NWPathMonitor. Captive-portal / internet-reachability detection is feat(network): Add internet reachability support #2564. Neither changes how getStatus() reads the cached flags (feat(network): Add internet reachability support #2564's currentConnection() still reads reachability.connection).

Additional Context

Older reports with related symptoms, closed during backlog cleanup without a fix: #40 (one commenter there notes getStatus() being out of sync with the actual state).