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Angular is one of the most robust frameworks for building scalable web applications. But with rapid evolution comes frequent upgrades—each bringing performance boosts, new features, and sometimes, breaking changes. Recently, we upgraded our project from Angular 11 to Angular 20.1.6.
It wasn’t a one-click task. It was a journey filled with compatibility issues, dependency headaches, and valuable lessons.
Why Upgrade Angular?
Many teams delay upgrades, fearing the complexity. But staying on old versions has hidden costs:
- Security: Older Angular versions eventually lose official support and security patches.
- Performance: New versions bring optimizations, faster builds, and smaller bundle sizes.
- Developer Experience: Modern syntax, better CLI commands, and quality-of-life features.
- Dependency Support: Third-party libraries eventually drop support for older Angular versions.
In our case, Angular 11 had been working fine, but specific libraries (like Firebase and modern UI packages) had stopped supporting it.
Our Upgrade Process
We didn’t jump directly from Angular 11 to 20. Instead, we followed a step-by-step upgrade path.
Step 1: Review the official Angular Update Guide
The Angular team has a handy upgrade guide that tells you exactly which commands to run based on your current and target versions.
Step 2: Upgrade Incrementally
We moved through versions 11 → 12 → 13 → 14 → … → 20.
Upgrading one major version at a time made it easier to catch and fix breaking changes early.
ng update @angular/core@12 @angular/cli@12
Repeat the process for each version step.
Step 3: Update Third-Party Libraries
Libraries like @angular/fire, ng-recaptcha, ngx-drag-scroll, and ngx-spinner needed version bumps for compatibility.
Example: npm install @angular/fire@19.2.0
Step 4: Fix TypeScript & Config Issues
We encountered TypeScript errors due to stricter type checking.
One key fix was adding: “typeRoots”: [“node_modules/@types”]
in tsconfig.json — this instantly removed several missing type definition errors.
Step 5: Run & Test After Every Step
We ran the app after each upgrade step, fixed bugs, and adjusted code before moving forward.
Problems We Faced
Here are some real examples from our upgrade journey:
- Missing Type Definitions
After upgrading, TypeScript couldn’t find some type declarations for third-party packages.
Solution: Added “typeRoots”: [“node_modules/@types”] in tsconfig.json.
- Template Context Changes
A dialog template that worked in Angular 11: <ng-template #ecodialogTemplate let-dialogRef=”dialogRef” let-data>
No longer worked as expected in newer Angular versions due to changes in how ng-template passes variables.
Solution: Adjusted syntax to match the updated modal library requirements.
- Flex Layout Compatibility
fxLayout stopped working until we upgraded @angular/flex-layout to a version compatible with Angular 15+: npm install @angular/flex-layout@^15.0.0-beta.41
- Third-Party Library Drops
Some libraries didn’t have Angular 20 support yet. We had to either:
- Replace them with alternatives
- Temporarily use compatibility builds
Key Lessons Learned
- Upgrade incrementally—Jumping too many versions at once makes debugging painful.
- Check library compatibility before upgrading—Avoid nasty surprises.
- Read changelogs—Angular’s release notes highlight breaking changes.
- Have a working backup—In case you need to roll back.
- Test thoroughly after each step—Don’t wait until the end.
Tips for Your Angular Upgrade
- Use the Angular Update Guide for exact commands.
- Update Node.js & npm to versions compatible with the Angular version you’re targeting.
- Clean installs help:
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install - Automate testing — catch UI and API breakages early.
- Document fixes — future you will thank you.
Final Thoughts
Upgrading Angular is not just about “keeping up with the latest.” It’s about ensuring your application stays secure, performant, and maintainable.
Yes, it takes time and patience — but the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary headaches. Scalevista can be your right partner when you are switching to Angular version 20.
Our jump from Angular 11 to Angular 20 was a big one, and along the way, we learned how to handle breaking changes, manage dependencies, and keep our codebase modern.
If you’re sitting on an older Angular version, start planning your upgrade.
Connect with Scalevista now for more insights.
Future you — and your users — will appreciate it.
FAQs
1. Which is the latest version of Angular?
The latest stable version of Angular is Angular 20, released with new features, performance improvements, and better support for modern web technologies.
2. Is Angular 20 stable?
Yes, Angular 20 is stable and ready for production use, offering enhanced features, bug fixes, and improved performance for developers.
3. What is the difference between Angular 19 and 20?
Angular 20 brings significant updates like improved performance, enhanced tooling, better TypeScript integration, and new features for streamlined development compared to Angular 19.
4. What are the latest version features?
Angular 20 includes improved build times, better TypeScript compatibility, enhanced Ivy engine performance, new APIs, and better developer tooling for faster and more efficient development.