Amplify Gen1 → Gen2 Migration Tool Release Timeline

[laboone]

Amplify CLI Version

13.0.1

Question

Hello,

I’ve been happily using Amplify Gen1 for my projects.

According to the documentation here: https://docs.amplify.aws/react/start/migrate-to-gen2/, it mentions that a migration tool from Gen1 to Gen2 is under development. Could you share when the release of this migration tool is planned?

It has been over a year since Amplify Gen2 was released, so I’m a bit concerned about the current status of this tool.

Thank you!

[pahud]

Current vs Expected Behavior

Current Situation

• Documentation Promise: AWS documentation states migration tool is "under development"
• Reality: No migration tool available after 1+ years since Gen2 release
• User Experience: Users must manually migrate or stay on Gen1
• Community Need: Multiple users asking about migration capabilities

Expected Behavior

• Clear timeline or status updates for migration tool development
• Transparent communication about migration tool availability
• Alternative guidance if migration tool is not prioritized

---

Hi @laboone,

Thank you for asking about the Gen1 to Gen2 migration tool timeline. This is a question we've seen from several community members, and I understand your concern given the time that has passed since Gen2's release.

Current Status: Based on the most recent official response from December 2024 (issue #14040), the team confirmed they are "actively developing migration tooling" but did not provide a specific timeline.

Official Guidance:

• Continue using Gen1 for existing projects until migration tooling is available
• Use Gen2 for new projects
• AWS will make a public announcement when the migration tool becomes available

Community Need: Your question (along with the 3 positive reactions) demonstrates clear community interest in this tooling. The lack of a specific timeline after 1+ years is understandably concerning for Gen1 users planning their migration strategy.

Recommendations:

1. Stay Updated: Monitor the official channels mentioned in the previous response:

   • https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/mobile/
   • https://docs.amplify.aws/react/start/migrate-to-gen2/

2. Consider Manual Migration: For critical projects, you might want to evaluate manual migration using the existing documentation

3. Community Input: Your feedback about timeline concerns is valuable - consider engaging with AWS through official channels to express the importance of this tooling for your use case

Meanwhile, I'll bring up this issue to the team for visibility.

Thank you for your patience as the team works on this important tooling!

[jamilsaadeh97]

Many users and myself included have expressed their concerns on GitHub and Discord many times regarding the migration tool and no actual answer whatsoever has been given.

Is there a reason about this?

@ShadowCat567 I apologize for pinging you but since you're the only one active in this repo, can you please provide us with some information?

I see that the migration branch is stale for many months now and add to that the lack of activity and responses from the Amplify team is even more alarming.

Please provide us with an actual update.

[jiayiwang7]

@laboone and everyone following this issue, thanks for raising this question and for your patience.

The migration tool is currently on our roadmap as a top priority and is being actively worked on by the Amplify team. We understand the frustration around the timeline - it's been over a year since Gen2's release, and we recognize that the lack of concrete updates has been concerning for the community.

Our goal is to build a tool that is reliable while requiring reasonable minimum manual effort from users. This balance is harder to strike than it might initially appear. The migration process involves generating and deploying a Gen2 app equivalent to your Gen1 production environment, connecting it to existing stateful resources, transitioning Gen2 to become your production environment, and safely decommissioning the Gen1 setup.

We are committed to ensuring we never break your production applications during this process. Any migration tool we release must handle this transition without putting live systems at risk, while also minimizing the manual configuration work required from users. Getting both reliability and ease of use right in a single tool presents significant technical challenges that we're working through carefully.

The team is actively working on solving these technical challenges. We will provide updates as we make meaningful progress.

[iliapolo]

You can follow this PR to get a sense of the overall approach we are considering. Feedback is more than welcome!

[jamilsaadeh97]

@iliapolo by data replication, you mean the existing data (cognito users, dynamodb data) of a gen 1 app ?

[iliapolo]

@jamilsaadeh97 yes - the new Gen2 app needs access to that data. So you either replicate it, or share it across the Gen1 and Gen2 environments.