diff --git a/app-template/config-template.xml b/app-template/config-template.xml
index 5a72f4560..1629573c3 100644
--- a/app-template/config-template.xml
+++ b/app-template/config-template.xml
@@ -16,11 +16,6 @@
     <preference name="iosPersistentFileLocation" value="Library" />
     <preference name="DisallowOverscroll" value="true"/>
     <preference name="HideKeyboardFormAccessoryBar" value="true"/>
-    <preference name="SplashScreen" value="copayscreen" />
-    <preference name="ShowSplashScreenSpinner" value="false" />
-    <preference name="AutoHideSplashScreen" value="false" />
-    <preference name="FadeSplashScreen" value="true" />
-    <preference name="FadeSplashScreenDuration" value="1" />
     <preference name="KeyboardDisplayRequiresUserAction" value="false" />
     <preference name="StatusBarOverlaysWebView" value="true" />
     <preference name="StatusBarBackgroundColor" value="#1e3186" />
@@ -28,6 +23,13 @@
     <preference name="BackupWebStorage" value="none"/>
     <preference name="windows-target-version" value="8.1"/>
     <preference name="Orientation" value="default" />
+    <preference name="cordova-custom-config-stoponerror" value="true" />
+
+    <preference name="ShowSplashScreenSpinner" value="false" />
+    <preference name="AutoHideSplashScreen" value="false" />
+    <preference name="FadeSplashScreen" value="true" />
+    <preference name="FadeSplashScreenDuration" value="100" />
+    <preference name="SplashMaintainAspectRatio" value="true" />
 
     <!-- Plugins -->
     <plugin name="cordova-plugin-device" spec="~1.1.3"/>
@@ -57,8 +59,9 @@
       <variable name="URL_SCHEME" value="UNUSED" />
     </plugin>
     <plugin name="phonegap-plugin-push" spec="~1.8.2">
-         <variable name="SENDER_ID" value="*PUSHSENDERID*"/>
-     </plugin>
+      <variable name="SENDER_ID" value="*PUSHSENDERID*"/>
+    </plugin>
+    <plugin name="cordova-custom-config" spec="~3.0.5" />
 
     <!-- Supported Platforms -->
     <engine name="ios" spec="~4.2.1" />
@@ -67,9 +70,8 @@
 
     <!-- Platform Specific Settings -->
     <platform name="ios">
-      <!-- <hook type="after_prepare" src="util/hooks/ios/add-custom-urls-to-plist.js" />
-      <hook type="after_prepare" src="util/hooks/ios/add-uistatusbarhidden-to-plist.js" /> -->
-
+      <config-file platform="ios" target="*-Info.plist" parent="UIStatusBarHidden"><true/></config-file>
+      <config-file platform="ios" target="*-Info.plist" parent="UIViewControllerBasedStatusBarAppearance"><false/></config-file>
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/icon/icon-60@3x.png" width="180" height="180" />
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/icon/icon-60.png" width="60" height="60" />
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/icon/icon-60@2x.png" width="120" height="120" />
@@ -87,7 +89,6 @@
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/icon/icon-50.png" width="50" height="50" />
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/icon/icon-50@2x.png" width="100" height="100" />
 
-
       <splash src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/splash/Default~iphone.png" width="320" height="480"/>
       <splash src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/splash/Default@2x~iphone.png" width="640" height="960"/>
       <splash src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/ios/splash/Default-Portrait~ipad.png" width="768" height="1024"/>
@@ -101,8 +102,7 @@
     </platform>
 
     <platform name="android">
-      <hook type="after_prepare" src="util/hooks/android/add-custom-urls-to-android-manifest.js" />
-      <hook type="after_prepare" src="util/hooks/android/prohibit-cloud-backups-in-android-manifest.js" />
+      <preference name="android-manifest/application/@android:allowBackup" value="false" />
 
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/android/icon/drawable-ldpi-icon.png" density="ldpi" />
       <icon src="resources/*PACKAGENAME*/android/icon/drawable-mdpi-icon.png" density="mdpi" />
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e474ad514..03b305a7c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
     "bitcore-wallet-client": "4.2.1",
     "bower": "^1.7.9",
     "chai": "^3.5.0",
-    "cordova": "5.4.1",
     "cordova-android": "5.1.1",
+    "cordova-custom-config": "^3.0.5",
     "cordova-plugin-qrscanner": "^2.3.1",
     "coveralls": "^2.11.9",
     "express": "^4.11.2",
@@ -89,12 +89,9 @@
     "clean-all":              "git clean -dfx && npm install"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "androidmanifest": "^2.0.0",
-    "cordova": "^5.4.1",
-    "globby": "^6.0.0",
+    "cordova": "^6.3.1",
+    "grunt": "^1.0.1",
     "ionic": "^2.1.0",
-    "plist": "^2.0.1",
-    "trash-cli": "^1.4.0",
-    "xcode": "^0.8.2"
+    "trash-cli": "^1.4.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/util/hooks/android/add-custom-urls-to-android-manifest.js b/util/hooks/android/add-custom-urls-to-android-manifest.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 6fd5747df..000000000
--- a/util/hooks/android/add-custom-urls-to-android-manifest.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-var AndroidManifest = require('androidmanifest');
-
-var FILEPATH = 'platforms/android/AndroidManifest.xml';
-var manifest = new AndroidManifest().readFile(FILEPATH);
-
-var mainActivity = manifest.activity('MainActivity');
-
-var customUrls = ['copay', 'bitcoin', 'bitauth'];
-
-customUrls.forEach(function(url){
-  var selector = 'intent-filter > data[android\\:scheme=' + url + ']';
-  if(mainActivity.find(selector).length > 0){
-    return;
-  }
-
-  var intentFilter = manifest.$('<intent-filter>');
-  intentFilter.append('<data android:scheme="' + url + '" />');
-  intentFilter.append('<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />');
-  intentFilter.append('<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />');
-  intentFilter.append('<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />');
-  mainActivity.append(intentFilter);
-});
-
-manifest.writeFile(FILEPATH);
-console.log('custome uri schemes written to AndroidManifest');
diff --git a/util/hooks/android/prohibit-cloud-backups-in-android-manifest.js b/util/hooks/android/prohibit-cloud-backups-in-android-manifest.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 1f5f4d53a..000000000
--- a/util/hooks/android/prohibit-cloud-backups-in-android-manifest.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = function(ctx) {
-  var fs = ctx.requireCordovaModule('fs'),
-    path = ctx.requireCordovaModule('path'),
-    xml = ctx.requireCordovaModule('cordova-common').xmlHelpers;
-
-  var manifestPath = path.join(ctx.opts.projectRoot, '/platforms/android/AndroidManifest.xml');
-  var doc = xml.parseElementtreeSync(manifestPath);
-  if (doc.getroot().tag !== 'manifest') {
-    throw new Error(manifestPath + ' has incorrect root node name (expected "manifest")');
-  }
-
-  doc.getroot().find('./application').attrib['android:allowBackup'] = "false";
-
-  //write the manifest file
-  fs.writeFileSync(manifestPath, doc.write({
-    indent: 4
-  }), 'utf-8');
-};