diff --git a/cli/src/config.ts b/cli/src/config.ts
index bfd67df4b..05dd86393 100644
--- a/cli/src/config.ts
+++ b/cli/src/config.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { pathExists, readJSON } from '@ionic/utils-fs';
+import { pathExists, readFile, readJSON } from '@ionic/utils-fs';
 import Debug from 'debug';
 import { dirname, join, relative, resolve } from 'path';
 
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import type {
 } from './definitions';
 import { OS } from './definitions';
 import { fatal, isFatal } from './errors';
+import { logger } from './log';
 import { tryFn } from './util/fn';
 import { resolveNode, requireTS } from './util/node';
 import { lazy } from './util/promise';
@@ -240,11 +241,19 @@ async function loadIOSConfig(
   const nativeProjectDir = 'App';
   const nativeProjectDirAbs = resolve(platformDirAbs, nativeProjectDir);
   const nativeTargetDir = `${nativeProjectDir}/App`;
+  const nativeTargetDirAbs = resolve(platformDirAbs, nativeTargetDir);
   const nativeXcodeProjDir = `${nativeProjectDir}/App.xcodeproj`;
+  const nativeXcodeProjDirAbs = resolve(platformDirAbs, nativeXcodeProjDir);
   const nativeXcodeWorkspaceDirAbs = lazy(() =>
     determineXcodeWorkspaceDirAbs(nativeProjectDirAbs),
   );
-  const webDir = `${nativeProjectDir}/public`;
+  const webDirAbs = lazy(() =>
+    determineIOSWebDirAbs(
+      nativeProjectDirAbs,
+      nativeTargetDirAbs,
+      nativeXcodeProjDirAbs,
+    ),
+  );
   const cordovaPluginsDir = 'capacitor-cordova-ios-plugins';
 
   return {
@@ -257,15 +266,15 @@ async function loadIOSConfig(
     nativeProjectDir,
     nativeProjectDirAbs,
     nativeTargetDir,
-    nativeTargetDirAbs: resolve(platformDirAbs, nativeTargetDir),
+    nativeTargetDirAbs,
     nativeXcodeProjDir,
-    nativeXcodeProjDirAbs: resolve(platformDirAbs, nativeXcodeProjDir),
+    nativeXcodeProjDirAbs,
     nativeXcodeWorkspaceDir: lazy(async () =>
       relative(platformDirAbs, await nativeXcodeWorkspaceDirAbs),
     ),
     nativeXcodeWorkspaceDirAbs,
-    webDir,
-    webDirAbs: resolve(platformDirAbs, webDir),
+    webDir: lazy(async () => relative(platformDirAbs, await webDirAbs)),
+    webDirAbs,
     podPath,
   };
 }
@@ -312,6 +321,41 @@ async function determineXcodeWorkspaceDirAbs(
   return xcodeDir;
 }
 
+async function determineIOSWebDirAbs(
+  nativeProjectDirAbs: string,
+  nativeTargetDirAbs: string,
+  nativeXcodeProjDirAbs: string,
+): Promise<string> {
+  const re = /path\s=\spublic[\s\S]+?sourceTree\s=\s([^;]+)/;
+  const pbxprojPath = resolve(nativeXcodeProjDirAbs, 'project.pbxproj');
+  const pbxproj = await readFile(pbxprojPath, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+
+  const m = pbxproj.match(re);
+
+  if (m === null) {
+    fatal(`Unrecognized structure in ${c.strong(pbxprojPath)}`);
+  }
+
+  const [, sourceTree] = m;
+
+  if (sourceTree === 'SOURCE_ROOT') {
+    logger.warn(
+      `Using the iOS project root for the ${c.strong(
+        'public',
+      )} directory is deprecated.\n` +
+        `Please follow the Upgrade Guide to move ${c.strong(
+          'public',
+        )} inside the iOS target directory: ${c.strong(
+          'https://capacitorjs.com/docs/v3/updating/3-0#move-public-into-the-ios-target-directory',
+        )}`,
+    );
+
+    return resolve(nativeProjectDirAbs, 'public');
+  }
+
+  return resolve(nativeTargetDirAbs, 'public');
+}
+
 async function determineAndroidStudioPath(os: OS): Promise<string> {
   if (process.env.CAPACITOR_ANDROID_STUDIO_PATH) {
     return process.env.CAPACITOR_ANDROID_STUDIO_PATH;
diff --git a/cli/src/cordova.ts b/cli/src/cordova.ts
index 7771b165e..ad4a38a55 100644
--- a/cli/src/cordova.ts
+++ b/cli/src/cordova.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ export async function copyPluginsJS(
   cordovaPlugins: Plugin[],
   platform: string,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const webDir = getWebDir(config, platform);
+  const webDir = await getWebDir(config, platform);
   const pluginsDir = join(webDir, 'plugins');
   const cordovaPluginsJSFile = join(webDir, 'cordova_plugins.js');
   await removePluginFiles(config, platform);
@@ -189,22 +189,26 @@ export async function copyCordovaJS(
     );
   }
 
-  return copy(cordovaPath, join(getWebDir(config, platform), 'cordova.js'));
+  return copy(
+    cordovaPath,
+    join(await getWebDir(config, platform), 'cordova.js'),
+  );
 }
 
 export async function createEmptyCordovaJS(
   config: Config,
   platform: string,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  await writeFile(join(getWebDir(config, platform), 'cordova.js'), '');
-  await writeFile(join(getWebDir(config, platform), 'cordova_plugins.js'), '');
+  const webDir = await getWebDir(config, platform);
+  await writeFile(join(webDir, 'cordova.js'), '');
+  await writeFile(join(webDir, 'cordova_plugins.js'), '');
 }
 
 export async function removePluginFiles(
   config: Config,
   platform: string,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const webDir = getWebDir(config, platform);
+  const webDir = await getWebDir(config, platform);
   const pluginsDir = join(webDir, 'plugins');
   const cordovaPluginsJSFile = join(webDir, 'cordova_plugins.js');
   await remove(pluginsDir);
@@ -271,7 +275,7 @@ export async function autoGenerateConfig(
   await writeFile(cordovaConfigXMLFile, content);
 }
 
-function getWebDir(config: Config, platform: string): string {
+async function getWebDir(config: Config, platform: string): Promise<string> {
   if (platform === 'ios') {
     return config.ios.webDirAbs;
   }
@@ -286,7 +290,7 @@ export async function handleCordovaPluginsJS(
   config: Config,
   platform: string,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  if (!(await pathExists(getWebDir(config, platform)))) {
+  if (!(await pathExists(await getWebDir(config, platform)))) {
     await copyTask(config, platform);
   }
   if (cordovaPlugins.length > 0) {
diff --git a/cli/src/definitions.ts b/cli/src/definitions.ts
index 92c559e3b..6f4f8e801 100644
--- a/cli/src/definitions.ts
+++ b/cli/src/definitions.ts
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ export interface IOSConfig extends PlatformConfig {
   readonly cordovaPluginsDirAbs: string;
   readonly minVersion: string;
   readonly podPath: string;
-  readonly webDir: string;
-  readonly webDirAbs: string;
+  readonly webDir: Promise<string>;
+  readonly webDirAbs: Promise<string>;
   readonly nativeProjectDir: string;
   readonly nativeProjectDirAbs: string;
   readonly nativeTargetDir: string;
diff --git a/cli/src/tasks/copy.ts b/cli/src/tasks/copy.ts
index b22a5a6a7..d5c834f14 100644
--- a/cli/src/tasks/copy.ts
+++ b/cli/src/tasks/copy.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export async function copy(
     }
 
     if (platformName === config.ios.name) {
-      await copyWebDir(config, config.ios.webDirAbs);
+      await copyWebDir(config, await config.ios.webDirAbs);
       await copyCapacitorConfig(config, config.ios.nativeTargetDirAbs);
       const cordovaPlugins = await getCordovaPlugins(config, platformName);
       await handleCordovaPluginsJS(cordovaPlugins, config, platformName);
diff --git a/cli/test/update.ios.spec.ts b/cli/test/update.ios.spec.ts
index c3975d1f9..317e5cce5 100644
--- a/cli/test/update.ios.spec.ts
+++ b/cli/test/update.ios.spec.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe.each([false, true])('Update: iOS (monoRepoLike: %p)', monoRepoLike => {
 
   it('Should install Cordova plugin JS', async () => {
     const cordovaPluginJSContent = await FS.read(
-      'ios/App/public/cordova_plugins.js',
+      'ios/App/App/public/cordova_plugins.js',
     );
     const regex = new RegExp(CORDOVA_PLUGIN_ID);
     expect(regex.test(cordovaPluginJSContent)).toBe(true);
diff --git a/ios-template/.gitignore b/ios-template/.gitignore
index 7a8999263..75e8c5aec 100644
--- a/ios-template/.gitignore
+++ b/ios-template/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 App/build
 App/Pods
-App/public
 App/Podfile.lock
+App/App/public
 DerivedData
 xcuserdata
 
diff --git a/ios-template/App/App.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/ios-template/App/App.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index b97ce9e6b..f83db6776 100644
--- a/ios-template/App/App.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/ios-template/App/App.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 		504EC30E1FED79650016851F /* Assets.xcassets */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = folder.assetcatalog; path = Assets.xcassets; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		504EC3111FED79650016851F /* Base */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = file.storyboard; name = Base; path = Base.lproj/LaunchScreen.storyboard; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		504EC3131FED79650016851F /* Info.plist */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = text.plist.xml; path = Info.plist; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
-		50B271D01FEDC1A000F3C39B /* public */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = folder; path = public; sourceTree = SOURCE_ROOT; };
+		50B271D01FEDC1A000F3C39B /* public */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = folder; path = public; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		AF277DCFFFF123FFC6DF26C7 /* Pods_App.framework */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; explicitFileType = wrapper.framework; includeInIndex = 0; path = Pods_App.framework; sourceTree = BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR; };
 		AF51FD2D460BCFE21FA515B2 /* Pods-App.release.xcconfig */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; includeInIndex = 1; lastKnownFileType = text.xcconfig; name = "Pods-App.release.xcconfig"; path = "Pods/Target Support Files/Pods-App/Pods-App.release.xcconfig"; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		FC68EB0AF532CFC21C3344DD /* Pods-App.debug.xcconfig */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; includeInIndex = 1; lastKnownFileType = text.xcconfig; name = "Pods-App.debug.xcconfig"; path = "Pods/Target Support Files/Pods-App/Pods-App.debug.xcconfig"; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
diff --git a/ios-template/App/public/.gitkeep b/ios-template/App/App/public/.gitkeep
similarity index 100%
rename from ios-template/App/public/.gitkeep
rename to ios-template/App/App/public/.gitkeep