diff --git a/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/CapConfig.java b/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/CapConfig.java
index b36cffe04b..75e3ace0de 100644
--- a/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/CapConfig.java
+++ b/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/CapConfig.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public class CapConfig {
     private boolean webContentsDebuggingEnabled = false;
     private boolean loggingEnabled = true;
     private boolean initialFocus = true;
+    private boolean useLegacyBridge = false;
     private int minWebViewVersion = DEFAULT_ANDROID_WEBVIEW_VERSION;
     private String errorPath;
 
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ private CapConfig(Builder builder) {
         this.webContentsDebuggingEnabled = builder.webContentsDebuggingEnabled;
         this.loggingEnabled = builder.loggingEnabled;
         this.initialFocus = builder.initialFocus;
+        this.useLegacyBridge = builder.useLegacyBridge;
         this.minWebViewVersion = builder.minWebViewVersion;
         this.errorPath = builder.errorPath;
 
@@ -186,6 +188,7 @@ private void deserializeConfig(@Nullable Context context) {
             );
         minWebViewVersion = JSONUtils.getInt(configJSON, "android.minWebViewVersion", DEFAULT_ANDROID_WEBVIEW_VERSION);
         captureInput = JSONUtils.getBoolean(configJSON, "android.captureInput", captureInput);
+        useLegacyBridge = JSONUtils.getBoolean(configJSON, "android.useLegacyBridge", useLegacyBridge);
         webContentsDebuggingEnabled = JSONUtils.getBoolean(configJSON, "android.webContentsDebuggingEnabled", isDebug);
 
         String logBehavior = JSONUtils.getString(
@@ -284,6 +287,10 @@ public boolean isInitialFocus() {
         return initialFocus;
     }
 
+    public boolean isUsingLegacyBridge() {
+        return useLegacyBridge;
+    }
+
     public int getMinWebViewVersion() {
         if (minWebViewVersion < MINIMUM_ANDROID_WEBVIEW_VERSION) {
             Logger.warn("Specified minimum webview version is too low, defaulting to " + MINIMUM_ANDROID_WEBVIEW_VERSION);
@@ -450,6 +457,7 @@ public static class Builder {
         private Boolean webContentsDebuggingEnabled = null;
         private boolean loggingEnabled = true;
         private boolean initialFocus = false;
+        private boolean useLegacyBridge = false;
         private int minWebViewVersion = DEFAULT_ANDROID_WEBVIEW_VERSION;
 
         // Embedded
@@ -545,6 +553,11 @@ public Builder setCaptureInput(boolean captureInput) {
             return this;
         }
 
+        public Builder setUseLegacyBridge(boolean useLegacyBridge) {
+            this.useLegacyBridge = useLegacyBridge;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         public Builder setWebContentsDebuggingEnabled(boolean webContentsDebuggingEnabled) {
             this.webContentsDebuggingEnabled = webContentsDebuggingEnabled;
             return this;
diff --git a/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/MessageHandler.java b/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/MessageHandler.java
index 76b4831bdc..5e661989ad 100644
--- a/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/MessageHandler.java
+++ b/android/capacitor/src/main/java/com/getcapacitor/MessageHandler.java
@@ -25,16 +25,15 @@ public MessageHandler(Bridge bridge, WebView webView, PluginManager cordovaPlugi
         this.webView = webView;
         this.cordovaPluginManager = cordovaPluginManager;
 
-        WebViewCompat.WebMessageListener capListener = (view, message, sourceOrigin, isMainFrame, replyProxy) -> {
-            if (isMainFrame) {
-                postMessage(message.getData());
-                javaScriptReplyProxy = replyProxy;
-            } else {
-                Logger.warn("Plugin execution is allowed in Main Frame only");
-            }
-        };
-
-        if (WebViewFeature.isFeatureSupported(WebViewFeature.WEB_MESSAGE_LISTENER)) {
+        if (WebViewFeature.isFeatureSupported(WebViewFeature.WEB_MESSAGE_LISTENER) && !bridge.getConfig().isUsingLegacyBridge()) {
+            WebViewCompat.WebMessageListener capListener = (view, message, sourceOrigin, isMainFrame, replyProxy) -> {
+                if (isMainFrame) {
+                    postMessage(message.getData());
+                    javaScriptReplyProxy = replyProxy;
+                } else {
+                    Logger.warn("Plugin execution is allowed in Main Frame only");
+                }
+            };
             try {
                 WebViewCompat.addWebMessageListener(webView, "androidBridge", bridge.getAllowedOriginRules(), capListener);
             } catch (Exception ex) {
@@ -123,12 +122,12 @@ public void sendResponseMessage(PluginCall call, PluginResult successResult, Plu
 
             boolean isValidCallbackId = !call.getCallbackId().equals(PluginCall.CALLBACK_ID_DANGLING);
             if (isValidCallbackId) {
-                if (WebViewFeature.isFeatureSupported(WebViewFeature.WEB_MESSAGE_LISTENER) && javaScriptReplyProxy != null) {
+                if (bridge.getConfig().isUsingLegacyBridge()) {
+                    legacySendResponseMessage(data);
+                } else if (WebViewFeature.isFeatureSupported(WebViewFeature.WEB_MESSAGE_LISTENER) && javaScriptReplyProxy != null) {
                     javaScriptReplyProxy.postMessage(data.toString());
                 } else {
-                    final String runScript = "window.Capacitor.fromNative(" + data.toString() + ")";
-                    final WebView webView = this.webView;
-                    webView.post(() -> webView.evaluateJavascript(runScript, null));
+                    legacySendResponseMessage(data);
                 }
             } else {
                 bridge.getApp().fireRestoredResult(data);
@@ -141,6 +140,12 @@ public void sendResponseMessage(PluginCall call, PluginResult successResult, Plu
         }
     }
 
+    private void legacySendResponseMessage(PluginResult data) {
+        final String runScript = "window.Capacitor.fromNative(" + data.toString() + ")";
+        final WebView webView = this.webView;
+        webView.post(() -> webView.evaluateJavascript(runScript, null));
+    }
+
     private void callPluginMethod(String callbackId, String pluginId, String methodName, JSObject methodData) {
         PluginCall call = new PluginCall(this, pluginId, callbackId, methodName, methodData);
         bridge.callPluginMethod(pluginId, methodName, call);
diff --git a/cli/src/declarations.ts b/cli/src/declarations.ts
index 9a1b5694f0..febbb42fae 100644
--- a/cli/src/declarations.ts
+++ b/cli/src/declarations.ts
@@ -263,6 +263,15 @@ export interface CapacitorConfig {
        */
       releaseType?: 'AAB' | 'APK';
     };
+
+    /**
+     * Use legacy [addJavascriptInterface](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebView#addJavascriptInterface(java.lang.Object,%20java.lang.String))
+     * instead of the new and more secure [addWebMessageListener](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/webkit/WebViewCompat#addWebMessageListener(android.webkit.WebView,java.lang.String,java.util.Set%3Cjava.lang.String%3E,androidx.webkit.WebViewCompat.WebMessageListener))
+     *
+     * @since 4.5.0
+     * @default false
+     */
+    useLegacyBridge: boolean;
   };
 
   ios?: {