diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index a3b6edc7..de4e1982 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "packages/capacitor-plugin": "3.1.0"
+  "packages/capacitor-plugin": "4.0.0-rc"
 }
diff --git a/packages/capacitor-plugin/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/capacitor-plugin/CHANGELOG.md
index 038100fe..ba9214f8 100644
--- a/packages/capacitor-plugin/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/capacitor-plugin/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
 # Change Log
 
+## [4.0.0-rc](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/compare/3.1.0...4.0.0-rc) (2026-10-07)
+
+
+### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
+
+* **android:** allow offline background execution ([#159](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/issues/159))
+* align plugin baselines with core ([#162](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/issues/162))
+* **local-notifications:** plugin now uses local-notifications plugin configuration for smallIcon and sound
+
+### Features
+
+* align plugin baselines with core ([#162](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/issues/162)) ([f54a32c](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/commit/f54a32c0fb163df5dde17673e13817298b47d32a))
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **android:** allow offline background execution ([#159](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/issues/159)) ([a0c6556](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/commit/a0c6556222b804962fa5670de938276679f92a99))
+* **android:** making install_libs script more robust ([#172](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/issues/172)) ([a382cf2](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/commit/a382cf23f0ef0a71c39ae5f9a5e5ed53aa983b1b))
+* **ios:** remove usage of APIs deprecated in iOS 14 and iOS 15 ([8981234](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/commit/8981234bcdad85b582339e61a4d289bc97bd709b))
+* **ios:** remove usage of APIs deprecated in iOS 14 and iOS 15 ([6b73444](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/commit/6b734447c459a5d76a00d1f0140fcc6e971165f6))
+* **local-notifications:** read config from LocalNotifications plugin object ([#170](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/issues/170)) ([be5a78e](https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-background-runner/commit/be5a78ec232b1389ec17d090f3ef7bd3311dcb44))
+
 ## 3.1.0
 
 ### Minor Changes
diff --git a/packages/capacitor-plugin/package.json b/packages/capacitor-plugin/package.json
index fbc2b99a..8cd6277a 100644
--- a/packages/capacitor-plugin/package.json
+++ b/packages/capacitor-plugin/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@capacitor/background-runner",
-  "version": "3.1.0",
+  "version": "4.0.0-rc",
   "description": "Capacitor Background Runner",
   "main": "dist/plugin.cjs.js",
   "module": "dist/esm/index.js",