.NET MAUI — Build Native Cross-Platform Apps with C# and XAML

Introduction

.NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) is Microsoft's framework for building native cross-platform applications with C# and XAML. It unifies Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows development into a single project structure, replacing Xamarin.Forms with a modernized architecture built on .NET 6+.

What .NET MAUI Does

• Enables single-project development targeting Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows
• Provides native UI controls that map to platform-specific widgets
• Offers hot reload for both XAML and C# during development
• Includes a dependency injection container and app lifecycle management
• Supports Blazor Hybrid for embedding web UI within native app shells

Architecture Overview

MAUI uses a handler architecture where each cross-platform control maps to a platform-specific native control through handler classes. The framework runs on .NET runtime with platform-specific workloads (Android uses Mono, iOS uses AOT compilation, Windows uses WinUI 3, macOS uses Mac Catalyst). A single .csproj file manages all platform targets with conditional compilation and platform-specific resource management.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install the .NET SDK with MAUI workload via dotnet workload install maui
• Configure target frameworks in the .csproj file (net8.0-android, net8.0-ios, etc.)
• Manage app identity and permissions in Platforms/ folder per target
• Set up resources (fonts, images, splash screens) in the shared Resources/ directory
• Use MauiProgram.cs to configure services, fonts, and platform-specific handlers

Key Features

• Single project structure eliminates the need for separate platform projects
• Blazor Hybrid support lets you reuse web components inside native apps
• Native performance with platform-specific rendering (no WebView overhead)
• Extensive community ecosystem of controls and libraries via NuGet
• Visual Studio integration with designers, profilers, and device emulators

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Xamarin.Forms — predecessor to MAUI; MAUI modernizes the architecture with handlers and single-project structure
• Flutter — uses Dart with custom rendering; MAUI uses C# with native platform controls
• React Native — JavaScript with native views; MAUI targets developers already in the .NET ecosystem
• Uno Platform — also targets multiple platforms with C#/XAML but renders via SkiaSharp; MAUI uses native controls
• Avalonia UI — cross-platform .NET UI with custom rendering; MAUI provides native look and feel per platform

FAQ

Q: Is .NET MAUI the replacement for Xamarin? A: Yes. Microsoft officially transitioned from Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI. Xamarin support ended in May 2024 and MAUI is the recommended migration path.

Q: Can I use .NET MAUI on Linux? A: Linux is not officially supported as a deployment target. Community efforts exist but Microsoft focuses on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

Q: Does MAUI support hot reload? A: Yes. Both XAML Hot Reload and .NET Hot Reload are supported, allowing you to see UI and logic changes without restarting the app during debugging.

Q: Can I mix Blazor web components with native MAUI views? A: Yes. Blazor Hybrid lets you host Razor components inside a BlazorWebView control within your MAUI app, combining web and native UI in one application.

Sources

• https://github.com/dotnet/maui
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/