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Moving from Xamarin to .NET MAUI is a portfolio of project-specific upgrades, not a one-click conversion. Microsoft ended support for all Xamarin SDKs, including Xamarin.Forms, on May 1, 2024. That makes migration planning important, but an app that still runs is not the same as one maintained on a supported platform. Start by identifying each project and its dependencies, then choose a route, prepare the Xamarin.Forms baseline where applicable, and budget time for platform-specific fixes and testing.
What changes when Xamarin support ends?
Microsoft’s Xamarin-to-.NET migration guidance says support for all Xamarin SDKs, including Xamarin.Forms, ended May 1, 2024. Existing applications do not necessarily stop working on that date; the change is that the Xamarin SDKs are no longer supported. Continued operation and supported maintenance are different concerns.
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“Xamarin” can refer to several project types, including Xamarin.Forms apps and native Xamarin.Android, Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Mac, and Xamarin.tvOS projects. Microsoft documents upgrade paths for these and other project types, but their routes and constraints differ. First determine what each solution actually contains rather than assuming every project follows the Xamarin.Forms procedure.
The target is not necessarily a rewrite or a single consolidated project. Microsoft states that projects do not need to be rewritten and that multi-project solutions do not need to become a single multi-targeted project. Projects do need to move to the SDK-style project format.
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How should an enterprise inventory its Xamarin portfolio?
Build a solution-by-solution inventory before selecting a migration method. The purpose is to expose projects that need different handling and identify dependencies or platform-specific work that could change the plan.
- Project and target: Record whether each project is Xamarin.Forms, native Xamarin, UWP, a binding library, an iOS extension, or another project type, along with its target platform.
- Dependencies: List NuGet packages and other libraries, noting which have .NET-compatible versions and which may need replacement or investigation.
- Custom platform work: Identify renderers, platform-specific code, native integrations, bindings, and extensions.
- Operational importance: Record release criticality, owners, and dependencies between applications or shared components. Use this information to decide sequencing; Microsoft’s guidance does not prescribe an enterprise prioritization formula.
- Validation needs: Note the platforms, features, integrations, and workflows that must be exercised after the upgrade.
Use Microsoft’s overview of Xamarin project upgrade paths to map each project type to its applicable guidance. Treat excluded or specialized project types as separate work items rather than assuming the Upgrade Assistant will process them with the app.
Which migration route fits each project type?
| Project or decision | Documented route | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| Xamarin.Forms app | Manually migrate to a single-project MAUI app, manually migrate to a multi-project MAUI arrangement, or use the .NET Upgrade Assistant for supported common updates. See single-project guidance, multi-project guidance, and Upgrade Assistant guidance. | Stabilize the Xamarin.Forms app and dependencies first; plan for manual remediation and testing after conversion. |
| Native Xamarin project | Follow the project-type-specific route in Microsoft’s migration overview. | Do not apply Xamarin.Forms steps indiscriminately; platform and project details affect the upgrade path. |
| UWP project | Microsoft’s UWP migration guidance directs teams to update the project to SDK-style WinUI 3, resolve API and dependency changes, then compile and test. | Handle this as a distinct migration route, not as a supported Xamarin.Forms Upgrade Assistant project. |
| iOS extension or binding project | The Xamarin.Forms Upgrade Assistant workflow does not support these project types; consult the applicable project-specific guidance. | Track and estimate them separately from the automated app conversion. |
Should the MAUI app be single-project or multi-project?
Both structures are documented. Choose based on the shape of the application and how the organization wants to manage platform code, not on an assumption that one structure is mandatory.
| Structure | What the documented route involves | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Single-project MAUI app | Create a new MAUI app, then move code, configuration, and resources into it. The procedure is described in Microsoft’s manual single-project migration guide. | Consider it when consolidating the app into the single-project structure suits the team’s ownership and platform-code needs. |
| Multi-project arrangement | Create a MAUI app and move code and resources, or replace a Xamarin.Forms library with a MAUI library while converting and configuring platform projects. Microsoft describes the approach in its multi-project migration guide and multi-project overview. | Consider it when incremental upgrades or continued platform-project separation are important to the team. |
Compare the structures against incremental rollout needs, platform-specific ownership, project complexity, and the team’s ability to maintain the chosen arrangement. Microsoft documents the options but does not prescribe a universal enterprise choice.
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How should a Xamarin.Forms app be prepared?
For Xamarin.Forms applications, Microsoft recommends reducing avoidable differences before migrating. Its guidance is to move to Xamarin.Forms 5, update dependencies to their latest versions, and confirm the app still runs. This can reduce API differences and improve the chance that dependencies have compatible .NET versions. See Microsoft’s migration overview and manual multi-project procedure.
- Establish a working baseline. Build and run the existing Xamarin.Forms application for its supported targets before changing project structure.
- Upgrade Xamarin.Forms to version 5. Resolve issues introduced by that update and verify the app again.
- Update dependencies. Check for compatible .NET versions or documented replacements; do not presume that a Xamarin package has a direct MAUI equivalent.
- Re-run the baseline checks. Record the known-good behavior and current build state so later migration failures can be distinguished from pre-existing problems.
What does the .NET Upgrade Assistant change?
The .NET Upgrade Assistant can automate common conversion work. Microsoft’s Upgrade Assistant documentation describes converting selected projects to SDK-style, updating target frameworks and MAUI properties, adding or removing specified packages, and making common namespace changes. It can also replace selected package references, such as Xamarin.CommunityToolkit with the MAUI Community Toolkit package.
That automation is a starting point, not a completed migration. Microsoft explicitly warns: “After you run the tool, additional effort will be required to complete the migration.” The Xamarin.Forms workflow does not support UWP, iOS extension, or binding projects. Put those outside the tool-assisted scope and assign them their own route.
Which changes still need engineering work?
Whether the conversion is manual or tool-assisted, expect to review project structure, namespaces, APIs, dependencies, and MAUI setup. In a multi-project migration, the platform projects also need conversion and configuration for MAUI. A package or renderer that worked in Xamarin.Forms is not automatically compatible with the selected MAUI version; verify each dependency and platform integration individually.
- Project configuration: Confirm the projects use the required SDK-style format and have the correct target frameworks and MAUI properties.
- Namespaces and APIs: Resolve compile errors and behavior changes arising from moved namespaces or changed APIs.
- Packages and libraries: Update, replace, or remove dependencies that are not compatible with the target .NET and MAUI setup.
- Platform bootstrap and code: Check each platform project’s setup and adapt platform-specific implementation where required.
- Excluded projects: Keep UWP, iOS extensions, and bindings visible as distinct deliverables when they fall outside the Upgrade Assistant workflow.
How should teams sequence compilation and testing?
Microsoft’s manual migration guidance ends with compiling and testing. Treat a successful build as a checkpoint, not proof that the migrated app behaves like the original. Define validation gates for the application’s actual platforms, user journeys, integrations, and release risks; these are enterprise planning recommendations, not Microsoft-prescribed coverage targets.
- Compile the migrated projects. Resolve project-format, target-framework, namespace, API, package, and platform configuration errors.
- Test on each target platform. Verify critical workflows and platform-specific behavior, including the areas affected by custom renderers, native integrations, and replaced libraries.
- Test integrations and release paths. Check the application’s real service connections and the deployment or packaging steps used by the team.
- Decide readiness against internal gates. Require evidence appropriate to the app’s criticality before releasing the migrated version; a clean compile alone is insufficient.
The Microsoft material cited here does not establish migration success rates, project durations, costs, staffing ratios, ROI, or universal testing targets. Set those expectations from the portfolio’s own complexity and validation results rather than treating a general estimate as a documented Microsoft figure.
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