Xamarin Support Has Ended – Replatform Your Apps on .NET Maui

Author

Sam Sutherland

Date

02 / 05 / 2024

Xamarin support officially ended on May 1st, 2024. If you haven’t migrated your apps to .NET Maui yet, it’s better late than never to prioritise this critical step. By acting now, you can ensure you get continued security updates to protect your application and can leverage improved performance capabilities. The alternative is risking security breaches and compatibility issues and, eventually, being delisted from app stores. Taking action is the only way to ensure the continued success and security of your mobile apps. 

What happens if you don’t replatform your apps?

There will unlikely be any immediate problems if you don’t replatform your apps. However, you shouldn’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. Microsoft’s official end of Xamarin support marks a turning point for developers and app owners. While your existing apps might function in the short term, remaining with Xamarin poses significant long-term risks: 

  • Security Vulnerabilities – Microsoft will no longer provide bug fixes, security updates or online technical assistance, making your apps vulnerable to viruses, spyware and other malicious software. This is a considerable risk with the potential to harm your users and damage your reputation. 
  • Limited Functionality – app updates need to be built with the latest SDKs, and while you can still deploy to the Google App Store at the moment, Google will likely follow suit soon. To make even the smallest update, fix an app, or release an app, you really need to migrate from Xamarin. Otherwise, your app will remain stagnant and ultimately incompatible with future technology advancements.
  • App Store Delisting – failing to comply with app store guidelines, including utilising outdated frameworks, can lead to removal. This means your app becomes inaccessible to new users, potentially resulting in lost revenue and a decline in user base.
  • Development Roadblocks – even minor updates become impossible without migration. Bug fixes, app improvements, and new features will all be out of reach. Additionally, your apps might rely on third-party libraries or dependencies that themselves require updates to function properly. Without Xamarin support, these dependencies may no longer be maintained, leading to compatibility issues and potential crashes.

By migrating to .NET Maui, you gain access to a modern, secure platform with ongoing support. This ensures your apps remain compatible, secure, and can leverage the latest mobile technologies.

Why Move to .NET Maui?

Microsoft has made the move from Xamarin to .NET Maui to streamline development. .NET Maui offers a unified platform for building cross-platform apps (Android, iOS, macOS, Windows) using familiar .NET tools and languages. This simplifies development, improves performance, and allows developers to leverage the broader .NET ecosystem. It’s a strategic shift by Microsoft to create a single, robust platform for mobile app development.

The shift to .NET Maui is driven by the need to modernise and adapt to the changing technological landscape. While it does involve work, it’s an opportunity for growth and modernisation. For those already comfortable within the Microsoft ecosystem and with existing .NET projects, migrating from Xamarin to .NET Maui offers a smooth transition. It leverages familiar tools and languages, maximises the value of existing code, and provides a strong foundation for continued development and success. 

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the .NET ecosystem, the transition to .NET Maui offers many benefits. You’ll be able to use the latest .NET features, such as C# 10 and .NET Hot Reload, leverage the power and performance of .NET 8, simplify your app development and maintenance by using a single codebase for all platforms, and customise and extend your app UI with native controls. What’s more, there’s a considerable amount of support available to help you do so. Ultimately, with .NET Maui, you can future-proof your app, ensure it will run on the latest versions of Android and iOS and benefit from ongoing support and updates from Microsoft and its community. 

Key tools and resources for replatforming your apps

How easy it is to migrate to .NET Maui will vary depending on the complexity and size of your application. Simple applications with minimal platform-specific code and third-party dependencies may be relatively straightforward, with minor code adjustments. On the other end of the scale, complex applications with many customisations, deep integration with platform-specific APIs and a large codebase will be more complicated. 

As with any app migration, having the necessary tools makes the transition much easier and helps to mitigate common challenges and streamline the process. Fortunately, Microsoft offers a robust suite of tools and extensive migration resources:

  • Microsoft Upgrade Assistant – based within Visual Studio, Microsoft Upgrade Assistant is a free intelligent tool that aims to streamline migration from Xamarin to .NET. The tool automates common code updates, adjusts project files and highlights code segments that need manual intervention. The assistant reduces manual work, identifies potential issues and streamlines the whole migration process, saving valuable time and resources. 
  • Maui Documentation – Microsoft is well known for providing extensive documentation and it’s no different for .NET Maui. Whether you want help with setup, custom renderers or platform-specific integration, there are plenty of resources that you can use to help tackle the migration and increase your knowledge of .NET Maui. 
  • Community Forums – Microsoft has a vast developer community, which is ideal for support and knowledge sharing. Experienced Maui developers often contribute their insights and give practical advice and solutions to common migration challenges. 

Do You Need Help With .NET Maui Migration? 

You’ll need a strategic approach to ensure a smooth transition to .NET Maui while maintaining the integrity and functionality of your applications. You’ll need to identify components such as third-party libraries, custom rendered and platform-specific code that require extra attention. Moreover, you must set up your Maui development environments correctly with the latest version of Visual Studio and the .NET SDK. While the upgrade assistant will be vital for automating some of the process, manual code adjustments will undoubtedly still be required, especially if your app uses UI and platform-specific functionalities. 

If you haven’t replatformed your Xamarin apps yet, it’s vital to take action as soon as possible. However, you don’t have to go it alone. At XAM we understand the complexities of migrating to .NET Maui. Our experienced developers can handle all the technical aspects, giving you time to focus on core functionalities. And, of course, we meticulously test migrated applications across all target platforms, paying close attention to UI functionality and performance. With continued support from .NET and our highly experienced team, you can rely on the ongoing success of your applications.