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Why you need to upgrade your Xamarin Apps to MAUI NOW!

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Before we begin, let’s give the ChatGPT answer as to why you need to upgrade your Xamarin App in 2024 to a MAUI app ready for 2025.

“Xamarin apps will not be taken off the App Stores directly; however, Microsoft has announced the end of support for Xamarin-based development with the transition to .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI). Here’s what this means for Xamarin apps:

  1. End of Support: Microsoft ended support for Xamarin.Forms on May 1, 2024. After this date, there will be no more updates, including security patches, for Xamarin.Forms. However, this doesn’t mean that existing Xamarin apps will be immediately removed from app stores like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

  2. Existing Apps: Xamarin apps that are already published on the App Stores will continue to function and be available as long as they are compatible with the latest OS versions and meet the app store policies. However, developers are encouraged to migrate to .NET MAUI to ensure continued support and compatibility with future OS updates.

  3. New Submissions and Updates: While Xamarin apps can still be updated and resubmitted to the app stores after the end of support, it’s important to note that as the underlying technologies evolve, maintaining these apps may become increasingly difficult. Developers may eventually face issues with compatibility or app store compliance, which could impact their ability to update or maintain these apps.

  4. Recommendation: Microsoft strongly recommends migrating Xamarin projects to .NET MAUI, as it provides a more modern and supported framework for cross-platform development. .NET MAUI is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms and offers improved performance, better tooling, and long-term support.

In summary, while Xamarin apps won’t be removed from the App Stores on a specific date, developers should plan to migrate to .NET MAUI to ensure continued support and compatibility.“

Ok, so the apps aren’t likely to come straight off the stores but what is likely to happen to Xamarin Apps if you don’t get them upgraded NOW! Over the last two years both Google and Apple have been increasing their efforts to ensure their stores aren’t filled with unmaintained redundant apps. One of the ways they do this is to enforce minimum SDK versions to keep apps up to date with their operating systems. This happens one or two times a year. As a result we are seeing apps being taken off the stores in an increased frequency so we are strongly advising our clients to update their Xamarin apps to MAUI ASAP!

If you would like to know more about what is involved in getting your app migrated over to MAUI please get in touch with us using our contact page and we’d be happy to assist you. 

What will it cost to migrate a Xamarin app to MAUI?

This depends on the size of your existing app and the diverse use of controls that are used. A good rule would be that for every £1 you’ve spent on building your app it is likely to cost an additional 10p to get it updated using MAUI. The other thing that will affect the cost in migrating your Xamarin app to MAUI is when it was originally built and whether or not it has been maintained and updated regularly and recently. If you haven’t it could be worth looking at other options. Building a new MAUI app could be a more cost effective solution in the long run if there is too much technical debt associated with your existing app. If you have outsourced the development of your app to companies that have not used SOLID principles, then it is likely to be a false economy trying to attempt a MAUI update. 
 

What is involved in migrating a Xamarin app to MAUI 

The reason this is a time consuming process is that an app is made up of so many “controls”. A control is either a built in feature like a text box known as an Entry, or something like a carousel. These are quite often third party packages that are written specifically for a type of platform and a MAUI package is different to a Xamarin package. Therefore, the process of migrating your app from Xamarin to MAUI will involve changing the core architecture of the app, but also investigating all the third party controls to see whether there is an existing MAUI alternative or replacement. Chances are this process is going to be very time consuming and costly. 

Why you need to act now?

There is more than likely going to be a backlog of apps needing this kind of work and the number of Xamarin / MAUI developers is limited. We’re already receiving enquiries from people through our website and LinkedIn about assisting with this kind of issue and we need to get through our existing client base first to help our own customers migrate their apps to MAUI. Our prediction is that if you do nothing, it could be that your app is removed from the store as early as August 2025. Please get in touch if you’d like a free phone consultation about whether we are likely to assist you with your Xamarin MAUI migration project. 
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