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Move a Xamarin portfolio to .NET MAUI as a set of assessed, validated project migrations—not as a one-click conversion. Microsoft ended support for all Xamarin SDKs, including Xamarin.Forms, on May 1, 2024. Existing apps may continue to run, but continued operation is not the same as supported maintenance. Microsoft documents migration routes for Xamarin.Forms and native Xamarin project types; the right route depends on each project’s structure, target platforms, dependencies, and platform-specific code. Microsoft’s upgrade overview is the starting point.
Start by identifying what is actually in the portfolio
Do not assume that every project in a Xamarin solution follows the Xamarin.Forms migration procedure. Microsoft documents routes for Xamarin.Android, Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Mac, Xamarin.tvOS, Xamarin.Forms, and Xamarin.Forms UWP, among other project types. Tool coverage and project constraints differ, so record the project type before assigning a migration method.
For each application and solution, create an inventory that engineering and product owners can use to scope work:
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- Third-party packages, binding projects, and iOS extension projects.
- Custom renderers, platform-specific code, and other dependencies on native APIs.
- Release criticality, ownership, and any planned product changes that could affect migration sequencing.
The first three categories determine the technical path; criticality and ownership are planning inputs for your own portfolio decisions, not Microsoft-prescribed prioritization criteria.
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Choose a route for each project type
For Xamarin.Forms, Microsoft documents both single-project and multi-project .NET MAUI approaches. For native Xamarin projects and UWP, use the corresponding project-specific guidance rather than treating the Forms workflow as universal.
| Starting point | Documented direction | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| Xamarin.Forms app | Move to Xamarin.Forms 5, update dependencies, and confirm the app works before migrating. Then choose a single-project or multi-project MAUI structure. Manual multi-project guidance; manual single-project guidance. | Stabilize the existing app first; the two structures have different project and resource arrangements. |
| Native Xamarin.Android, Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Mac, or Xamarin.tvOS | Follow the project-type-specific route in Microsoft’s upgrade overview. | Do not presume a Xamarin.Forms conversion process applies to native projects. |
| Xamarin.Forms UWP | Microsoft’s UWP guidance directs teams to update the project to SDK-style WinUI 3, address namespace, API, and dependency changes, then compile and test. UWP project migration guidance. | Treat this as a distinct migration workstream rather than an ordinary Forms-to-MAUI conversion. |
| iOS extension or binding project in a Xamarin.Forms solution | The documented Xamarin.Forms Upgrade Assistant workflow does not support these project types. Upgrade Assistant documentation. | Plan separate remediation using project-specific guidance; do not count on the Forms tool workflow to convert them. |
Stabilize Xamarin.Forms before changing frameworks
For a Xamarin.Forms app, Microsoft recommends first upgrading the app to Xamarin.Forms 5, updating dependencies to their latest versions, and confirming that the app still runs. This reduces the API distance to MAUI and improves the likelihood that dependencies have compatible .NET versions. Record the working baseline—build configuration, key user journeys, and known issues—so that later failures can be distinguished from problems that predated migration. The baseline-recording practice is an enterprise planning recommendation, not a Microsoft-mandated artifact. See Microsoft’s manual multi-project steps and Upgrade Assistant guidance.
Decide between single-project and multi-project MAUI
A single-project app centralizes platform targets and shared code in a MAUI app project. A multi-project arrangement keeps platform projects separate and can be used to migrate components incrementally. Neither structure is a universal enterprise default: Microsoft explicitly says multi-project solutions do not have to become a single multi-targeted project.
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| Consideration | Single-project route | Multi-project route |
|---|---|---|
| Documented migration shape | Create a new MAUI app, then move code, configuration, and resources into it. Microsoft’s single-project procedure. | Create a MAUI app and move code/resources, or replace a Xamarin.Forms library with a MAUI library while converting and configuring platform projects. Microsoft’s multi-project procedure. |
| Incremental transition | Consider whether consolidating into a new MAUI app suits the team’s rollout and ownership model. | Microsoft describes multi-project structure as one way to support incremental upgrades. |
| Platform project work | Code, configuration, and resources move into the new app structure; verify platform-specific behavior as part of the move. | Platform projects must be updated and configured for MAUI as components move. |
| Decision basis | Assess project complexity, shared structure, and whether consolidation fits the application. | Assess whether separate platform ownership or staged component migration makes the additional project structure worthwhile. |
Make this decision per application rather than imposing one portfolio-wide structure without considering project constraints. The cited Microsoft documentation describes the available approaches but does not prescribe a universal choice.
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Use the Upgrade Assistant for covered mechanical work
The .NET Upgrade Assistant can convert selected projects to SDK-style, update target frameworks and MAUI properties, add or remove specified packages, and make common namespace changes. It can also replace selected package references—for example, Xamarin.CommunityToolkit with the MAUI Community Toolkit package. These capabilities can reduce repetitive edits, but they do not establish that the app is migrated or behaves correctly. Microsoft says additional work is required after the tool runs. Check the Upgrade Assistant procedure and its project coverage before scheduling it.
Use automation where the project is supported and the expected edits are understood. Keep unsupported project types, package replacements that need evaluation, and platform-specific changes as explicit work items. Do not treat a successful tool run—or a clean compile—as proof of functional equivalence.
Plan for SDK-style projects and platform remediation
Microsoft requires projects to become SDK-style for the documented migration paths, but that does not mean the application must be rewritten. Nor must an existing multi-project solution be consolidated into one multi-targeted project. Preserve working architecture where appropriate and focus effort on the actual incompatibilities revealed by the migration.
For Xamarin.Forms migrations, expect to review namespace changes, API differences, package compatibility, and MAUI setup. In multi-project migrations, platform projects also need updating and configuration. For UWP, the target is WinUI 3, with its own API and dependency changes. A Xamarin renderer or library should not be assumed to have a direct MAUI equivalent; verify the specific component against the MAUI version and package documentation you intend to use.
Because the Upgrade Assistant workflow for Xamarin.Forms does not cover UWP, iOS extensions, or binding projects, track them separately from the automated Forms conversion. They may have different owners, dependencies, and acceptance criteria, so make those dependencies visible before setting a release sequence.
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Compilation is a necessary checkpoint, not a migration verdict. Microsoft’s manual guidance ends with compiling and testing; it does not prescribe enterprise test coverage targets, rollout gates, or a regression methodology. Define those controls for your application and release risk.
- Build the migrated projects. Resolve compiler errors, missing references, and incompatible APIs before interpreting runtime failures.
- Exercise platform-specific paths. Test native integrations, permissions, lifecycle behavior, and any custom platform code that the app uses.
- Run critical user journeys. Compare observed behavior with the pre-migration baseline, including failure and offline paths that matter to the product.
- Validate release operations. Confirm that your own packaging, signing, deployment, monitoring, and rollback procedures still work for the migrated app.
- Set a release gate. Decide who accepts unresolved differences and what evidence is required before the migrated app replaces or ships alongside the Xamarin release.
These are recommended engineering controls, not numeric thresholds or requirements stated by Microsoft. Scale the validation to each app’s release criticality and platform footprint.
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A practical enterprise sequence is to establish ownership and project inventory, stabilize Xamarin.Forms baselines where relevant, select a structure and route per project, apply automation only to covered projects, remediate excluded or platform-specific work, then compile and validate against agreed release criteria. This sequence follows the documented dependencies while leaving staffing, timing, prioritization, and rollout policy to the organization; Microsoft’s guidance does not provide migration cost, duration, staffing ratios, success rates, or ROI estimates.
Before committing a release plan, check the version-specific Microsoft Learn pages linked above for the .NET MAUI version and package set you will target. The cited pages include view parameters for .NET MAUI 10.0 and, for the single-project and multi-project overview pages, .NET MAUI 9.0; package and platform details should be aligned with your chosen target.
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