How to Migrate a Xamarin.Forms App to .NET MAUI 10 (2026 Guide)

The following report details the process of migrating a Xamarin.Forms application to .NET MAUI 10, according to the guide published by Greg Kabacinski and Rutul Mehta from the .NET MAUI team in March 2024. The report is based on the original SharpQuest blog post, updated for .NET 10, current tooling and 2026 app store requirements.

Microsoft ended support for Xamarin on May 1, 2024, and Xamarin apps can no longer receive updates due to incompatibility with Google Play and App Store requirements. To avoid these issues, move to .NET MAUI, the successor to Xamarin.Forms, which allows writing code once and running it on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows.

Before migrating, ensure the app is updated to Xamarin.Forms 5 and current dependencies. Two migration options are available: using a migration tool or creating a new .NET MAUI project with the code copied in. The guide combines both approaches, using the .NET Upgrade Assistant (now replaced by the GitHub Copilot modernization agent in Visual Studio) and creating a new single-project MAUI app.

Key challenges in migration include layouts, custom renderers, and third-party packages, which require significant effort. The GitHub Copilot modernization agent in Visual Studio replaces the deprecated .NET Upgrade Assistant, analyzing projects and dependencies, proposing a plan, and applying code changes. After the tool-assisted upgrade, the remaining tasks involve manually reviewing every change and completing layouts, renderers, and packages.

To start the migration, back up and branch the Xamarin.Forms app in source control, update to Xamarin.Forms 5, and ensure the app still runs. Then, convert the project using the tool-assisted upgrade, new MAUI project, or both. Fix namespaces to match Microsoft's migration guidance, move startup code to MauiProgram, and update dependencies to .NET Standard 2.0 or later.