Build Amazing Mobile Apps with .NET
Unlock the power of C# and .NET to create beautiful, high-performance, native apps for iOS, Android, and Windows.
Your Journey Starts Here
Welcome to the definitive guide for developing cross-platform mobile applications using the .NET ecosystem. Whether you're a seasoned .NET developer or new to mobile development, this guide will help you get up and running quickly.
Why Choose .NET for Mobile Development?
- Cross-Platform: Write code once and deploy to iOS, Android, and Windows.
- Performance: Achieve native performance with optimized runtimes.
- Productivity: Leverage the power of C#, Visual Studio, and a rich set of libraries.
- Community: Join a vast and active community of .NET developers.
- Modern Features: Access the latest language features and platform capabilities.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
- A Windows, macOS, or Linux machine.
- Visual Studio (Community, Professional, or Enterprise) or Visual Studio for Mac.
- The .NET SDK installed.
- For iOS development: A Mac with Xcode installed.
- For Android development: Android SDK components.
You can download the latest .NET SDK from the official dotnet.microsoft.com/download.
Getting Started with .NET MAUI
.NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) is the latest evolution of Xamarin.Forms, allowing you to build native mobile and desktop apps with a single C# codebase. It's the recommended framework for new mobile development projects with .NET.
Step 1: Install .NET MAUI Workload
Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command:
Step 2: Create Your First .NET MAUI App
Use the .NET CLI to create a new project:
Navigate into your project directory:
Step 3: Run Your App
You can now run your app on an emulator or a physical device using the .NET CLI or Visual Studio.
dotnet build -t:Run -f net8.0-ios
For more detailed instructions and Visual Studio integration, please refer to the official .]NET MAUI installation guide.
Beyond the Basics
Once you have your first app running, you can explore various aspects of mobile development with .NET: