After several years of loyal service, the Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms cross‑platform mobile application development platforms will soon be replaced by the .NET MAUI framework. This end of support for Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms will significantly impact all applications developed with this technology. Here’s what to expect by May 1, 2024.
For several years, the technology provided by the development platform has enabled developers to create native cross‑platform C# applications for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. Bundled into the .NET framework since November 2021, Microsoft announced the end of support for all Xamarin SDKs on May 1, 2024.
However, a successor has been found. Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms will evolve towards the .NET Multi‑platform App UI interface, aka MAUI. A migration to .NET SDK‑type projects is required to continue supporting and enhancing applications developed under Xamarin.
Increased impact on your mobile applications
The end of support can represent a technological challenge for technical managers of mobile or desktop applications. Several major risks and problems will need to be addressed very shortly to avoid unpleasant surprises.
With a code base that is now considered obsolete, it becomes perilous to keep an application running without improvements or support. From the end of April 2024, the Apple store will no longer support the most recent version of Xamarin for iOS. Android applications will follow suit in the coming months. In addition to the impossibility of pushing the deployment of applications and their patches, applications are likely to encounter compatibility problems with iOS and Android functionalities, which continue to evolve.
This inability to deploy new versions of applications also represents a major security risk. Any new vulnerabilities that are discovered cannot be fixed. These vulnerabilities can be exploited to steal confidential data, seriously increasing the risk of leaks or breaches.
This lack of compatibility, support and updates to correct bugs can significantly impact application performance and user experience. Operational efficiency for users of an application is severely degraded when it becomes obsolete and prone to malfunctions. Suppose this can be a handicap for occasional users. In that case, it will be even more problematic for those who use applications professionally. There’s even the risk of damaging the reputation of the company responsible for the application and those who depend on it.
Take advantage of migration to upgrade your mobile application
Finally, technological stagnation also limits innovation. Whether about the market, which will continue to develop new features, or even with user demand for new functionalities. This obsolescence affects an application’s competitiveness and endangers its growth.
Would you like to migrate your mobile application developed with Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI? Nmédia has the expertise in mobile application development and the tools you need to migrate your applications to new mobile technologies like .NET MAUI and even more! Why not take advantage of having a team allocated by our agency to improve and include new functionalities in your application? Please take a look at our service offer for more information.