maui-theming
Guide for theming .NET MAUI apps—light/dark mode support, AppThemeBinding, dynamic resources, ResourceDictionary theme switching, and system theme detection. USE FOR: "dark mode", "light mode", "theming", "AppThemeBinding", "theme switching", "ResourceDictionary theme", "dynamic resources", "syst...
Full skill instructions
| Approach | Best for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| AppThemeBinding | Auto light/dark with OS — minimal code | Only two themes (light + dark) |
| ResourceDictionary swap | Custom branded themes, >2 themes, user preference | More setup, must use DynamicResource everywhere |
| Both combined | Auto OS response + custom theme colors | Most flexible but most complex |
MainActivity must include ConfigChanges.UiMode or theme change events will
not fire and the activity restarts instead of handling the change:
[Activity(Theme = "@style/Maui.SplashTheme",
MainLauncher = true,
ConfigurationChanges = ConfigChanges.ScreenSize
| ConfigChanges.Orientation
| ConfigChanges.UiMode // ← Required for theme detection
| ConfigChanges.ScreenLayout
| ConfigChanges.SmallestScreenSize
| ConfigChanges.Density)]
public class MainActivity : MauiAppCompatActivity { }
Without UiMode, toggling dark mode in Android settings causes a full activity
restart — losing navigation state and appearing as a crash to users.
MAUI supports CSS styling, but CSS-based themes cannot be swapped dynamically. Use ResourceDictionary theming for runtime switching.
When using ResourceDictionary theme switching, you must use DynamicResource:
<!-- ✅ Updates when theme dictionary changes -->
<Label TextColor="{DynamicResource PrimaryTextColor}" />
<!-- ❌ Frozen at first load — won't update on theme switch -->
<Label TextColor="{StaticResource PrimaryTextColor}" />
AppThemeBinding markup extensionSetAppThemeColor(), SetAppTheme<T>()Application.Current.RequestedThemeApplication.Current.UserAppTheme = AppTheme.DarkRequestedThemeChanged eventResourceDictionary in MergedDictionariesDynamicResource (not StaticResource)
Guide for .NET MAUI apps consuming .NET Aspire-hosted backend services. Covers AppHost configuration, service discovery for mobile clients, HttpClient DI setup, Entra ID authentication with MSAL.NET for calling protected APIs, development workflow (Aspire dashboard + MAUI debugging), Blazor Hybri...
Guidance for adding map controls, pins, polygons, polylines, geocoding, Google Maps API key configuration, and platform setup in .NET MAUI apps using Microsoft.Maui.Controls.Maps. USE FOR: "add map", "map control", "map pins", "polygons on map", "polylines", "geocoding", "Google Maps API key", "M...
Guidance for embedding web content in .NET MAUI apps using HybridWebView, including JavaScript–C# interop, bidirectional communication, raw messaging, and trimming/NativeAOT considerations. USE FOR: "HybridWebView", "JavaScript interop", "embed web content", "JS to C# interop", "C# to JavaScript"...
.NET MAUI safe area and edge-to-edge layout guidance for .NET 10+. Covers SafeAreaEdges property, SafeAreaRegions enum, per-edge control, keyboard avoidance, Blazor Hybrid CSS safe areas, migration from legacy APIs, and platform-specific behavior for Android, iOS, and Mac Catalyst. USE FOR: "safe...
.NET MAUI app lifecycle guidance covering the four app states (not running, running, deactivated, stopped), cross-platform Window lifecycle events, backgrounding and resume behaviour, platform-specific lifecycle mapping for Android and iOS/Mac Catalyst, and state-preservation patterns. USE FOR: "...
Guidance for implementing CollectionView in .NET MAUI apps — data display, layouts (list & grid), selection, grouping, scrolling, empty views, templates, incremental loading, swipe actions, and pull-to-refresh. USE FOR: "CollectionView", "list view", "grid layout", "data template", "item template...
Add SQLite local database storage to .NET MAUI apps using sqlite-net-pcl. Covers data models with ORM attributes, async database service with lazy init, DI registration, WAL mode, and file management. Works with any UI pattern (XAML/MVVM, C# Markup, MauiReactor). USE FOR: "SQLite database", "loca...
Guidance for dependency injection in .NET MAUI apps — service registration, lifetime selection (Singleton/Transient/Scoped), constructor injection, automatic resolution via Shell navigation, explicit resolution patterns, platform-specific registrations, and testability best practices. USE FOR: "d...
Guide for creating custom .NET MAUI handlers, customizing existing handlers with property mappers, and implementing platform-specific native views. Covers PrependToMapping/ModifyMapping/AppendToMapping, PropertyMapper, CommandMapper, partial handler classes, and handler registration. USE FOR: "cu...
Performance optimization guidance for .NET MAUI apps covering profiling, compiled bindings, layout efficiency, image optimization, resource dictionaries, startup time, trimming, and NativeAOT configuration. USE FOR: "performance optimization", "slow startup", "app performance", "compiled bindings...
.NET MAUI runtime permissions guidance — checking and requesting permissions, PermissionStatus handling, custom permissions via BasePlatformPermission, platform-specific manifest/plist declarations, and DI-friendly service patterns. USE FOR: "request permission", "check permission", "PermissionSt...
Guide for making .NET MAUI apps accessible — screen reader support via SemanticProperties, heading levels, AutomationProperties visibility control, programmatic focus and announcements, and platform-specific gotchas for TalkBack, VoiceOver, and Narrator. USE FOR: "add accessibility", "screen read...
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