MAUI Welcomes Material 3 Support for Android Apps
In the evolving landscape of application development, .NET MAUI is poised to take center stage with the introduction of Material 3 support for Android applications. This enhancement, as detailed by Microsoft senior software engineer Gerald Versluis, allows developers to effortlessly integrate the latest design aesthetics into their apps with just a single MSBuild property.
Material 3, also known as Material You, represents the latest iteration of Google’s user interface design system. It introduces a host of features aimed at enhancing user experience, including:
- Dynamic Color Schemes: Tailored to user preferences and system themes.
- Refreshed Control Shapes: A modernized look and feel for various UI elements.
- Enhanced Customization: Greater flexibility compared to its predecessor, Material Design 2.
Developers currently utilizing MAUI for Android applications have been working with Material Design 2. However, with the upcoming release of .NET 10 in November, enabling Material 3 support will allow these applications to adopt a more contemporary appearance almost instantaneously.
To implement this upgrade, developers simply need to update their app projects to .NET 10 and incorporate a few lines of XAML code into their project properties (.csproj) files:
true
This approach mirrors how WPF developers have integrated WinUI styling in .NET 9 and later versions. To assist developers in this transition, Microsoft has made available a sample Material 3-styled app, showcasing the new design elements across various controls, including:
- SearchBar
- Entry
- DatePicker
- Picker
- Slider
- ProgressBar
- RadioButton
- CheckBox
- Switch
- Button
- ImageButton
This sample app supports both dark and light themes, allowing developers to visualize the updated styling in action. Furthermore, Microsoft is committed to expanding Material 3 support across additional controls and is exploring the feasibility of implementing it on a per-control basis. The ultimate goal is to establish Material 3 as the default styling for MAUI applications once all outstanding issues are addressed.
Versluis emphasizes the significance of this development, stating, “Material 3 support in .NET MAUI 10 is one of those rare wins where you flip a single property and your Android app immediately looks more at home on the platform.” He encourages developers to enable this feature, report any issues encountered, and contribute to making .NET MAUI on Android feel as vibrant as the platform itself.
