syncfusion-maui-chat

name	syncfusion-maui-chat
description	Implements Syncfusion .NET MAUI Chat (SfChat) control in .NET MAUI applications. Use when working with chat interfaces, messaging UI, conversational interfaces, chat bubbles, or message threads. Covers message types (text, image, calendar, card), data binding, events, suggestions, typing indicators, time breaks, and swiping actions.
metadata	{"author":"Syncfusion Inc","version":"34.1.29"}

Syncfusion .NET MAUI Chat (SfChat)

The Syncfusion .NET MAUI Chat control (SfChat) delivers a contemporary conversational UI for building chatbot interfaces, customer support screens, and multi-user messaging experiences. It supports rich message types, real-time typing indicators, suggestions, load-more history, swiping, and deep styling customization.

When to Use This Skill

• Building a chat UI, chatbot interface, or messaging screen in .NET MAUI
• Displaying conversations between two or more users
• Sending/receiving text, images, cards, hyperlinks, or date/time picker messages
• Implementing typing indicators, message suggestions, or load-more history
• Customizing message appearance, shapes, delivery states, or themes
• Adding swipe actions, time-break grouping, or attachment buttons
• Localizing the chat UI or enabling accessibility features

Documentation and Navigation Guide

Getting Started

📄 Read: references/getting-started.md

• NuGet installation (Syncfusion.Maui.Chat)
• Handler registration in MauiProgram.cs
• Basic SfChat initialization in XAML and C#
• ViewModel setup with Messages and CurrentUser
• Binding messages to the chat control
• Running the application

Messages

📄 Read: references/messages.md

• TextMessage, DatePickerMessage, TimePickerMessage, CalendarMessage
• HyperlinkMessage, ImageMessage, CardMessage
• Delivery states (ShowDeliveryState, DeliveryState enum, custom icons)
• Pin message (AllowPinning, PinnedMessages, events, template)
• Message template and ChatMessageTemplateSelector
• Customizable incoming/outgoing views
• Message spacing, shape, timestamp format, avatar/author visibility
• Sending messages, keyboard, multiline input, hide input view

Data Binding

📄 Read: references/data-binding.md

• Binding ObservableCollection<object> to Messages
• CurrentUser differentiation of sender/receiver
• Custom data models with IMessage / ITextMessage
• ItemsSourceConverter for external model binding
• Dynamically updating messages at runtime

Suggestions

📄 Read: references/suggestions.md

• Chat-level suggestions (SfChat.Suggestions)
• Message-level suggestions (TextMessage.Suggestions)
• SuggestionItemSelected event and command
• Customizing suggestion item templates

Typing Indicator

📄 Read: references/typing-indicator.md

• Enabling the typing indicator (ShowTypingIndicator)
• Setting author and message on TypingIndicator
• Customizing appearance
• Showing/hiding dynamically

Load More

📄 Read: references/load-more.md

• Enabling load more (LoadMoreBehavior)
• LoadMore event and LoadMoreCommand
• Loading older messages on scroll
• IsLazyLoading property
• Disabling after all messages are loaded

Events & Commands

📄 Read: references/events.md

• SendMessage / SendMessageCommand
• ImageTapped / ImageTappedCommand
• CardTapped / CardCommand
• SuggestionItemSelected
• MessagePinned / MessageUnpinned
• LoadMore / LoadMoreCommand
• Handling and cancelling event args

Styles & Appearance

📄 Read: references/styles.md

• Incoming and outgoing message styling
• Message input view styling
• Time-break and typing indicator styling
• Suggestion view styling
• MessageShape options
• Theme support (Material 3, Fluent)

Accessibility & Localization

📄 Read: references/accessibility-localization.md

• WCAG 2.0 compliance
• Keyboard navigation and screen reader support
• AutomationId for UI testing
• Localization with .resx resource files
• Supported localizable strings
• RTL layout support

Scrolling

📄 Read: references/scrolling.md

• Programmatic scroll to a specific message (ScrollToMessage)
• Auto-scroll to bottom on new message (CanAutoScrollToBottom)
• Scroll to bottom floating button (ShowScrollToBottomButton)
• Customizing the scroll to bottom button (ScrollToBottomButtonTemplate)
• Scrolled event and ChatScrolledEventArgs (IsBottomReached, IsTopReached, ScrollOffset)

Advanced Features

📄 Read: references/advanced-features.md

• Message swiping (left/right, SwipeStarted, SwipeEnded, swipe templates)
• Time-break grouping (custom time-break template)
• Attachment button (adding, customizing, AttachmentButtonView)
• Liquid glass effect (enabling, platform support, customization)
• MessageSpacing configuration
• Hiding the message input view (ShowMessageInputView)

---

Quick Start

1. Install the NuGet package:

dotnet add package Syncfusion.Maui.Chat

2. Register the handler in MauiProgram.cs:

using Syncfusion.Maui.Core.Hosting;

builder.ConfigureSyncfusionCore();

3. Add SfChat in XAML:

<ContentPage xmlns:sfChat="clr-namespace:Syncfusion.Maui.Chat;assembly=Syncfusion.Maui.Chat"
             xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MyApp">
    <ContentPage.BindingContext>
        <local:ChatViewModel/>
    </ContentPage.BindingContext>
    <sfChat:SfChat Messages="{Binding Messages}"
                   CurrentUser="{Binding CurrentUser}" />
</ContentPage>

4. Define the ViewModel:

using Syncfusion.Maui.Chat;

public class ChatViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    public ObservableCollection<object> Messages { get; set; }
    public Author CurrentUser { get; set; }

    public ChatViewModel()
    {
        CurrentUser = new Author { Name = "Nancy" };
        Messages = new ObservableCollection<object>
        {
            new TextMessage
            {
                Author = CurrentUser,
                Text = "Hello! How can I help you today?"
            },
            new TextMessage
            {
                Author = new Author { Name = "Bot", Avatar = "bot.png" },
                Text = "Hi Nancy! I am here to assist you."
            }
        };
    }

    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
}

---

Common Patterns

Sending a message and responding

// In ViewModel
public ICommand SendMessageCommand => new Command<object>(OnSendMessage);

private void OnSendMessage(object args)
{
    var e = args as SendMessageEventArgs;
    
    // ⚠️ IMPORTANT: By default, SfChat automatically adds the user's message to the 
    // Messages collection. Do NOT manually add it unless you set e.Handled = true
    
    // Add bot response after user sends message
    MainThread.BeginInvokeOnMainThread(async () =>
    {
        await Task.Delay(500); // Simulate processing
        Messages.Add(new TextMessage
        {
            Author = new Author { Name = "Bot", Avatar = "bot.png" },
            Text = $"You said: {e.Message.Text}"
        });
    });
}

If you need full control over message addition, set Handled = true:

private void OnSendMessage(object args)
{
    var e = args as SendMessageEventArgs;
    e.Handled = true; // Prevent SfChat from auto-adding the message
    
    // Now you must manually add the message
    if (e.Message is TextMessage textMessage)
    {
        Messages.Add(textMessage); // You add it
        
        // Then handle response...
    }
}

Adding quick reply suggestions

Messages.Add(new TextMessage
{
    Author = new Author { Name = "Bot" },
    Text = "How would you like to proceed?",
    Suggestions = new ObservableCollection<ISuggestion>
    {
        new Suggestion { Text = "Option A" },
        new Suggestion { Text = "Option B" }
    }
});

Showing a typing indicator

sfChat.ShowTypingIndicator = true;
sfChat.TypingIndicator = new TypingIndicator
{
    Authors = new ObservableCollection<Author>
    {
        new Author { Name = "Bot", Avatar = "bot.png" }
    },
    Text = "Bot is typing..."
};

---

Key Properties

Property	Type	Purpose
Messages	ObservableCollection<object>	Collection of all messages
CurrentUser	Author	Identifies the local user (outgoing messages)
ShowTypingIndicator	bool	Toggle typing indicator
TypingIndicator	TypingIndicator	Set who is typing
ShowDeliveryState	bool	Show sent/delivered/read/failed icons
AllowPinning	bool	Enable message pinning
MessageShape	MessageShape	Message bubble shape
MessageSpacing	double	Vertical gap between messages
ShowMessageInputView	bool	Show/hide the message editor
LoadMoreBehavior	LoadMoreOption	Enable load-more on scroll
AllowMultilineInput	bool	Allow multi-line message entry
ShowKeyboardAlways	bool	Keep keyboard open after send