maui-aspire

name

maui-aspire

description

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 Hybrid considerations, and platform-specific networking for Android emulators and iOS simulators. USE FOR: "MAUI with Aspire", "Aspire service discovery", "AppHost MAUI", "Aspire backend", "MAUI Aspire networking", "mobile Aspire", "Aspire dashboard MAUI". DO NOT USE FOR: standalone REST API calls without Aspire (use maui-rest-api), authentication without Aspire (use maui-authentication), or Aspire-only projects without MAUI.

.NET MAUI with .NET Aspire

Key Differences from Other Aspire Clients

MAUI apps are NOT orchestrated by the AppHost — they run on devices/simulators and connect over the network. This changes everything:

• ❌ Cannot use Aspire service discovery URIs (https+http://apiservice)
• ❌ Cannot be added with .WithReference() in the AppHost
• ❌ Cannot use AddServiceDefaults() (not an ASP.NET Core host)
• ✅ Must use real network-reachable endpoints
• ✅ Must use MSAL.NET (public client) — not OIDC (confidential client)

Common Gotchas

1. ❌ Don't add MAUI to the AppHost

// ❌ MAUI doesn't implement IServiceMetadata — this will fail
builder.AddProject<Projects.MyMauiApp>("mauiapp");

// ✅ Only add backend services to the AppHost
var apiService = builder.AddProject<Projects.MyApp_ApiService>("apiservice");

2. ❌ Don't use Aspire service discovery URIs in MAUI

// ❌ This only resolves inside the Aspire AppHost orchestration
client.BaseAddress =  Uri();


client.BaseAddress =  Uri();