Xamarin.Essentials

Xamarin.Essentials provides developers with cross-platform APIs for their mobile applications.

Android, iOS, and UWP offer unique operating system and platform APIs that developers have access to all in C# leveraging Xamarin. Xamarin.Essentials provides a single cross-platform API that works with any Xamarin.Forms, Android, iOS, or UWP application that can be accessed from shared code no matter how the user interface is created.

Get Started with Xamarin.Essentials

Follow the getting started guide to install the Xamarin.Essentials NuGet package into your existing or new Xamarin.Forms, Android, iOS, or UWP projects.

Feature Guides

Follow the guides to integrate these Xamarin.Essentials features into your applications:

  • Accelerometer – Retrieve acceleration data of the device in three dimensional space.
  • App Actions – Get and set shortcuts for the application.
  • App Information – Find out information about the application.
  • App Theme – Detect the current theme requested for the application.
  • Barometer – Monitor the barometer for pressure changes.
  • Battery – Easily detect battery level, source, and state.
  • Clipboard – Quickly and easily set or read text on the clipboard.
  • Color Converters – Helper methods for System.Drawing.Color.
  • Compass – Monitor compass for changes.
  • Connectivity – Check connectivity state and detect changes.
  • Contacts – Retrieve information about a contact on the device.
  • Detect Shake – Detect a shake movement of the device.
  • Device Display Information – Get the device's screen metrics and orientation.
  • Device Information – Find out about the device with ease.
  • Email – Easily send email messages.
  • File Picker – Allow user to pick files from the device.
  • File System Helpers – Easily save files to app data.
  • Flashlight – A simple way to turn the flashlight on/off.
  • Geocoding – Geocode and reverse geocode addresses and coordinates.
  • Geolocation – Retrieve the device's GPS location.
  • Gyroscope – Track rotation around the device's three primary axes.
  • Haptic Feedback – Control click and long press haptics.
  • Launcher – Enables an application to open a URI by the system.
  • Magnetometer – Detect device's orientation relative to Earth's magnetic field.
  • MainThread – Run code on the application's main thread.
  • Maps – Open the maps application to a specific location.
  • Media Picker – Allow user to pick or take photos and videos.
  • Open Browser – Quickly and easily open a browser to a specific website.
  • Orientation Sensor – Retrieve the orientation of the device in three dimensional space.
  • Permissions – Check and request permissions from users.
  • Phone Dialer – Open the phone dialer.
  • Platform Extensions – Helper methods for converting Rect, Size, and Point.
  • Preferences – Quickly and easily add persistent preferences.
  • Screenshot – Take a capture of the current display of the application.
  • Secure Storage – Securely store data.
  • Share – Send text and website links to other apps.
  • SMS – Create an SMS message for sending.
  • Text-to-Speech – Vocalize text on the device.
  • Unit Converters – Helper methods to convert units.
  • Version Tracking – Track the applications version and build numbers.
  • Vibrate – Make the device vibrate.
  • Web Authenticator - Start web authentication flows and listen for a callback.

Troubleshooting

Find help if you are running into issues.

Xamarin.Essentials on Q&A

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Release Notes

Find full release notes for each release of Xamarin.Essentials.

API Documentation

Browse the API documentation for every feature of Xamarin.Essentials.