Bringing dotnet run, test, and watch to .NET MAUI

Name: Bringing dotnet run, test, and watch to .NET MAUI
Uploaded: 2026-11-12T01:00:30+00:00
Description: dotnet explores how .NET 11 brings dotnet run, dotnet test, and dotnet watch to .NET MAUI on mobile devices and emulators. The talk covers device selection,...

Today by dotnet

In this talk from dotnet, the presenters explain the work behind bringing familiar CLI commands to Android and iOS. They use real .NET MAUI projects to show how mobile workflows fit into the same command-line approach used elsewhere in .NET.

Running, testing, and updating mobile apps

The talk covers three commands supported for .NET MAUI mobile development in .NET 11:

dotnet run: Selecting a mobile device or emulator, installing the application, and launching it.
dotnet test: Running tests and capturing their results.
dotnet watch: Updating a running application when code changes.

These workflows bring mobile development into the .NET CLI rather than relying on separate tooling and IDE-specific steps.

What makes mobile different

Supporting Android and iOS requires handling more than building and starting a desktop process. The presenters examine the platform-specific work involved in:

Integrating with platform tooling.
Packaging applications for deployment.
Communicating with devices and emulators.
Managing application process lifetime.

These concerns underpin how the CLI deploys an app, runs it on a selected target, collects test results, and applies updates.

Local development and CI

The demonstrations connect these commands to local development, automated testing, and continuous integration. The focus is on simpler, scriptable mobile workflows: developers can use familiar .NET commands while the tooling handles the mobile-specific deployment and execution steps.