Creating an app with Visual Studio 2022 for Windows

Note

Make sure to setup your environment first by following our instructions.

Create the App

To create an Uno Platform app:

Create a new C# solution using the Uno Platform App template, from Visual Studio's Start Page, then click the Next button
Configure your new project by providing a project name and a location, check the "Place solution and project in the same directory" option, then click the Create button
Choose a template preset to build your application

Tip

For a detailed overview of the Uno Platform project template wizard and all its options, see this.
Click the create button
Ensure that the lower left IDE icon shows a check mark and says "Ready" . This ensures that the projects have been created, and their dependencies have been restored completely.
A Windows Firewall window may appear. If you do not intend to do Linux development with WSL, check "Private networks" only. Otherwise, check "Public networks" and "Private networks".
A banner at the top of the editor may ask to reload projects, click Reload projects:
Important

A notification should appear prompting you to sign in or register with Uno Platform.

Signing in with your Uno Platform account in Visual Studio unlocks powerful tools like Hot Reload, helping you speed up development.

With a single registration, you also gain early access to new features and the opportunity to connect with the Uno Platform community, where you can share feedback and network.

Detailed information on registration and sign-in is available here.

Debug the App

To debug your Uno Platform Desktop target:

Directly on Windows:
- In the Debug toolbar drop-down, select the profile MyApp (Desktop)
- Press F5 to debug.
Using WSL with X11:
- In the Debug toolbar drop-down, select the profile MyApp (Desktop WSL2)
- Then press F5 or the green arrow to start debugging the app

To run the Windows (WinAppSDK) head:

In the debugger toolbar, click the down arrow to select MyApp (WinAppSDK Unpackaged)
Press the MyApp (WinAppSDK Unpackaged) button to deploy the app
If you have not enabled Developer Mode, the Settings app should open to the appropriate page. Turn on Developer Mode and accept the disclaimer.

Note

If you're not able or willing to turn on the Windows developer mode, read about this common issue.

To debug for iOS:

Note

For information about connecting Visual Studio to a Mac build host to build iOS apps, see Pairing to a Mac for .NET iOS development. Catalyst apps are not supported in Visual Studio 2022 on Windows, you can use VS Code Remote SSH to enable this scenario.

In the "Debug toolbar" drop-down, select framework net8.0-ios:
Select:
- An active device, if your IDE is connected to a macOS Host
- A local device using Hot Restart, to debug your application without connecting to a mac
  
  Note
  
  If no iOS devices are available, a Visual Studio 17.7+ issue may require unloading/reloading the project. Right-click on the MyApp project and select Unload Project then Load project.
  
  Important
  
  When using a device connected to a Windows PC, the Release build configuration is not supported. An actual macOS machine is required.

You're all set!

Next Steps

Now that you're Created and Debug the App.

Learn more about:

Uno Platform features and architecture
Hot Reload feature
Uno Platform App solution structure
Troubleshooting
How-tos and Tutorials See real-world examples with working code.
List of views implemented in Uno for the set of available controls and their properties.

Creating an app with Visual Studio 2022 for Windows

Note

Create the App

Tip

Important

Debug the App

Next Steps