Download plugins/dotnet-maui/skills/maui-app-lifecycle/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does maui-app-lifecycle live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/dotnet/skills.
Which agents can use maui-app-lifecycle?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.
>-
name: maui-app-lifecycle
description: >-
.NET MAUI app lifecycle guidance — the four app states, cross-platform Window
lifecycle events (Created, Activated, Deactivated, Stopped, Resumed, Destroying),
platform-specific lifecycle mapping, backgrounding and resume behavior, and
state-preservation patterns.
USE FOR: "app lifecycle", "window lifecycle events", "save state on background",
"resume app", "OnStopped", "OnResumed", "backgrounding", "deactivated event",
"ConfigureLifecycleEvents", "platform lifecycle hooks".
DO NOT USE FOR: navigation events (use maui-shell-navigation),
dependency injection setup (use maui-dependency-injection),
platform API invocation (use conditional compilation and partial classes).
license: MIT
.NET MAUI App Lifecycle
Handle application state transitions correctly in .NET MAUI. This skill covers the cross-platform Window lifecycle events, their platform-native mappings, and patterns for preserving state across backgrounding and resume cycles.
When to Use
Saving or restoring state when the app backgrounds or resumes
⚠️ The UIKit selector names and the AddiOS builder method names differ for
activation. There is no.DidBecomeActive() or .WillResignActive() builder
method — use .OnActivated() and .OnResignActivation() or the code will not compile.
Windows (WinUI)
Window Event
WinUI Callback
Created
OnLaunched
Activated
Activated (foreground)
Deactivated
Activated (background)
Stopped
VisibilityChanged (false)
Resumed
VisibilityChanged (true)
Destroying
Closed
Hooking Native Lifecycle Directly
Use ConfigureLifecycleEvents in MauiProgram.cs when you need platform-specific callbacks beyond what Window events provide:
Resumed does not fire on first launch. The initial sequence is Created → Activated. Use OnActivated for logic that must run on every foreground entry, not OnResumed.
Deactivated ≠ Stopped. A dialog, split-screen, or notification pull-down triggers Deactivated without Stopped. Do not perform heavy saves in OnDeactivated — the app may never actually background.
Android back button skips Stopped. On Android, pressing back may call Destroying directly without Stopped. Place critical save logic in both OnStopped and OnDestroying.
Multi-window apps fire events independently. On iPad, Mac Catalyst, and desktop Windows each Window instance fires its own lifecycle events. Do not assume a single global lifecycle.
Long-running handlers cause kills. Android enforces a ~5 second ANR timeout; iOS has limited background execution time. Keep lifecycle handlers synchronous and fast — use Preferences for quick saves, not database writes.
Do not use legacy Xamarin.Forms lifecycle methods.Application.OnStart(), Application.OnSleep(), and Application.OnResume() exist for backward compatibility but bypass Window-level events. In .NET MAUI, prefer Window lifecycle events (OnActivated, OnStopped, OnResumed, etc.) for correct multi-window behavior.
How do I install maui-app-lifecycle?
Download plugins/dotnet-maui/skills/maui-app-lifecycle/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does maui-app-lifecycle live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/dotnet/skills.
Which agents can use maui-app-lifecycle?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.