Deployed version of MAUI app crashes after splash screen

Question

I have a .NET MAUI app that I am able to run successfully in debug mode in both he iOS and Android versions. However, when I publish the app and deploy it to TestFlight, the app crashes immediately after the splash screen.

I originally created a version of the app in .NET 6, then .NET 7 and now .NET 8 (8.0.4) and with each version I get the exact same results. Is there a way to determine exactly what is causing the crash? I have tried all 3 linking methods for the app (Don't Link, Link SDK's only, Link All) and this hasn't changed the behavior.

Answer 1

We've encountered similar crash issues with iOS on published apps. Typically, if your app operates correctly in debug mode but faces issues in release mode, it may be utilizing a feature that requires the Interpreter. To address this, consider adding the following snippet to your project file to see if it resolves the issue:

<PropertyGroup>
  <UseInterpreter Condition="$(TargetFramework.EndsWith('-ios'))">true</UseInterpreter>
</PropertyGroup>

For additional details, refer to the official documentation here: .NET MAUI: Mono Interpreter

Further discussions on GitHub may also provide some context and background:

• Discussion on .NET MAUI Issue #13019
• Comment on .NET MAUI Issue #12316

As for identifying the cause of crashes, as suggested in the comments, employing a crash analytics service is advisable. Previously, we utilized AppCenter, but with Microsoft phasing it out, we've begun exploring alternatives like Sentry and NewRelic.