auth0-maui

auth0-maui Integration

Add Auth0 authentication to .NET MAUI applications targeting iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. This skill integrates the Auth0.OidcClient.MAUI NuGet package which uses the system browser via MAUI's WebAuthenticator for secure OIDC-based login and logout flows with PKCE.

Agent instruction: Before providing SDK setup instructions, fetch the latest MAUI release version by running:

gh api repos/auth0/auth0-oidc-client-net/releases --jq '[.[] | select(.tag_name | startswith("maui-")) | .tag_name | ltrimstr("maui-")] | .[0]'

Use the returned version in all dependency lines instead of any hardcoded version below.

Prerequisites

• .NET 8.0 SDK or later
• Visual Studio 2022 (17.8+) with MAUI workload, or JetBrains Rider with MAUI support
• For iOS: macOS with Xcode 15+
• For Android: Android SDK API 33+ (net8.0) or API 34+ (net9.0)
• For Windows: Windows 10 (10.0.19041.0)+
• Auth0 account with a Native application configured
• Node.js 20+ (for Auth0 CLI automated setup)

When NOT to Use

Use Case	Recommended Skill
ASP.NET Core server-side web app	auth0-aspnetcore-authentication
ASP.NET Core Web API (JWT validation)	auth0-aspnetcore-api
React Native mobile app	auth0-react-native
iOS-only Swift app	auth0-swift
Android-only Kotlin app	auth0-android
Expo React Native app	auth0-expo

Quick Start Workflow

Agent instruction: Before starting, examine the user's project:

1. Identify the .NET version from the .csproj file (TargetFrameworks)
2. Check for existing authentication implementations — search for existing login/logout handlers and hook into them if found
3. Note the project's namespace and directory conventions
4. Look for existing Auth0Client or Auth0ClientOptions usage to avoid duplicate configuration

1. Install SDK: dotnet add package Auth0.OidcClient.MAUI
2. Configure Auth0: See Setup Guide for automatic or manual configuration.
3. Integrate authentication: Add Auth0Client instantiation and wire login/logout to UI actions.
   • IMPORTANT: Always set Scope = "openid profile email offline_access" — the offline_access scope is required to receive a refresh token for silent token renewal.
4. Persist tokens with SecureStorage: After login, store the refresh token using await SecureStorage.Default.SetAsync("refresh_token", loginResult.RefreshToken). On app startup, restore the session with RefreshTokenAsync. Clear on logout with SecureStorage.Default.Remove("refresh_token").
5. Register URL scheme: Configure platform-specific callback handling:
   • Android: Create WebAuthenticatorActivity with IntentFilter for your custom scheme (e.g., myapp)
   • Windows (two steps required): (1) Add <uap:Extension Category="windows.protocol"><uap:Protocol Name="myapp"/></uap:Extension> to Platforms/Windows/Package.appxmanifest, AND (2) call Activator.Default.CheckRedirectionActivation() in Platforms/Windows/App.xaml.cs
   • iOS/macOS: No extra configuration needed
6. Build and verify: dotnet build

Agent instruction: When writing the Auth0Client configuration:

• ALWAYS include offline_access in the Scope string — without it, no refresh token is returned and the user must re-authenticate every time the access token expires.
• ALWAYS implement token persistence using SecureStorage.Default.SetAsync("refresh_token", ...) after login and SecureStorage.Default.GetAsync("refresh_token") on app startup to restore sessions silently.
• Clear stored tokens on logout with SecureStorage.Default.Remove("refresh_token").
• ALWAYS create/update Platforms/Windows/Package.appxmanifest to register the custom URL scheme protocol. Without this, Windows will not intercept the callback URL after authentication. Add a <uap:Extension Category="windows.protocol"><uap:Protocol Name="myapp"/></uap:Extension> inside the <Extensions> element of the <Application> node.
• ALWAYS add CheckRedirectionActivation() in Platforms/Windows/App.xaml.cs as the first line in the constructor, before InitializeComponent().

After writing configuration and code, verify the build succeeds:

dotnet build

If the build fails, attempt to fix the issue. After 5-6 failed attempts, ask the user for help.

Callback URL Configuration

The MAUI SDK uses a custom URL scheme for callbacks. The default pattern is:

myapp://callback

Unlike other Auth0 native SDKs that use https://{domain}/{platform}/{bundleId}/callback or {bundleId}.auth0://{domain}/ios/{bundleId}/callback patterns, MAUI uses a simpler custom scheme approach. You can customize the scheme (e.g., com.mycompany.myapp://callback). Whatever scheme you choose must be:

1. Registered in Auth0 Dashboard under Allowed Callback URLs and Allowed Logout URLs
2. Configured in the platform-specific callback handler (Android IntentFilter, Windows Package.appxmanifest)
3. Set in Auth0ClientOptions.RedirectUri and Auth0ClientOptions.PostLogoutRedirectUri

Note: For production apps, use a reverse-domain scheme (e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp://callback) to reduce the risk of URL scheme hijacking.

Done When

• Auth0.OidcClient.MAUI package installed
• Auth0Client configured with Domain, ClientId, and Scope including offline_access
• URL scheme registered on Android (WebAuthenticatorCallbackActivity) and Windows (Package.appxmanifest)
• Callback URL (myapp://callback) added to Auth0 Dashboard Allowed Callback URLs and Allowed Logout URLs
• Login/logout flow working
• Refresh token persisted via SecureStorage.Default.SetAsync after login
• Session restoration implemented via SecureStorage.Default.GetAsync + RefreshTokenAsync on app startup
• Build succeeds with no errors
• Tested on physical device or emulator/simulator

Detailed Documentation

• Setup Guide — Auth0 tenant configuration, SDK installation, platform-specific callback setup
• Integration Patterns — Login/logout flows, token refresh, user profile, error handling, MVVM patterns
• API Reference & Testing — Full Auth0ClientOptions reference, claims, testing checklist, troubleshooting

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
App type not set to Native in Auth0 Dashboard	Change application type to "Native" in Dashboard settings
Missing callback URL in Auth0 Dashboard	Add myapp://callback (or your scheme) to Allowed Callback URLs AND Allowed Logout URLs
Android: Missing WebAuthenticatorCallbackActivity	Create activity class with [IntentFilter] matching your callback scheme
Windows: Not calling CheckRedirectionActivation()	Add Activator.Default.CheckRedirectionActivation() at start of Windows App.xaml.cs, before InitializeComponent()
Using https:// prefix in Domain	Domain should be hostname only (e.g., tenant.auth0.com, not https://tenant.auth0.com)
Not requesting offline_access scope for token refresh	Add offline_access to Scope in Auth0ClientOptions to get a refresh token
RedirectUri/PostLogoutRedirectUri not matching Dashboard	Ensure the exact URI (scheme + path) matches what's configured in Auth0 Dashboard
Not registering URL scheme on Android/Windows	Register the custom URL scheme in platform-specific config (see Platform setup step)
Storing tokens in plain text	Use SecureStorage from MAUI Essentials for persisting refresh tokens

Testing Notes

Agent instruction: Remind the user to test on a physical device in addition to emulators/simulators. Some WebAuthenticator behaviors (system browser integration, URL scheme interception) may differ on physical devices vs. emulators. Test the full login → callback → token flow on real hardware before shipping.

Testing Checklist:

• Login flow: System browser opens → authenticate → returns to app
• Logout flow: Browser opens → session cleared → returns to app
• Token refresh: RefreshTokenAsync with stored refresh token works
• Cancel: User cancels login → app handles UserCancel gracefully
• Physical device: Test on real iOS/Android device (not just simulator)
• Offline: Verify token refresh works when the app is restarted
• Multi-platform: Test on at least one mobile platform (iOS or Android) and Windows

Related Skills

• auth0-aspnetcore-authentication — ASP.NET Core server-side web apps
• auth0-aspnetcore-api — ASP.NET Core Web API with JWT validation
• auth0-android — Android-native Kotlin apps
• auth0-swift — iOS/macOS Swift apps
• auth0-react-native — React Native mobile apps
• auth0-net-android-ios — .NET Android/iOS (non-MAUI)

Quick Reference

using Auth0.OidcClient;

// Initialize client
var client = new Auth0Client(new Auth0ClientOptions
{
    Domain = "YOUR_AUTH0_DOMAIN",
    ClientId = "YOUR_AUTH0_CLIENT_ID",
    RedirectUri = "myapp://callback",
    PostLogoutRedirectUri = "myapp://callback",
    Scope = "openid profile email offline_access"
});

// Login — opens system browser
var loginResult = await client.LoginAsync();
if (!loginResult.IsError)
{
    var user = loginResult.User;
    var accessToken = loginResult.AccessToken;
    var idToken = loginResult.IdentityToken;
    var refreshToken = loginResult.RefreshToken;

    // Access user claims
    var name = user.FindFirst("name")?.Value;
    var email = user.FindFirst("email")?.Value;

    // Persist refresh token securely for session restoration
    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(refreshToken))
        await SecureStorage.Default.SetAsync("refresh_token", refreshToken);
}

// Logout — clears Auth0 session and stored tokens
await client.LogoutAsync();
SecureStorage.Default.Remove("refresh_token");

// Restore session on app startup (no user interaction needed)
var savedToken = await SecureStorage.Default.GetAsync("refresh_token");
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(savedToken))
{
    var refreshResult = await client.RefreshTokenAsync(savedToken);
    if (!refreshResult.IsError)
    {
        var newAccessToken = refreshResult.AccessToken;
        // Update stored token if rotated
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(refreshResult.RefreshToken))
            await SecureStorage.Default.SetAsync("refresh_token", refreshResult.RefreshToken);
    }
    else
    {
        // Refresh failed — clear and require re-login
        SecureStorage.Default.Remove("refresh_token");
    }
}

// Get user info from /userinfo endpoint
var userInfo = await client.GetUserInfoAsync(accessToken);

// Login with extra parameters (organization, audience, connection)
var orgLogin = await client.LoginAsync(new { organization = "org_abc123" });
var apiLogin = await client.LoginAsync(new { audience = "https://my-api.example.com" });

Android Callback Activity (Required)

[Activity(NoHistory = true, LaunchMode = LaunchMode.SingleTop, Exported = true)]
[IntentFilter(new[] { Intent.ActionView },
    Categories = new[] { Intent.CategoryDefault, Intent.CategoryBrowsable },
    DataScheme = CALLBACK_SCHEME)]
public class WebAuthenticatorActivity : Microsoft.Maui.Authentication.WebAuthenticatorCallbackActivity
{
    const string CALLBACK_SCHEME = "myapp";
}

Windows Platform Setup (Required — Both Steps)

Step 1: Register protocol in Platforms/Windows/Package.appxmanifest:

<Extensions>
  <uap:Extension Category="windows.protocol">
    <uap:Protocol Name="myapp"/>
  </uap:Extension>
</Extensions>

Step 2: Handle redirection in Platforms/Windows/App.xaml.cs:

// In Platforms/Windows/App.xaml.cs
public App()
{
    if (Auth0.OidcClient.Platforms.Windows.Activator.Default.CheckRedirectionActivation())
        return;
    this.InitializeComponent();
}

References

• Auth0 MAUI Quickstart
• GitHub Repository
• NuGet Package
• SDK API Documentation
• Auth0 Native App Documentation