SimpleShell is a lightweight, decoupled implementation of .NET MAUI Shell. It allows you to create entirely custom navigation experiences while retaining the core benefits of Shell.

All SimpleShell is is just a set of containers for your application content with the ability to put the hosting area for pages wherever you want. This gives you the flexibility to add custom tab bars, navigation bars, flyouts, etc. to your Shell application.

Bear in mind that SimpleShell does not come with any navigation controls. SimpleShell just gives you the ability to use custom navigation controls along with the URI-based navigation and automatic navigation stack management.

[!IMPORTANT] Before you begin using SimpleShell, I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the standard .NET MAUI Shell — especially with the URI-based navigation, which works exactly the same as in SimpleShell.

Initialization

Initialize SimpleShell in your MauiProgram.cs file:

builder.UseSimpleShell();

Limitations and Trade-offs

While SimpleShell offers increased flexibility, there are scenarios where the standard .NET MAUI Shell might be a better fit:

• Platform-Native Aesthetics: The standard Shell provides a look and feel that is native to each specific operating system.
• Performance Optimization: Native navigation controls provided by the standard Shell may offer superior performance compared to custom controls composed of multiple .NET MAUI views.
• Accessibility: Standard Shell is designed to be accessible out of the box by leveraging platform-specific controls. A SimpleShell implementation requires manual effort to ensure it meets the same accessibility standards.
• Maturity: As a custom implementation, SimpleShell may have edge cases or performance impacts that have not yet been as rigorously tested as the official MAUI components.

See documentation for more information.

🔲 SimpleToolkit.SimpleButton

SimpleButton is a button control that can hold whatever content you want.

Initialization

Initialize SimpleButton in your MauiProgram.cs file:

builder.UseSimpleButton();

See documentation for more information.

📐 SimpleToolkit.Helpers

A collection of essential cross-platform helpers for .NET MAUI to bridge the gap between shared code and native platform APIs:

• WindowInsetsProvider — Provides a unified way to retrieve current window insets.

See documentation for more information.