Viewing PDFs in MAUI for C# .NET

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In the modern era of cross-platform development, providing users with the ability to view PDF documents directly within your app is not just a convenience, but a necessity. With the IronPDF Viewer, you can embed PDF viewing functionality into your MAUI application.

In this article, we will learn how to integrate IronPDF Viewer within a MAUI application to allow users the ability to view, save, and print PDFs.


Overview


Download and Install the IronPDF Viewer Library

Start using IronPDF in your project today with a free trial.

First Step:
green arrow pointer

Visual Studio - NuGet Package Manager

In Visual Studio, right-click on your project in the solution explorer and select Manage NuGet Packages.... From there, you can search for IronPdf.Viewer.Maui and install the latest version to your solution. Alternatively, you can open the NuGet Package Manager console by navigating to Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Package Manager Console and entering the following command:

Install-Package IronPdf.Viewer.Maui

Integrate IronPDF Viewer into a MAUI Application

In the following sections, we will demonstrate how to integrate IronPDF Viewer into a default MAUI application.

Setup

Before adding IronPDF Viewer to your MAUI project, ensure it does not target the iOS and Android platforms. You can check this by right-clicking on the project file and selecting Properties. Uncheck the Target the iOS Platform and Target the Android platform checkboxes if they are not unchecked already. For this change to be successfully implemented, you may need to save the project after unchecking and restart Visual Studio.

Properties Screen

After untargeting the iOS and Android platforms, go to your MauiProgram.cs file and add the following code to initialize the viewer:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-1.cs
using IronPdf.Viewer.Maui;

public static class MauiProgram
{
    public static MauiApp CreateMauiApp()
    {
        var builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder();
        builder
            .UseMauiApp<App>()
            // other configuration options ...
            .ConfigureIronPdfView(); // configure the viewer on app start-up

        return builder.Build();
    }
}
Imports IronPdf.Viewer.Maui

Public Module MauiProgram
	Public Function CreateMauiApp() As MauiApp
		Dim builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder()
		builder.UseMauiApp(Of App)().ConfigureIronPdfView() ' configure the viewer on app start-up

		Return builder.Build()
	End Function
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

By default, the IronPDF Viewer will display a banner at the bottom-right of the view. To remove this view, add your IronPDF (or Iron Suite) license key to ConfigureIronPdfViewer like so:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-2.cs
.ConfigureIronPdfView("YOUR-LICENSE-KEY");
IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Add a PDF Viewer Page

In this section, we will learn how to create a PDF Viewer page, integrate IronPDF Viewer, and create a tab for it in a MAUI application. We will demonstrate how to do this with both a XAML and C# ContentPage.

Steps

  1. Add a new page to your project by right-clicking on your project, then navigate to Add > New Item... Add New Item

  2. Navigate to the .NET MAUI section. To create a XAML page, select .NET MAUI ContentPage (XAML). For a C# file, select .NET MAUI ContentPage (C#). Give your file the name PdfViewerPage, then click Add. .NET MAUI `ContentPage`

  3. In the XAML file, add the following code and save:
:path=/static-assets/pdf/tutorials/pdf-viewing/pdf-viewing-xaml-1.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContentPage ...
    xmlns:ipv="clr-namespace:IronPdf.Viewer.Maui;assembly=IronPdf.Viewer.Maui"
    ...>
    <ipv:IronPdfView x:Name="pdfView"/>
</ContentPage>
XML

If you created a C# ContentPage instead, add the following code instead and save:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-3.cs
using IronPdf.Viewer.Maui;

public class MainPage : ContentPage
{
    private readonly IronPdfView pdfView;

    public MainPage()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

        this.pdfView = new IronPdfView { Options = IronPdfViewOptions.All };

        Content = this.pdfView;
    }
}
Imports IronPdf.Viewer.Maui

Public Class MainPage
	Inherits ContentPage

	Private ReadOnly pdfView As IronPdfView

	Public Sub New()
		InitializeComponent()

		Me.pdfView = New IronPdfView With {.Options = IronPdfViewOptions.All}

		Content = Me.pdfView
	End Sub
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel
  1. In your AppShell.xaml file, add the following:
:path=/static-assets/pdf/tutorials/pdf-viewing/pdf-viewing-xaml-2.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Shell ...
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2021/maui"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
    ...>
  <TabBar x:Name="AppTabBar">
      <Tab Title="Home">
        <ShellContent ContentTemplate="{DataTemplate local:MainPage}" Route="MainPage"/>
      </Tab>
      <Tab Title="PDF Viewer">
        <ShellContent ContentTemplate="{DataTemplate local:PdfViewerPage}" Route="PDFViewer"/>
    </Tab>
  </TabBar>
</Shell>
XML
  1. Save your project, then build and run. You should see tabs in the top-left corner as shown below, and clicking on the "PDF Viewer" tab should open the IronPDF Viewer.

IronPDF Viewer Default

Load a PDF on Start-Up

On the start-up of the application, IronPDF Viewer will prompt the user to open a PDF by default. It is possible for it to open a PDF automatically on start-up, as well. There are three ways in which you can load a PDF on start-up: by a filename, through a byte array, and through a stream.

Load by Filename

To load a PDF by filename, you could specify the source of the PDF file in the IronPdfView tag in the XAML file. An example of this is shown below:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/tutorials/pdf-viewing/pdf-viewing-xaml-3.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContentPage ...
    xmlns:ipv="clr-namespace:IronPdf.Viewer.Maui;assembly=IronPdf.Viewer.Maui"
    ...>
    <ipv:IronPdfView Source="C:/path/to/my/example.pdf" />
</ContentPage>
XML

Alternatively, you can load the PDF by filename by using the IronPdfViewSource.FromFile method in a C# ContentPage:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-4.cs
// We assume an IronPdfView instance is created previously called pdfView
pdfView.Source = IronPdfViewSource.FromFile("C:/path/to/my/example.pdf");
' We assume an IronPdfView instance is created previously called pdfView
pdfView.Source = IronPdfViewSource.FromFile("C:/path/to/my/example.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Load Through Byte Array

For some use cases, it may be desirable to load a byte array of a PDF. This is not possible from XAML, but is possible in C#. You can achieve this by simply using the IronPdfViewSource.FromBytes method. An example of how to use this method is shown below:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-5.cs
pdfView.Source = IronPdfViewSource.FromBytes(File.ReadAllBytes("~/Downloads/example.pdf"));
pdfView.Source = IronPdfViewSource.FromBytes(File.ReadAllBytes("~/Downloads/example.pdf"))
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Load Through Stream

Similarly, it may be more desirable for PDFs to be loaded through a stream in some use cases. This is not possible from XAML, but is possible in C#. You can achieve this by simply using the IronPdfViewSource.FromStream method. An example of how to use this method is shown below:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-6.cs
pdfView.Source = IronPdfViewSource.FromStream(File.OpenRead("~/Downloads/example.pdf"));
pdfView.Source = IronPdfViewSource.FromStream(File.OpenRead("~/Downloads/example.pdf"))
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Configure the Toolbar

With IronPDF Viewer, you can choose what options to display in the toolbar. The available options are:

  • Thumbnail view
  • Filename display
  • Text search
  • Page number navigation
  • Zoom
  • Fit to width
  • Fit to height
  • Rotate clockwise
  • Rotate counterclockwise
  • Open file
  • Download file
  • Print file
  • Display annotations
  • Two-page view

By default, IronPDF Viewer will display the toolbar shown below:

Default Toolbar

In the default view, the filename display, text search, and rotate counterclockwise options are all disabled. To display everything, set the Option parameter of the IronPdfView tag in the XAML to be All:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/tutorials/pdf-viewing/pdf-viewing-xaml-4.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContentPage ...
    xmlns:ipv="clr-namespace:IronPdf.Viewer.Maui;assembly=IronPdf.Viewer.Maui"
    ...>
    <ipv:IronPdfView x:Name="pdfView" Options="All"/>
</ContentPage>
XML

Alternatively, you could achieve the same in C#:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-7.cs
pdfView.Options = IronPdfViewOptions.All;
pdfView.Options = IronPdfViewOptions.All
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Which will display the following:

All Toolbar

If you don't want to display anything, set the option to None. The toolbar will not appear if Options are set to this:

No Toolbar

You can choose which specific options you would like to display. For instance, if you wanted to display only the thumbnail and open file options, modify the Options parameter of IronPdfView in XAML like so:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/tutorials/pdf-viewing/pdf-viewing-xaml-5.xml
<ipv:IronPdfView x:Name="pdfView" Options="Thumbs, Open"/>
XML

Similarly, in C#:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/tutorials/pdf-viewing-8.cs
pdfView.Options = IronPdfViewOptions.Thumbs | IronPdfViewOptions.Open;
pdfView.Options = IronPdfViewOptions.Thumbs Or IronPdfViewOptions.Open
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Which will display the following:

Toolbar with thumbnail and open file options

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to integrate IronPDF Viewer into a MAUI application and how to customize its toolbar to best suit your needs.

This viewer comes with our IronPDF product. If you would like to make a feature request or have any general questions about IronPDF Viewer (or IronPDF), please contact our support team. We will be more than happy to assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PDF Viewer for MAUI?

IronPDF Viewer is a tool that allows developers to embed PDF viewing functionality into a MAUI application, enabling users to view, save, and print PDFs directly within the app.

How do I install the PDF Viewer library in a MAUI application?

To install the IronPDF Viewer library, use the NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio. Right-click your project, select 'Manage NuGet Packages...', search for 'IronPdf.Viewer.Maui', and install it.

How can I integrate the PDF Viewer into my MAUI project?

To integrate IronPDF Viewer, ensure your MAUI project is not targeting iOS or Android platforms, then add the necessary code to your MauiProgram.cs file to initialize the viewer using your IronPDF license key.

How do I create a PDF Viewer page in a MAUI application?

Create a PDF Viewer page by adding a new .NET MAUI ContentPage (XAML or C#) to your project and include the IronPDF Viewer component in it. Then, add a tab for this page in your AppShell.xaml file.

How can I load a PDF on start-up in the PDF Viewer?

You can load a PDF on start-up by specifying the source in the XAML file or using methods like IronPdfViewSource.FromFile, FromBytes, or FromStream in a C# ContentPage.

What options are available for configuring the PDF Viewer toolbar?

The toolbar can include options like thumbnail view, filename display, text search, page number navigation, zoom, rotation, opening, downloading, printing files, and more. You can customize which options to display.

How do I display all options in the PDF Viewer toolbar?

To display all options in the toolbar, set the 'Options' parameter of the PdfViewer tag in XAML to 'All' or use PdfViewerOptions.All in C#.

Can I hide the toolbar in the PDF Viewer?

Yes, you can hide the toolbar by setting the 'Options' parameter to 'None', which will make the toolbar disappear.

How do I select specific options to display in the PDF Viewer toolbar?

To display specific options, modify the 'Options' parameter in the XAML or C# code to include only the desired options, such as 'ThumbnailView,OpenFile'.

Where can I get support or make feature requests for the PDF Viewer?

You can contact the IronPDF support team through their website for support or to make feature requests about IronPDF Viewer.

Jordi Bardia
Software Engineer
Jordi is most proficient in Python, C# and C++, when he isn’t leveraging his skills at Iron Software; he’s game programming. Sharing responsibilities for product testing, product development and research, Jordi adds immense value to continual product improvement. The varied experience keeps him challenged and engaged, and he says it’s one of his favorite aspects of working with Iron Software. Jordi grew up in Miami, Florida and studied Computer Science and Statistics at University of Florida.