Is it possible to Target Android 35 with .net 8?

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Is it possible to Target Android 35 with .net 8?

Sreenivasan, Sreejith 780

My MAUI project's targets target .net runtime is .net 8.0. Target android framework is 34, I want 35 as the target version. Is it possible to target 35 with .net 8.0.

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Only API level 34 is listing on the target android framework dropdown. Is there any workaround to set 35 with .net 8.0 runtime?
If the solution is only to upgrade to .Net 9 from .Net 8, tell the steps for that.

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Answer 1

Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 2,655 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Sreenivasan, Sreejith ,

Thanks for your question.

It is possible to target Android API level 35 while staying on .NET 8. Below are the workarounds I recommend:

Workaround 1 - You can target Android 35 while staying on .NET 8 using a manual manifest override.

Note:

This workaround allows you to TARGET Android 35 (satisfy Google Play requirements) but you cannot use new Android 35 APIs from C# code. For full Android 35 API support, use Workaround 2 (upgrade to .NET 10).

1.Keep your project settings as is:

Target Framework: net8.0-android
Target Android Framework: API 34 (in dropdown)

Add or modify AndroidManifest.xml in your project:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <uses-sdk android:targetSdkVersion="35" />
    <application android:allowBackup="true" android:icon="@mipmap/appicon" android:roundIcon="@mipmap/appicon_round" android:supportsRtl="true"></application>
</manifest>

Build your app: you may see this warning and it is safe to ignore.

warning XA1008: The TargetFrameworkVersion (Android API level 34) is lower than the targetSdkVersion (35).

Workaround 2: This is a long-term recommendation, as Maui on .net 8 went out of support on May 14, 2025. In the future, you may face many issues because this version is no longer supported. Additionally, .NET 9 will go out of support on May 12, 2026. Upgrading to .NET 10 (LTS) ensures longer support until May 2027.

To move a .NET MAUI app from .NET 8 TO .NET 10, I would recommend these steps:

Make sure Visual Studio has .NET 10 and the MAUI workload installed.
Update each project file from net8.0-* to net10.0-*.
Update any MAUI-related NuGet packages, if you reference them explicitly.
Delete the bin and obj folders. Restore and rebuild the solution.
Fix any warnings or breaking changes that appear after the rebuild.

The main project-file change is usually just the target frameworks. For example:

<TargetFrameworks>net10.0-android;net10.0-ios;net10.0-maccatalyst</TargetFrameworks>
<TargetFrameworks Condition="$([MSBuild]::IsOSPlatform('windows'))">$(TargetFrameworks);net10.0-windows10.0.19041.0</TargetFrameworks>

If your app uses platform-specific features, there are a few things worth checking after the upgrade:

Deprecated MAUI APIs such as older animation methods and older UI types.
Android settings, because .NET 10 moves forward with newer Android tooling.
iOS/Mac Catalyst build requirements, especially if you build with a Mac.
Trimming or AOT settings, if your project already uses them.

If the app builds cleanly after changing the target frameworks, the move can be fairly small. If it does not, the build errors usually point to the exact API changes that need attention.

I hope this addresses your question. If this response was helpful, please consider following the guidance to provide feedback.

Sreenivasan, Sreejith 780 Reputation points

2026-04-13T09:20:21.0733333+00:00
@Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) I tried workaround 1 by adding the below on manifest file.

<uses-sdk android:targetSdkVersion="35" />

After clean and rebuild I check the manifest file under "obj\Debug\net8.0-android\AndroidManifest.xml". And found the android:targetSdkVersion="35".
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 2,655 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-13T09:41:03.5666667+00:00

Hi @Sreenivasan, Sreejith ,

Yes, your app now targets Android 35. It seems that the workaround is working.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. If this response was useful to you, I’d appreciate your feedback. Thank you Sreenivasan.
Sreenivasan, Sreejith 780 Reputation points

2026-04-13T10:16:13.9366667+00:00

@Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) But in release mode, after clean and rebuild the targetSdkVersion is 34 in the manifest file under the "obj\Release\net8.0-android" folder.
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 2,655 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-13T10:22:53.81+00:00
Hi @Sreenivasan, Sreejith ,

Please try to set TargetSdkVersion in .csproj:

Instead of only modifying AndroidManifest.xml, add this to your .csproj file:

<PropertyGroup> <TargetFramework>net8.0-android</TargetFramework> <SupportedOSPlatformVersion>21.0</SupportedOSPlatformVersion> <AndroidManifest>AndroidManifest.xml</AndroidManifest> <TargetSdkVersion>35</TargetSdkVersion> </PropertyGroup>

Still keep your AndroidManifest.xml with:

<uses-sdk android:targetSdkVersion="35" />

Then clean and rebuild.

If it does not work, alternatively, try this MSBuild property in your .csproj (just do if above code does not work):

<PropertyGroup> <AndroidTargetSdkVersion>35</AndroidTargetSdkVersion> </PropertyGroup>

Note: Verify the file is being included in the build.

Right-click AndroidManifest.xml → Properties

Build Action should be: AndroidManifest

If none of these work, upgrading to .NET 9 or .NET 10 is the only reliable solution to properly target Android API 35.
Sreenivasan, Sreejith 780 Reputation points

2026-04-13T10:26:10.78+00:00

@Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) Now it worked only with the <uses-sdk android:targetSdkVersion="35" /> in manifest file. When changed to release mode somehow this code is removed, so I add it again and clean and rebuild.
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 2,655 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-13T10:41:43.5866667+00:00
Hi @Sreenivasan, Sreejith ,
It seems that you have have multiple AndroidManifest.xml files or your manifest is being auto-generated or overwritten.

You can refer to these recommendations:

Workaround 1: Add the MSBuild properties to .csproj.

This ensures the targetSdkVersion persists regardless of build configuration. Add this to your .csproj file:

<PropertyGroup> <TargetFramework>net8.0-android</TargetFramework> <SupportedOSPlatformVersion>21.0</SupportedOSPlatformVersion> <TargetSdkVersion>35</TargetSdkVersion> <AndroidTargetSdkVersion>35</AndroidTargetSdkVersion> </PropertyGroup>

And still keep your <uses-sdk android:targetSdkVersion="35" /> in AndroidManifest.xml.

Workaround 2: Check for multiple AndroidManifest.xml files.

Check these locations:

Platforms/Android/AndroidManifest.xml

Properties/AndroidManifest.xml

dearch your entire solution:

In Visual Studio: Edit → Find and Replace → Find in Files

Search for: AndroidManifest.xml

Check all results and ensure <uses-sdk android:targetSdkVersion="35" /> is in each one

After changing code, clean and rebuild again and check if it works. If not, please upgrade .NET version. Thank you.

Answer 2

Yes, it is possible to target Android 35 APIs while still using the .NET 8 runtime, but it is done in the project file, not via the Visual Studio dropdown.

Key points from the platform docs:

For .NET 8, net8.0-android is shorthand for net8.0-android34.0 (Android API 34) by default.
The OS-specific TFM can include a higher “platform version” to opt into newer Android APIs when bindings are available, for example net8.0-android35.0.
The version in the TFM controls which Android API surface you compile against; it does not change the runtime OS requirement.

To target Android 35 APIs on .NET 8:

Edit the .csproj file directly.

Change the TargetFramework from the default to include the platform version:

   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>net8.0-android35.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>

Ensure the Android 35 SDK / bindings are available in the installed .NET/Android tooling. Visual Studio’s UI may still show Android 14 (API 34), but the build will use the TFM you specify in the project file.

If bindings for Android 35 are not yet shipped in the .NET 8 Android tooling on the machine, the project will fail to restore/build with that TFM; in that case, keep net8.0-android (34.0) until an SDK update adds 35.0 bindings.

Note that in .NET 9, Android 15 (API 35) is the default, so net9.0-android already maps to API 35.

References:

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Is it possible to Target Android 35 with .net 8?

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