Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop

Question

Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop

Giorgio Sfiligoi 391

I successfully tested the sample https://github.com/Azure-Samples/ms-identity-dotnetcore-maui/tree/main/MauiAppBasic in .NET MAUI 8.0.

Now I would like to create my own project using the same technique.

To begin with, I created an empty project, then I started loading the required libraries. When I load Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop I get an error:

"The target platform must be set to Windows (usually by including '-windows' in the TargetFramework property) when using Windows Forms or WPF, or referencing projects or packages that do so."

Indeed from document https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/msal/dotnet/acquiring-tokens/desktop-mobile/wam I learn that MAUI does not support this library; this leads me to two questions:

How is that the sample compiles and runs without raising that error?
How can I sort out this issue in my project?

Although my project is targeted to Android, I would like to have the multi-platform capability that in principle MAU offers.

Bruce (SqlWork.com) 78,006 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-03-11T18:17:39.46+00:00

the Maui sample does not use "Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop", but rather "Microsoft.Identity.Client" and "Microsoft.Identity.Client.Extensions.Msal".
Giorgio Sfiligoi 391 Reputation points

2025-03-11T19:53:43.1833333+00:00
I am confused:

NuGet tells me that MauiAppBasic DOES use Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop version 4.61.0; if I uninstall it, VS reports an error;

MauiAppBasic use a link to the MSLACLient folder of the sibling sample MauiAppWithBroker; in this folder, the header of class MSAClientHelper contains:
#if WINDOWS using Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop; #endif

In fact, it is required in InitializePubicClientAppAsync(), that contains:
#if WINDOWS .WithWindowsEmbeddedBrowserSupport() #endif

Removing the references to ...Desktop, the sample does not compile.
Rob Caplan - MSFT 6,037 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2025-04-10T20:45:43.4833333+00:00

Microsoft.Identity.Client is part of MSAL not MAUI. You're more likelky to find MSAL experts and support for the MSAL samples in the Microsoft Entra ID tag.

There's a possibly related (but slightly different symptoms) issue in the sample's github at https://github.com/Azure-Samples/ms-identity-dotnetcore-maui/issues/27

1 answer

Your answer

Bruce (SqlWork.com) 78,006 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-03-11T18:17:39.46+00:00

the Maui sample does not use "Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop", but rather "Microsoft.Identity.Client" and "Microsoft.Identity.Client.Extensions.Msal".
Giorgio Sfiligoi 391 Reputation points

2025-03-11T19:53:43.1833333+00:00

I am confused:

NuGet tells me that MauiAppBasic DOES use Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop version 4.61.0; if I uninstall it, VS reports an error;

MauiAppBasic use a link to the MSLACLient folder of the sibling sample MauiAppWithBroker; in this folder, the header of class MSAClientHelper contains:
#if WINDOWS using Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop; #endif

In fact, it is required in InitializePubicClientAppAsync(), that contains:
#if WINDOWS .WithWindowsEmbeddedBrowserSupport() #endif

Removing the references to ...Desktop, the sample does not compile.
Rob Caplan - MSFT 6,037 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2025-04-10T20:45:43.4833333+00:00

Microsoft.Identity.Client is part of MSAL not MAUI. You're more likelky to find MSAL experts and support for the MSAL samples in the Microsoft Entra ID tag.

There's a possibly related (but slightly different symptoms) issue in the sample's github at https://github.com/Azure-Samples/ms-identity-dotnetcore-maui/issues/27

Answer 1

Wenyan Zhang (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) 36,436 Microsoft External Staff

Hello,

On the NuGet Package page of Microsoft.Identity.Client, we can see the Included target framework(s), Windows platform is not supported.

Please try to use "Microsoft.Identity.Client" and "Microsoft.Identity.Client.Extensions.Msal" as Bruce said.

Best Regards,

Wenyan Zhang

If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Brendan Rempel 20 Reputation points

2025-04-10T19:37:15.93+00:00

I think there's a misunderstanding of the problem. I too am trying sample code which is using .NET 8 and a bunch of obsolete libraries (and failing to build). After updating to .NET 9 and updating the others, the WithWindowsEmbeddedBrowserSupport API that Giorgio pointed out is missing. It is in the Nuget package Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop however MAUI gets confused and tries to link to it in every platform.

I think the answer the Github project ms-identity-ciam-dotnet-tutorial get updated to the lastest libraries by its owners. This problem will bubble up and it can be solved by those who understand it better.

In the mean time, this is an easily repeatable problem from a clean clone. Either deal with build errors using obsolete libraries or the error that created this thread.

Share via

Microsoft.Identity.Client.Desktop

1 answer

Your answer