Summary
Note
.NET MAUI is the next evolution of Xamarin and what we recommend you develop mobile and desktop apps with, and you can learn more about .NET MAUI in several training modules. This Xamarin training module will not be maintained going forward.
We looked at three common navigation strategies used in Xamarin.Forms apps. The following table summarizes the key points.
| When to use | How to implement | |
| Stack | When your content has a linear progression of pages from general to specific. | NavigationPage and its PushAsync and PopAsync methods. |
| Tab | When you have a small number of top-level pages that have equal importance to the user. You want it to be easy to switch among them. | TabbedPage and its Children property. |
| Modal | When a page requires an affirmative action from the user before dismissal. | The PushModalAsync and PopModalAsync methods, available from the Navigation property in all page types. |
To test out these strategies, we implemented the Astronomy app by using both stack and tab navigation. Which felt more natural? With all things considered, tab navigation was probably a better choice in this case because:
- The pages were all relatively equal in importance.
- The user would probably switch between the pages frequently.
Tabs make this type of navigation simple. It only takes one tap for the user to switch to any of the pages. Stack navigation would require a longer navigation sequence. The user would need to return to the root page before they could go to a different part of the app.