Deploying a Xamarin.Forms or MAUI App to an IOS Device Without a Developer Account

I’ve done this a few times, but I keep forgetting how, so I decided to write a blog post for future reference! Here are the steps! I’ll add screenshots later :)

Here are the steps to deploy a .NET MAUI or Xamarin.Forms app to a physical iOS device without a paid Apple Developer account. This is done by using Xcode with a free Apple ID, so I’m assuming you are on a Mac.

The steps:

1. Create a New App in Xcode

Open Xcode and create a new project.
Use the same Bundle Identifier (com.yourcompany.yourappname) as the one you are using in your Xamarin.Forms project.
Make sure that the target and deployment info match those of your Xamarin app.

2. Select Your Free Apple ID for Signing

In Xcode, navigate to Settings > Accounts and log in with your Apple ID.
Select the project you just created, go to Signing & Capabilities, and choose your Apple ID under Team. This will set up code signing using your free account.

3. Generate Provisioning Profile

Xcode will automatically generate a provisioning profile for the app.

4. Open Your Xamarin.Forms Project in Visual Studio

Now switch to Visual Studio or Rider (on macOS) and open your Xamarin.Forms project.
In Info.plist, ensure that the Bundle Identifier matches the one from Xcode.

5. Set the Build Configuration

Select iPhone as the target device from the drop-down in Visual Studio.
Under the project settings in iOS Bundle Signing, select Automatic Provisioning and your Apple ID under the Team.

6. Deploy to Device

Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
In Visual Studio, or Rider, select your connected iPhone as the deployment target and deploy the app.
If it prompts for permission on the device, go to Settings > General > Device Management and trust your developer profile.

Once this is done, the app should run on your device using your free Apple ID, even without a paid developer account.