MAUI App Crash on device in Release mode but runs fine in Debug mode

[joehanna]

Apple platform

iOS

Framework version

net9.0-*

Affected platform version

.NET 9.0.306. Built from Rider 2025.2.3 on Mac OS and also tried VS2022 on Win 11.

Description

The app works perfectly in Debug mode but when I build the AppStore version and post it to TestFlight, the runtime behaviour is different. For instance, I have a Page that loads fine in Debug using Application.Current.MainPage.Navigation.PushAsync but fails in the AppStore version with this error:

Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method

I do not consume this class so I presume it is internal to MAUI. I verified that none of the objects in the call chain were null (Application.Current.MainPage.Navigation.PushAsync)

There is no documentation or discussions anywhere about this so I have no other cases to derive troubleshooting ideas.

I am having a really tough time trying to publish my app due to the lack of better error messages and supporting documentation or forum posts. It becomes frustrating when I am fighting things I have no control over or information on. My customers are getting annoyed with the delayed release, so I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Thank you

Mac Environment: dotnet --info

.NET SDK:
 Version:           9.0.306
 Commit:            cc9947ca66
 Workload version:  9.0.300-manifests.4f997495
 MSBuild version:   17.14.28+09c1be848

Runtime Environment:
 OS Name:     Mac OS X
 OS Version:  26.1
 OS Platform: Darwin
 RID:         osx-arm64
 Base Path:   /usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk/9.0.306/

.NET workloads installed:
 [maui]
   Installation Source: SDK 9.0.300
   Manifest Version:    9.0.111/9.0.100
   Manifest Path:       /usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk-manifests/9.0.100/microsoft.net.sdk.maui/9.0.111/WorkloadManifest.json
   Install Type:        FileBased

Configured to use loose manifests when installing new manifests.

Host:
  Version:      9.0.10
  Architecture: arm64
  Commit:       e1f19886fe

.NET SDKs installed:
  9.0.103 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk]
  9.0.306 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.2 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.10 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.2 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.10 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.NETCore.App]

Other architectures found:
  None

Environment variables:
  Not set

global.json file:
  Not found

Steps to Reproduce

Testing Debug Mode

1. Set the build config to Debug.
2. Build & Run with Debug
3. The app launches. Tap the button to navigate to another page - works fine.
4. Stop Debugging

Testing Release Mode

1. Set the build config to Debug.
2. Build & Run with Debug
3. The app launches. Tap the button to navigate to another page - nothing happens - silent failure.
4. Stop Debugging
5. I added a try/catch and it trapped the exception: Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method.

It is happening when I new-up a View to be added in the Page constructor. I am guessing is a XAML problem - but I don't know which, the XAML is over 1,100 lines. I even tried [XamlCompilation(XamlCompilationOptions.Compile)] to head off any problems at build time but no joy.

Did you find any workaround?

I cannot be sure that it is not XAML related, as XAML runtime errors are notoriously silent. The XAML page is too complex to rebuild in XAML or to refactor it out to c#.

Relevant logs

No response

[rolfbjarne]

Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method

This looks related: #27984

I'm guessing you're somehow using a dependency that was built after the ShadowTypeConverter ctor was made public, but at the same time your using an earlier version of MAUI where the ctor is still private.

Can you get an MSBuild binlog of a build that shows this problem + attach the full stack trace from the exception?

[petrushkachen]

I have the same issue with Release build:
Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method 'MyApp.Views.LoginView.IitializeComponent()'

[petrushkachen]

I have the same issue with Release build: Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method 'MyApp.Views.LoginView.IitializeComponent()'

Binary build logs as attachment:
msbuild.zip

Exception Message:
Method Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method LiangsApp.Views.LoginView.InitializeComponent()'

Stack Trace:
at LiangsApp.Views.LoginView.InitializeComponent()
at LiangsApp.Views.LoginView..ctor(LoginViewModel viewModel)
at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InterpretedInvoke_Constructor(Object obj, IntPtr* args)
at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeDirectByRefWithFewArgs(Object obj, Span1 copyOfArgs, BindingFlags invokeAttr) at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeWithOneArg(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) at System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.VisitConstructor(ConstructorCallSite constructorCallSite, RuntimeResolverContext context) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteVisitor2[[Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.RuntimeResolverContext, Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection, Version=9.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60],[System.Object, System.Private.CoreLib, Version=9.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=7cec85d7bea7798e]].VisitCallSiteMain(ServiceCallSite callSite, RuntimeResolverContext argument)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.VisitDisposeCache(ServiceCallSite transientCallSite, RuntimeResolverContext context)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteVisitor`2[[Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.RuntimeResolverContext, Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection, Version=9.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60],[System.Object, System.Private.CoreLib, Version=9.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=7cec85d7bea7798e]].VisitCallSite(ServiceCallSite callSite, RuntimeResolverContext argument)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.Resolve(ServiceCallSite callSite, ServiceProviderEngineScope scope)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.RuntimeServiceProviderEngine.<>c__DisplayClass4_0.b__0(ServiceProviderEngineScope scope)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProvider.GetService(ServiceIdentifier serviceIdentifier, ServiceProviderEngineScope serviceProviderEngineScope)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProvider.GetService(Type serviceType)
at Microsoft.Maui.MauiContext.WrappedServiceProvider.GetService(Type serviceType)
at Microsoft.Maui.MauiContext.WrappedServiceProvider.GetService(Type serviceType)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProviderServiceExtensions.GetRequiredService(IServiceProvider provider, Type serviceType)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProviderServiceExtensions.GetRequiredService[LoginView](IServiceProvider provider)
at LiangsApp.App.GetRequiredServiceLoginView
at LiangsApp.App.CreateLoginPage()

[petrushkachen]

Using property element syntax will solve the exception:

orginal:

<Border Grid.Row="1"
        StrokeThickness="0"
        BackgroundColor="White"
        StrokeShape="RoundRectangle 32,32,32,32"
        Shadow="4 4 16 #4D3C00 0.5"
        Margin="24">
...
</Border>

<Border Grid.Row="1"
        StrokeThickness="0"
        BackgroundColor="White"
        StrokeShape="RoundRectangle 32,32,32,32"
        Margin="24">
    <Border.Shadow>
        <Shadow Brush="#4D3C00"
                Offset="4,4"
                Radius="16"
                Opacity="0.5" />
    </Border.Shadow>
...
</Border>

[rolfbjarne]

Looks like you're using Maui v9.0.120:

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Maui.Controls" Version="9.0.120" />

Yet ShadowTypeConverter wasn't public until .NET 10: #27984

However, it seems there's a reference to ShadowTypeConverter in LiangsApp.Views.LoginView.InitializeComponent:

Exception Message:
Method Microsoft.Maui.Controls.ShadowTypeConverter..ctor()' is inaccessible from method LiangsApp.Views.LoginView.InitializeComponent()'

Stack Trace:
at LiangsApp.Views.LoginView.InitializeComponent()
at LiangsApp.Views.LoginView..ctor(LoginViewModel viewModel)

which I don't know compiled in the first place, if ShadowTypeConverter wasn't public in v9.0.120.

In any case, this seems like a MAUI issue, so moving there.