How to show a toast notification in Xamarin.Forms using Toasts.Forms.Plugin?

Install the NuGet package in your PCL and client projects, register the dependency with DependencyService.Register () and initialize it after Xamarin.Forms.Init(). Then, use DependencyService.Get () to create notifications with NotificationOptions and await the result.

Toasts.Forms.Plugin vs Acr.UserDialogs for notifications in Xamarin?

Toasts.Forms.Plugin focuses solely on native toast notifications with a minimal API, while Acr.UserDialogs offers a broader set of UI dialogs including toasts but may use custom UI. Choose Toasts.Forms.Plugin for pure native toasts; Acr.UserDialogs for a more comprehensive dialog solution with less platform authenticity.

How to handle when a user clicks on a toast notification in Toasts.Forms.Plugin?

Set IsClickable = true in the NotificationOptions and await the Notify method to get a NotificationResult. Check if the Action property includes NotificationAction.Clicked, then trigger app logic such as navigation or data updates based on the user interaction.

Does Toasts.Forms.Plugin work with .NET MAUI?

The plugin is designed for Xamarin.Forms and Windows UWP, not officially supported in .NET MAUI. For MAUI projects, consider using community ports or alternative libraries like Plugin.LocalNotification, as migration may require significant code changes.

What are the minimum OS requirements for Toasts.Forms.Plugin?

It requires iOS 10+, Android API 16+ (with AppCompat support only), and Windows 10 UWP. For older iOS versions (7-9), you must use version 2.0.4 of the plugin, which may lack newer features and updates.

How to set up permissions for iOS notifications with Toasts.Forms.Plugin?

You need to manually request permissions in your iOS project using UNUserNotificationCenter for iOS 10+ or UIUserNotificationSettings for iOS 8-9, as shown in the README example. This step is not handled by the plugin, so it adds platform-specific code to your app.

Toasts Plugin — Native Toast Notifications Plugin

What is Toasts Plugin?

Toasts.Forms.Plugin is a Xamarin and Windows plugin that provides a unified API for showing native toast notifications across iOS, Android, and Windows UWP. It abstracts platform-specific implementations, allowing developers to display user notifications with a consistent codebase. The plugin uses each platform's native notification APIs for an authentic user experience.

Target Audience

Xamarin and Windows developers building cross-platform mobile or desktop applications that require toast notifications, particularly those targeting iOS 10+, Android API 16+ (AppCompat), and Windows 10 UWP.

Value Proposition

Developers choose this plugin for its minimal abstraction layer that leverages native notification systems rather than custom UI components, ensuring platform authenticity. It offers a simple, unified API with support for tracking user interactions like clicks, dismissals, and timeouts.

A plugin for Xamarin and Windows - it unites Crouton (Android), TWMessageBarManager (iOS) and my toast notificator for WP8.

Use Cases

Best For

Building Xamarin.Forms applications that need native toast notifications on iOS, Android, and Windows UWP.
Displaying user notifications with consistent code across multiple platforms without custom UI.
Tracking user interactions with notifications, such as clicks or dismissals, in cross-platform apps.
Integrating native notification APIs in .NET Standard or PCL projects for backward compatibility.
Handling platform-specific setup and permissions for toast notifications in a unified way.
Developing Windows 10 UWP applications that require toast notifications alongside mobile platforms.

Not Ideal For

Applications targeting iOS versions below 10, as version 3+ requires iOS 10+ and downgrading to version 2.0.4 is necessary for older support.
Projects needing to support legacy Windows platforms like Windows Phone Silverlight or RT, which are explicitly not supported.
Teams looking for a fully automated setup without platform-specific initialization and permission handling.
Developers requiring highly customizable notification UI beyond native toast styles, as the plugin relies on platform-native APIs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Unified Cross-Platform API

Provides a single IToastNotificator interface for showing notifications on iOS, Android, and Windows UWP, simplifying codebase consistency across supported platforms.

Native Toast Integration

Leverages each platform's native notification APIs, as stated in the README, ensuring authentic user experience and compliance with OS design guidelines without custom UI.

Notification Action Tracking

Supports tracking user interactions like clicks, dismissals, and timeouts through the NotificationResult enum, enabling responsive app behavior based on toast events.

.NET Standard Compatibility

Built on .NET Standard 1.3 with backward compatibility for PCL projects, making it suitable for both modern and legacy .NET development environments.

Cons

Limited Platform Support

Only supports iOS 10+, Android API 16+ with AppCompat, and Windows 10 UWP; lacks support for older iOS, Windows Phone, Xamarin.Mac, and other platforms, restricting use cases.

Complex Setup Process

Requires manual dependency registration and platform-specific initialization, such as passing activity in Android and handling permissions in iOS, adding boilerplate and setup overhead.

iOS Permission Dependency

Developers must separately request notification permissions in iOS code using platform-specific APIs, as the plugin doesn't abstract this, leading to fragmented implementation.

Breaking Changes Between Versions

Version 3+ drops support for iOS below 10, forcing developers to either upgrade OS targets or stick with older plugin versions, creating maintenance and compatibility challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Toasts Plugin?

Target Audience

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

Building Xamarin.Forms applications that need native toast notifications on iOS, Android, and Windows UWP.
Displaying user notifications with consistent code across multiple platforms without custom UI.
Tracking user interactions with notifications, such as clicks or dismissals, in cross-platform apps.
Integrating native notification APIs in .NET Standard or PCL projects for backward compatibility.
Handling platform-specific setup and permissions for toast notifications in a unified way.
Developing Windows 10 UWP applications that require toast notifications alongside mobile platforms.

Not Ideal For

Applications targeting iOS versions below 10, as version 3+ requires iOS 10+ and downgrading to version 2.0.4 is necessary for older support.
Projects needing to support legacy Windows platforms like Windows Phone Silverlight or RT, which are explicitly not supported.
Teams looking for a fully automated setup without platform-specific initialization and permission handling.
Developers requiring highly customizable notification UI beyond native toast styles, as the plugin relies on platform-native APIs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Unified Cross-Platform API

Provides a single IToastNotificator interface for showing notifications on iOS, Android, and Windows UWP, simplifying codebase consistency across supported platforms.

Native Toast Integration

Leverages each platform's native notification APIs, as stated in the README, ensuring authentic user experience and compliance with OS design guidelines without custom UI.

Notification Action Tracking

Supports tracking user interactions like clicks, dismissals, and timeouts through the NotificationResult enum, enabling responsive app behavior based on toast events.

.NET Standard Compatibility

Built on .NET Standard 1.3 with backward compatibility for PCL projects, making it suitable for both modern and legacy .NET development environments.

Cons

Limited Platform Support

Only supports iOS 10+, Android API 16+ with AppCompat, and Windows 10 UWP; lacks support for older iOS, Windows Phone, Xamarin.Mac, and other platforms, restricting use cases.

Complex Setup Process

Requires manual dependency registration and platform-specific initialization, such as passing activity in Android and handling permissions in iOS, adding boilerplate and setup overhead.

iOS Permission Dependency

Developers must separately request notification permissions in iOS code using platform-specific APIs, as the plugin doesn't abstract this, leading to fragmented implementation.

Breaking Changes Between Versions

Version 3+ drops support for iOS below 10, forcing developers to either upgrade OS targets or stick with older plugin versions, creating maintenance and compatibility challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Toasts Plugin

What is Toasts Plugin?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Toasts Plugin

What is Toasts Plugin?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?