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VS 2026 MAUI Publish an Android app using Distribute ad-hoc UI is not coming.

Rajesh Angappan 1 Reputation point
2025-11-18T12:54:58.15+00:00

I am trying to distribute my Android app using the adhoc. Distribute channel GUI is not coming. It's always showing the popup to use the CLI.

Ref: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/android/deployment/publish-ad-hoc?view=net-maui-10.0

Expected:

User's image

Current UI: User's image

Developer technologies | Visual Studio | Other
Developer technologies | Visual Studio | Other
A family of Microsoft suites of integrated development tools for building applications for Windows, the web, mobile devices and many other platforms. Miscellaneous topics that do not fit into specific categories.

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  1. Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 5,930 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-19T03:27:27.6+00:00

    Hello @Rajesh Angappan ,

    This is a known issue in VS 2026 and it has been reported, and you can track its status on the Developer Community thread here: Ad Hoc Distribution for MAUI Android apps is missing in Visual Studio 2026.

    In the meantime, while the team works on a fix, there are two workarounds available.

    Command-line publishing

    The recommended method is to publish your app using the command line. The pop-up you're seeing is guiding you toward this process, and it's a reliable way to distribute your application.

    Downgrade Visual Studio

    If you prefer using the Visual Studio interface for publishing, you can temporarily downgrade to Visual Studio 2022, where this feature is working correctly.

    I hope this clarifies.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Q&A Assist
    2025-11-18T12:55:22.0233333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    If the Distribute channel GUI for ad-hoc distribution is not appearing in Visual Studio 2026, there are a few things you can check:

    1. Ensure Correct Configuration: Make sure you have switched from the debug configuration to the release configuration in Visual Studio. This is necessary for the distribution options to be available.
    2. Check Project Properties: Verify that your project is set up correctly for ad-hoc distribution. You need to ensure that the package format is set to APK, as this is required for ad-hoc distribution. You can check this in the project properties under the Android > Options tab.
    3. Visual Studio Updates: Ensure that your Visual Studio installation is up to date. Sometimes, bugs or missing features can be resolved with the latest updates.
    4. Rebuild the Project: Try rebuilding your project after making any changes to the configuration or properties. This can sometimes refresh the available options in the UI.
    5. Consult Documentation: If the issue persists, refer to the official Microsoft documentation for guidance on distributing your app through Visual Studio, as it may provide additional troubleshooting steps or updates related to your specific version.

    If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to consider using the command line interface (CLI) for distribution as a workaround until the GUI issue is resolved.

    References:

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