Missing "GADCustomNativeAdLoaderDelegate" Interface in Xamarin.Google.iOS.MobileAds

[simspace-dr]

In the Xamarin.Google.iOS.MobileAds ApiDefinition.cs I see the GADCustomNativeAd and the GADCustomNativeAdDelegate interfaces appear to be fully implemented. However, there is no GADCustomNativeAdLoaderDelegate interface defined.

This presents a problem where we can use AdLoader to request a custom native ad, but without a custom native ad loader delegate, we are not able to receive the ad being returned by the API.

Are there any plans to add the GADCustomNativeAdLoaderDelegate interface to the API definitions in the near future?

Or is there another way to get the API to return the requested custom native ad?

[simspace-dr]

@dmariogatto, thanks for the quick response to this issue. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help!

[Macjon]

@dmariogatto do you have an estimate when this will be released?

[dmariogatto]

@Macjon Nope, for the moment there isn't a roadmap, or regular cadence to this project so it's hard to predict.

[pboisso]

@dmariogatto, do you know why this project is not officially supported by Microsoft? This is at the core of lots of iOS Apps. MS really need to step up if they want to keep their Xamarin community. CC: @jfversluis

[dmariogatto]

@pboisso I wish I knew.

Feels like the important infrastructure around Xamarin isn't getting the required attention from MS (probably since they don't seem to use it for any of their major products).

We're starting to see Swift only APIs from Apple as well (e.g. StoreKit 2 in iOS 15) with no easy way to use them in .NET as the binding tools for Swift are not generally available.

If I were starting a new project today & had the requirement to use Firebase or a Swift Library/API, I would seriously be looking at other options.

Hopefully when MAUI is released that'll free up some resources, but at the moment my personal view is that the competitors are already on the podium with a bottle of champagne & Xamarin is stuck in the pit lane.

[jfversluis]

Thanks for the tag here! As you've guessed we've got a lot going on at the moment and it's hard to keep all the balls in the air. I also definitely hope that we have some more time to dedicate here or that we can at least be clear on what the status is for this project. I think some work is being done but I can't make any solid promises on timelines, sorry about that :(

[simspace-dev]

I just noticed in the API that the CustomNativeAd method used to record clicks is named incorrectly ...

[Export ("performClickOnAssetWithKey:")]
[BindingImpl (BindingImplOptions.GeneratedCode | BindingImplOptions.Optimizable)]
public virtual void RecordImpression (NSString assetKey);

It should be
public virtual void performClickOnAsset (NSString assetKey);

See: https://developers.google.com/admob/ios/api/reference/Classes/GADCustomNativeAd?hl=en#-performclickonassetwithkey:

I will pull down the code and submit a PR for this tomorrow.

[simspace-dev]

Thanks for the comment @jfversluis!

[simspace-dr]

Does anyone have an idea if this is dead, or if the update to add the missing "GADCustomNativeAdLoaderDelegate" Interface will ever happen? Thanks!
Cc: @jfversluis, @dmariogatto