# Message Center

Implement Message Center to provide an inbox for rich HTML-based messages.

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# Get started with Message Center on .NET

> The default Message Center is available for .NET MAUI with minimal integration required. Basic theming options are supported.
Message Center provides an inbox for rich, HTML-based messages that users can view at their convenience. By default, when your app receives a push notification with a Message Center action, the Message Center automatically displays.

You can also display the Message Center manually by calling a simple method, making it easy to add a Message Center button to your app's navigation.

Message Center inboxes are associated with channel IDs. Each device has a unique channel ID that persists across app launches, allowing users to access their message history.

## Display the Message Center

Display the Message Center with a single method call:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.DisplayMessageCenter();
```


## Override Default Display Behavior

To use a custom Message Center implementation instead of the default UI, set an event handler:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.OnMessageCenterDisplay += OnMessageCenterDisplay;

static void OnMessageCenterDisplay(object sender, MessageCenterEventArgs e)
{
    // Navigate to your custom Message Center UI
    // e.MessageId is optional - null means show the full message list
}
```


## Fetch Messages

Retrieve messages from the inbox:

```csharp
var messages = Airship.Instance.InboxMessages;
```


## Listen for Message Updates

Subscribe to message updates using events:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.InboxMessages(messages =>
{
    // Handle messages
});
```


## Listen for Unread Count Changes

Subscribe to unread count updates:

```csharp
var unreadCount = Airship.Instance.UnreadCount;
// Update badge or UI
```


## Refresh Messages

Manually refresh the message list from the server:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.FetchInboxMessages(success =>
{
   // Handle result
});
```


## Mark Messages as Read

Mark one or more messages as read:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.MarkMessageRead("message-id");
```


## Delete Messages

Delete one or more messages:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.DeleteMessage("message-id");
```




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# Advanced Customizations

> Airship's SDK provides a simple interface for managing the Message Center within your .NET MAUI application.
This guide covers creating custom Message Center implementations for .NET MAUI applications.

## Prerequisites

Message Center requires the Airship .NET MAUI SDK to be installed. See the [SDK installation guide](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/dotnet/installation/getting-started/) for setup instructions.

## Custom Message Center Implementation

For complete control over Message Center placement and navigation, create a custom implementation using the Message Center components.

### Custom Display Handling

Set up custom display handling:

```csharp
Airship.Instance.OnMessageCenterDisplay += OnMessageCenterDisplay;

static void OnMessageCenterDisplay(object sender, MessageCenterEventArgs e)
{
    // Navigate to your custom Message Center UI
    // e.MessageId is optional - null means show the full message list
}
```


## Related Documentation

- [Getting Started with Message Center](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/dotnet/message-center/getting-started/)
- [Installing the Airship SDK](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/dotnet/installation/getting-started/)



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