top of page
Suche

Power Apps Visual in Power BI - Pitfalls, insights and best practices

Autorenbild: kimkim
7. Feb.3 Min. Lesezeit

I recently had some exciting learnings in a project with the Power Apps Visual in Power BI. In this blog, I share my key learnings, limitations and workarounds to help you get the most out of the combination of Power Apps and Power BI.


What is the Power Apps Visual in Power BI?

The Power Apps Visual in Power BI enables the integration of Canvas Apps directly into Power BI reports. This allows users to view, enter and update data without leaving the (familiar) BI environment. The apps can be seamlessly embedded in the reports.

The visual is ideal for data input, comments or specific business processes directly in the report.


Typical use cases:

  • ✅ Direct data entry in Power BI

  • ✅ Commenting on reports

  • ✅ Automated workflows & data updates




Limitations & workarounds

As practical as the Power Apps Visual is, it comes with some limitations.

In this blog, I want to tell you about the most important (and most painful) limitations for me and what you can look out for.

📌 You can find a detailed list of all limitations here


Insert Power Apps Visual: Recommended sequence for error-free setup:

  1. Create report in Power BI Desktop

  2. Publish to the desired workspace

  3. Open & edit report in Power BI Service

  4. Insert Power Apps Visual

  5. Drag all required fields into the visual

  6. Create new app & select correct environment (by default, the default environment is often suggested!)

  7. Save & download report again in Power BI Desktop



Help! I want to add new fields to the app from PowerBI

If you need to add new fields to the embedded Power App later, always do this in the Power BI Service, not in Power BI Desktop.

🔗 This strange behaviour is also documented by Microsoft in the Documentation.


Steps:

  1. Open & edit Power BI report in the service

  2. Add new fields to the Power Apps Visual

  3. Save & re-download report for further editing in Power BI Desktop


Help! PowerBIntegration.Refresh() is not usable in my app

The function PowerBIntegration.Refresh() ensures that changed data is returned to Power BI in real time. Unfortunately, there are some hurdles.


✅ This is how it works:

  • Data source must be Direct Query - it does not work with import mode!

  • App must be created from the Power BI service so that PowerBIntegration.Refresh() can be used.

  • As far as I know, the PowerBIntegration.Refresh() function cannot be subsequently integrated into existing apps. In this case, the app must be recreated in the PowerBI Service.


Steps:

  1. Create report in Power BI Desktop with Direct Query

  2. Publish & edit in Power BI Service

  3. Insert Power Apps Visual & recreate app

  4. Save & download report again


🔗 The whole thing is documented here.


Further links:



Help! Layout / form factor is always phone, how do I make it tablet?

By default, Power BI creates a canvas app in smartphone layout. There is a manual workaround for a tablet/desktop view. You can find the detailed version in this video.

Below is the short version.



🔧 How to switch the app from phone to tablet/desktop layout:

  1. Download Power App as .msapp file

  2. Add .zip extension & unzip file

  3. Open the Properties.json file in a code editor (e.g. Visual Studio Code)

  4. Replace the following values:

"DocumentLayoutWidth": 1366,
"DocumentLayoutHeight": 768,
"DocumentLayoutOrientation": "landscape",
"DocumentLayoutScaleToFit": false,
"DocumentLayoutMaintainAspectRatio": false,
"DocumentLayoutLockOrientation": false,
"ShowStatusBar": false,
"AppCopilotSchemaName": "",
"OriginatingVersion": "1.343",
"DocumentAppType": "DesktopOrTablet",
"DocumentType": "App",
Alter Inhalt
Alter Inhalt
Neuer Inhalt
Neuer Inhalt

  1. Save modified file, copy into the original ZIP file & replace

  2. Change the file extension back to .msapp. If you cannot see the file extension in your Explorer, activate this function

  3. Anwendung in Power Apps Studio importieren

  4. Now your app is in desktop / tablet layout


🚀 My most important learnings:


The Power Apps Visual in Power BI is extremely powerful - but only if you follow the correct sequence and know the limitations.


✔️ Always insert Power Apps Visual in the Power BI service


✔️ Only add new fields in the Power BI service


✔️ Data source must be Direct Query in order to use PowerBIntegration.Refresh()


✔️ Tablet/desktop layout must be customised manually


What are your experiences with the Power Apps Visual? Do you have any other or better workarounds? 💬 Let me know!

 
 
 
bottom of page