Canvas offline apps are easy. Here’s why.

Are you using LoadData/SaveData to cache and sync data for offline use? Do you need to support users in the field who work in low connectivity areas? Now, with the built-in Dataverse offline for canvas, build your app with standard Power Fx formulas enable the app for offline in the Power Apps Studio, and you’re done! (See Why use offline for canvas apps instead of LoadData/SaveData? | Microsoft Learn)

The first time a user open an app, all required data is downloaded to the device. If the app is configured to auto-generate an offline profile, the system identifies and syncs all data required to make the app run. We recommend this default mode for simple apps with small to medium-sized data sets. If the app needs to access large data sets with complex relationships, you can optimize the app’s performance by creating a custom offline profile (See Set up mobile offline for canvas apps  – Power Apps | Microsoft Learn).

Canvas offline apps work in an “offline first” approach

Once data is downloaded, the offline enabled canvas app works in an offline first approach. The app reads and writes data to a local store on the device regardless of network availability. Local and server-side changes are regularly synchronized when the network is available.

By enabling offline, you can also improve the user experience when the app is connected to the network, especially when the user creates or updates rows in Dataverse. Reading and writing offline data access is usually much faster than waiting for online calls over a mobile network, so your user experience will be responsive even while the app is synchronizing data in the background.

Out of the box support for Dataverse files and images

In an offline-enabled canvas app, you can choose between downloading files and images on view or on sync. When files and images are configured to be downloaded:

• On view: the content is downloaded when the user opens a file or when an image is presented to the user.
• On sync: files and images are downloaded during the offline sync when the device is connected.

With these two options, you can decide to optimize for offline availability or disk usage depending on your business needs. See Configure files and images in offline canvas apps  – Power Apps | Microsoft Learn.

Tips for creating great offline-enabled apps

We are introducing two new Power Fx functions: Connection.Sync to retrieve network and sync statuses and ShowHostInfo to display a more detailed device status page. See Set up mobile offline for canvas apps – Power Apps | Microsoft Learn.

We also recommend following this offline best practices to ensure a faster user experience.

Limitations and Availability

• Non-Dataverse connectors such as SharePoint are not supported in offline-enabled apps.
• The canvas app must be in a solution

Power Apps developers can turn on the canvas offline feature in the Power Apps Studio by navigating to the settings dialog of the canvas app (Settings > General ) and toggling “Can be used offline”.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Announcing General Availability of built-in Dataverse offline for canvas apps appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

It is always challenging but critical to give access to files and images to frontline users when their devices are not connected to the network. Indeed, downloading files and images is usually a long process and can take a lot of space on the disk of the device. When Sales reps browse their catalog of products to create an order, they typically want to see the high definition of the pictures of the products and sometimes need to access their detailed specification. Another great scenario is for inspections where inspectors need to take pictures to illustrate their observations or to be used as evidence for further analysis.

Out of the box support for Dataverse files and images

In an offline-enabled canvas app, you can now either allow the files and images to be downloaded on view or on sync. With those two modes, you can decide the strategy to download files and images on the device of the user for an offline usage, and optimize the disk size depending on the business needs of the end users.

When files and images are configured to be downloaded on view, the content is downloaded on the device when the user explicitly opens a file or when an image is presented to the user. Files and images are downloaded when the device is connected to the network and can be used afterward without connectivity. This mode is enabled by default without any specific configuration.

When files and images are configured to be downloaded on sync, files and images are downloaded during the offline sync when the device is connected. The user can access the content without connectivity and is notified in the application when the download of the files and images is completed. For this mode, you just have to add the column referencing the files or images in the offline profile.

We are looking forward to your feedback

Your feedback will help us make this new app even better. Share your feedback on our Power Apps forum.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Announcing seamless Dataverse image and file support in canvas offline apps appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

With model-driven apps offline for makers experience in general availability, it is now easier than before to set up an app to work offline. After enabling your model-driven apps for offline, people in your organization can work seamlessly without worrying about connectivity!

You can also choose the offline mode for your mobile apps. We are happy to announce the General Availability of the Offline-first mode that is optimized to improve the device performance and to work better in low-network conditions than “classic offline” mode.

Enable your app for offline from the app designer

In just a few clicks, you, the maker, can enable offline for your mobile users right in the maker portal. You can easily enable the app for offline to all users having access to the app (Default), or to a selected list of Users or Group of users (This option requires admin right).

Once enabled for offline, you will have to associate and offline profile to the app. The offline profile is the configuration of the data to download on the device. If you pick “New profile with current app data”, you will be able to quickly create a new offline profile precomputed by the system from the data configured in your app. You can also select an existing offline profile.

You can update the offline profile anytime, and add filters or any optimization as recommended in the guidelines.

Offline first

With the mobile “offline first” experience enabled for your model-driven apps, your users will see better device performance, a more responsive app, and lower battery usage as apps make fewer connections to the server.

With “Offline first”, data presented in your app is consistent regardless of the network connectivity. There is no toggle anymore for users to switch from offline to online mode, so users will not forget to sync their changes back to the server. The app will do it automatically. (learn more about the difference between “offline first” and “classic offline”)

We are looking forward to your feedback

Your feedback will help us continue to build on and improve the capabilities of this feature. Share your feedback in comments or on our Power Apps community forum post.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Announcing General Availability for model-driven apps offline for maker appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

With this preview, you can make Dataverse data available offline in your app with the flip of a switch. Just build your app with normal Power Fx formulas and the offline feature handles all the complexity for you.

Canvas offline apps are easy. Here’s why.

Creating an app with data available offline is easy. Just enable the app for offline in the General Settings in the Power Apps Studio and you’re on your way.

Once enabled, here is what happens in the background: an offline-enabled Power App first downloads on the device all of the data it needs from the server – to determine the data that need to be downloaded, the system uses an offline profile. An offline profile is a set of filters and restrictions on the data your app loads to users’ mobile devices. You can build complex offline apps using custom offline profiles that help you to optimize your app’s performance by reducing the amount of data downloaded to the device. But don’t worry! We introduced an auto-generated mode for simple apps that will work great for small to medium-sized data sets. You won’t have to think about it!

Once your data is downloaded, your offline enabled canvas app works in an offline first approach – the app reads and writes data to a local store on the device whether or not the network is available. It doesn’t have to be connected to work. Then, your changes and changes on the server are regularly synchronized for you automatically in the background when the network is available.

Limitations and Availability

• Dataverse Files and Images are not yet supported for this feature. We know how important it is for users and we are doing our best to enable it as soon as possible.
• Non-Dataverse connectors like Sharepoint are not supported in offline.

Power Apps developers can turn on the canvas offline feature in the Power Apps Studio by navigating to the settings dialog of the canvas app (Settings > General ) and toggling “Can be used offline”.

We are looking forward to your feedback

Your feedback will help us make this new app even better. Share your feedback on our Power Apps forum.

You can also reach us by filling out this form and we’ll get back to you right away. We are particularly interested to understand how you are using offline in your apps.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Canvas built-in offline is now just one click away! appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

Offline is critical in today’s world, but difficult.

Mobility is crucial in our modern world. It is natural to access your data anytime and anywhere. You don’t want to have to think about it! But, to create an offline app for canvas today is hard. Makers have to implement complex logic within the app, download data (many tables with a large variety of sizes) on the device, synchronize and merge the data when you make changes on your device, decide whether the app should work against the local content or the server, and track network availability – which can be challenging in spotty connectivity areas.

With this new canvas offline feature, the built-in offline engine does all of the hard work for you!

Canvas offline apps are easy. Here’s why.

Offline with Power Apps Canvas is easy. First, enable your tables for offline. Then, enable the App for offline and you’re on your way. Here is what happens in the background: an offline enabled Power App first downloads all of the data it needs from the server. A customizable offline profile defines what data is downloaded to the device. Once your data is downloaded, your offline enabled canvas app works in an offline first approach – the app reads and writes data to a local store on the device whether or not the network is available. It doesn’t have to be connected to work. Then, your changes and changes on the server are regularly synchronized for you automatically in the background when the network is available.

Limitations and Availability

• Dataverse Files and Images are not yet supported for this feature. We know how important it is for users and we are doing our best to enable it as soon as possible.
• Non-Dataverse connectors like Sharepoint are not supported in offline.

Power Apps developers can turn on the canvas offline feature in the Power Apps Studio by navigating to list of experimental features in settings dialog of the canvas app (Settings > Upcoming Features > Experimental) and toggling “Dataverse offline”.

The feature will roll out country by country from May 15th, 2023 to May 30th, 2023 in https://make.powerapps.com. It requires the latest version of the Power Apps mobile applications in the iOS, Android and Windows stores. Check out the prerequisites for more details.

We are looking forward to your feedback

Your feedback will help us make this new app even better. Share your feedback on our Power Apps forum.

You can also reach us by filling out this form and we’ll get back to you right away. We are particularly interested to understand how you are using offline in your apps.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Announcing Experimental Preview of canvas built-in offline appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

What’s new?

Recent and pinned apps.

Find recent apps and pin favorite apps in the Windows jump list for Power Apps. Right click on the Power Apps icon in Taskbar and you’ll see your recent apps right away. Use the pin icon to add an app to the Pinned list.

Switch camera in the QR code scanner

We’ve improved the QR code scanner control in canvas and model-driven apps. Users can now select which Camera to use to read the QR code.

New Settings

Two new settings can make it easier for users to find their apps. 

• When the device is not connected to the network, users only see apps that are installed on their device to work offline. 
• When there are multiple organizations in the user’s tenant, it can be convenient to only see the apps related to a specific organization. This is now possible with the environment filter right inthe settings menu. 

Switch directories

Guest users can now switch directories directly from the account menu in Power Apps. They can see the list of directories and pick the one they want to work in. The list of apps in the selected directory will refresh automatically.  Learn more

File and image columns work in offline model-driven apps

Power Apps for Windows now supports Files and Images in offline. Files and images in your offline profile will be downloaded to your Windows devices, and files and images you add will be uploaded to Dataverse. Learn more

Debug the Windows app with Microsoft Edge DevTools

Debugging JavaScript web resources in offline-enabled apps can be challenging. You can now use the Edge DevTools in Power Apps for Windows and Field Service (Dynamics 365) for Windows so that you can debug customizations just like you would in a web browser. Learn more. 

The post Power Apps on Windows updates appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

I’m happy to announce that now it is very easy for guest users to use shared apps on mobile devices.

Users can easily switch to a different directory, when using Power Apps on phones or tablets without logging out. Users see the list of directories they have access to on the profile page, and they can pick any directory to see apps shared with them as a guest user.

The directory switcher is available on iOS, Android and Windows. learn more.

Known limitations

Users signing in with a Microsoft Account (MSA) cannot switch directories from the user profile page. They must continue to use deeplink functionality, explained in this documentation.

The post Announcing Tenant Switcher in Power Apps Mobile appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

If you want a fast and modern way to get to your apps on Windows devices, this is your week!

We’re thrilled to announce the release of Power Apps (Preview) for Windows. You are just few clicks away from installing the brand new “Power Apps (preview)” application from the Microsoft Store. Try it out!

With the new Power Apps (preview) application, your will be able to run apps in offline within a brand new application fully integrated within the Windows OS and supporting the native Dataverse connector and native device capabilities like barcode scanner or Camera controls.

Find all of your canvas and model-driven apps in one place

Now, on Windows, you will find all your apps, model-driven and canvas apps, in the Apps view of the Power Apps (preview) application. Just pick one and you will be ready to go! You can always jump into the App list clicking on the back button of the application.

Make offline-capable apps

Offline on Windows works just like it does on iOS and Android!

If you use a model-driven app, you can configure the app to work in offline creating an offline profile, and if you use a canvas app, you can use the LoadData/SaveData functions in you app.

You’ll find below a very simple example of an implementation of a canvas app supporting offline and using the Native Dataverse Connector:

Users are then able to seamlessly use the app in remote locations, farmlands, warehouse or basement just to name few examples:

Use device capabilities in your apps

With the Camera and the Microphone of your device, you can enable key scenarios: front line users can take pictures to report back on an observation in the field, they can also use a bar code scanner to automatically register a critical information from a document or a phone app, they can also record the outcome of a meeting with a customer.

The new Power Apps (preview) app provides native experiences of the device capabilities. Try them out using media controls (audio and video, barcode scanner, file attachements, …)  in your apps!

Manage Power Apps (preview) with Intune

The new Power Apps (preview) application is a Universal Windows App and is natively supporting Intune for application management. It gives you control over who or which device can install the application, and you can also control the app auto-update if needed.

Install Power Apps (preview)

The Power Apps (preview) application is available in the Microsoft Store store and to install the app, it is just as easy as installing any other Windows app. However, you can check always out the documentation.

What’s coming next

This is just a beginning! We have much more to add to this application. Just to name a few:

• Push Notifications
• Guest access
• Recent and Favorite apps
• Pin to start

We are looking forward to your feedback

Your feedback will help us make this new app even better. Share your feedback in comments or on our Power Apps forum post.

You can also reach me by filling out this form and I’ll get back to you right away.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Announcing Public Preview of a new Power Apps application on Windows appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

If you installed the app during the Public Preview, you don’t have to do anything – the app will automatically update and be renamed “Power Apps”. For everyone else, you just have to install the brand new “Power Apps” application from the Microsoft Store.

The team has made many improvements since the preview was announced in April. We sincerely appreciate the overwhelming support and feedback we’ve seen from the Power Platform community which has been crucial to help us bring this app from Preview to GA.

Go Native on Windows

You can find all your canvas and model-driven apps including your Dynamics 365 apps and use them online or offline just like you can on iOS and Android!

You can configure model-driven apps to work automatically offline by creating an offline profile. For canvas apps, you can use the LoadData/SaveData functions to create a seamless offline experience.

With the new Power Apps for Windows, you get device capabilities like camera, microphone, file picker, barcode scanning, geo-location and many others.

This app has been optimized for great app performance and supports the latest advanced feature provided by the Power Platform like the native Dataverse connector, Guest access and AI Builder.

Install Power Apps

Power Apps is available in the Microsoft Store. You can check out the documentation.

Your feedback will help us make this new app even better. Share your feedback in comments or in this form.

The post Announcing general availability of Power Apps for Windows appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.

Today is your day! With model-driven apps offline for makers experience in preview, it is now easier than before to set up an app to work offline. People in your organization can work seamlessly without worrying about connectivity!

In this preview, you’ll now also be able to choose the offline mode for your mobile apps. The new offline-first mode is optimized to improve your device performance and it works better in low-network conditions than “classic offline” mode.

Offline setup from the app designer

You can now configure a mobile-offline profile for your model-driven app right in the maker portal. Previously, only admins were able to create an offline profile. Now, in just a few clicks, you, the maker, can enable offline for your mobile users, and you no longer need to manage a separate user access list just for offline support. When you configure offline in the app designer, all users who have access to your app will be able to work offline.

If you pick “New profile with current app data”, you will be able to quickly create a new offline profile based on the data configured in your app without leaving the app designer.

Offline first

With the new mobile “offline first” experience enabled for your model-driven apps, your users will see better device performance, a more responsive app, and lower battery usage as apps make fewer connections to the server.

With “Offline first”, data presented in your app is consistent regardless of the network connectivity. There is no toggle anymore for users to switch from offline to online mode, so users will not forget to sync their changes back to the server. The app will do it automatically. (learn more about the difference between “offline first” and “classic offline”)

We are looking forward to your feedback

Your feedback will help us continue to build on and improve the capabilities of this feature. Share your feedback in comments or on our Power Apps community forum post.

You can also reach me by filling out this form and I’ll get back to you right away.

For more details, see the documentation.

The post Model-driven apps offline for Makers (preview) appeared first on Microsoft Power Platform Blog.