Power BI apps: the tidy way to share reports with readers
Power BI apps package reports and dashboards from a workspace into one polished product for readers. Instead of sending links to separate reports, an owner publishes an app with its own menu. Readers then open a single item and find everything in order. This guide covers how apps relate to workspaces, how audiences control who sees what and which mistakes to avoid when publishing.
- One menu for readers
- Audiences control access
- Drafts stay hidden
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What are Power BI apps, in plain words?
An app is a published, read-only view of a workspace. The workspace is where developers build. The app is what readers see. So the two form a back room and a shop front.
Each workspace can publish one app. Its owner chooses which reports and dashboards go in, arranges them into sections and sets a name, a color and a logo. Readers then find the app under Apps in the Power BI service.
Changes reach readers only when someone updates the app. Therefore a developer can edit a report in the workspace without disturbing anyone. However, this applies to report layout. Data in the underlying semantic model refreshes for everyone on its normal schedule.
What an app gives readers and owners
Six benefits explain why we recommend apps for almost every audience.
A single entry point
Readers open one item with a menu, so nobody hunts through a list of loose reports.
Audiences
One app can show different content to different groups, because each audience has its own list.
Controlled releases
Report edits stay in the workspace until the owner publishes an update.
Custom navigation
Sections, ordering and links then guide people through content in a sensible sequence.
Cleaner permissions
Readers need no workspace role, while developers keep theirs.
Easy discovery
Owners can install an app for people automatically, if tenant settings allow that.
When should you use an app instead of a share link?
Sharing a single report by link is fine for a quick, one-off need. But links multiply. After a few months nobody knows who can open what, and every new joiner needs several invitations.
An app scales better. You add a security group to an audience once. After that, joining the group grants access to the whole set of reports. Leaving the group removes it.
There is one more reason. Links and direct shares expose the report exactly as it stands in the workspace. So readers may see work in progress. With an app, they see the last published version instead. For any report that leaders depend on, that separation matters. A wider review of workspace rules is part of Power BI governance.
Mistakes to avoid with Power BI apps
These six errors are common, and each one confuses readers.
- Forgetting to update the app after a change
- Giving readers a workspace role as well
- Adding individuals instead of security groups
- Leaving test reports visible in the menu
- Skipping permission on a shared semantic model
- Publishing with no description or contact
How to publish Power BI apps step by step
Four steps take a workspace from loose reports to a finished app.
Tidy the workspace
First remove drafts and duplicates, and give each report a name readers will understand.
Set up the app
Then choose a name, a description and a theme, and add the content in a clear order.
Define audiences
Next create an audience per reader group and tick the items each one should see.
Publish and announce
Finally publish, test with a reader account and send people the app link.
Common questions from app owners
Do readers need a license to open a Power BI app?
Yes, in most cases. A reader needs a paid Power BI license to open an app from a workspace on shared capacity. When the workspace sits on a suitable capacity, people with a free license can view the app as well. License rules change over time, so we check Microsoft's current terms before advising.
How many audiences can one Power BI app have?
An app supports several audience groups, and Microsoft documents the current limit. In practice a handful is plenty. For example, one audience sees every page, while another sees only the summary. If you find yourself wanting dozens, row-level security is probably the better tool, since it filters data and not menus.
Why do readers see an error inside the Power BI app?
Usually the report reads a semantic model in a different workspace. The app grants access to the report, but not always to that model. So the visuals fail to load. The fix is to give the audience read permission on the shared model. We test every app with a plain reader account before launch.
Can a Power BI app include content from other workspaces?
Not directly as items. An app publishes content from its own workspace. However, you can add links to the navigation, and those can point to reports elsewhere. A report in the app can also read a model that lives in another workspace. Both routes need matching permissions.
Can you help us move from shared links to apps?
Yes. It is a common clean-up job. Our consultants list existing shares, design audiences and publish the apps with you. Power BI Agency is part of Sataware Technologies and works remotely. We reply to each inquiry within 2 hours.
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