Difference between New Text Slicer and Text Filter

Hi,

The new "Text Slicer" introduced in the November 2024 update for Power BI provides a built-in feature for filtering reports based on text input. This eliminates the need to use third-party custom visuals, such as the older "Text Filter" visual developed by Microsoft.

Key Differences:

1. Default Functionality: The new Text Slicer is built into Power BI, so you no longer need to import it as a custom visual. It is readily available to all users without requiring additional installation or sign-in.
2. Integration with Power BI Features: Since it's a native feature, it offers better integration with other Power BI functionalities, such as applying themes, exporting data, and performance optimizations.
3. Legacy Visual Limitation: The "Text Filter" visual, while similar in function, is a custom visual. This means updates to Power BI could potentially cause compatibility issues unless the visual is updated by its developer. In contrast, the Text Slicer will be consistently updated and supported by Microsoft as a native feature.

Experiment Observation:

You mentioned not observing a functional difference. This is because both tools serve the same primary purpose: filtering text-based data dynamically. However, the native slicer offers the advantage of being seamlessly integrated and supported within Power BI's evolving ecosystem. Additionally, the new Text Slicer is expected to have better performance due to its native implementation.

For most users, transitioning to the new Text Slicer is recommended to leverage these benefits and avoid reliance on a custom visual. For more details, you can review the feature summary from Microsoft Power BI's November 2024 update

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/es-es/blog/power-bi-november-2024-feature-summary/

https://ethanguyant.com/2024/11/18/power-bi-feature-spotlight-data-filtering-and-modeling/

Thanks!