No navigation bar in desktop only, web interface navigation is present

[bigteks]

I have the trial version. The web interface works as expected, and I created a small dataset in my workspace just so there would be something there.

However in the desktop version I cannot see the left navigation bar. It is the correct account and I am able to connect to the dataset in my workspace from the "Get data" button in the desktop app. But none of the navigation is present for the desktop.

How do I get the desktop version to show the navigation bar?

[v-stephen-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @bigteks ,

Power BI desktop and Power BI service are different in some ways.

Power BI Desktop is an application that you download and install for free on your local computer. Desktop is a complete data analysis and report creation tool that is used to connect to, transform, visualize, and analyze your data.

The Power BI service is a cloud-based service, or software as a service (SaaS). It supports report editing and collaboration for teams and organizations. You can connect to data sources in the Power BI service, too, but modeling is limited. 

Below official document compares them, please refer to

Comparing Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Power BI desktop's navigation bar is at the top of the page.

Best Regards,

Stephen Tao

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