Introducing org apps, now in preview - multiple apps per workspace, custom colors, and more!

[duaskins]

Cropped_image_of_three_org_apps_with_different_navigation_layouts_colors_and_log

We're excited to share more about org apps, currently in preview! Fabric org apps are Power BI workspace apps reconsidered for Fabric as a new item type. With org apps as items, you can build unique experiences with the ability to create multiple org apps per workspace. You work with org apps the same way you would with any other item type—from creating a new org app, saving changes, managing access, to sharing the org app. All the things you find familiar and easy about managing other items, such as reports, will be familiar with org apps as items.

You've been telling us apps are great, and ways we could improve them

Power BI workspace apps have been a great way to securely distribute reporting and content in branded, easy-to-use experiences for your consumers. And we've been improving apps based on your feedback:

• When you asked for ways to make some content available to different sets of app consumers, we introduced audiences.
• When you wanted to give unique instructions to users who don't have access to an app, we introduced custom messaging.
• When you needed a way to distribute content via an app but hide it in the nav, wanted more audiences, and an easy way to get app links, we responded to those needs too.

What else you're looking for and what we're doing next with Fabric org apps

We continue to talk with customers to understand how apps work for you and your organization and how they could be made even better. We met with customers and read your feedback on the ideas site, blog, and social media. From this, we identified several key insights regarding Power BI workspace apps that indicated a need for a new approach, especially as Fabric expands what’s possible with data in your organization. Here are some of the things we heard and how org apps as items address those needs.

First, you want to distribute reporting and content in unique experiences

"App audiences are great, but one app per workspace isn't enough, I need unique apps for unique groups of people without duplicating my content in other workspaces."

"I'm making notebooks and real-time dashboards in Fabric, when can I start adding them to apps?"

So, we're happy to bring you:

The ability to create multiple org app items per workspace, build unique experiences for each unique group you distribute to:

Animation_showing_the_creation_of_three_org_apps_in_one_workspace

You can include new item types like notebooks and real-time dashboards, opening apps to a whole new type of data professional:

Item_picker_for_adding_content_to_an_org_app_with_realtime-dashboard_and_noteboo

What's next for distributing content in apps? We're working on adding support for additional item types, like paginated reports.

Second, you want more control over the consumer experience

"I used to be able to hide the app navigation completely, showing a list of content in my app, and when a report is in view show the report navigation. It was a more focused content-only experience, can we have that back?"

"Let me pick any color I want for my app to align with my branding or customize it in new ways."

"I wish I could see changes before saving, so I can verify the app consumer experience is what I expect."

Now with org apps

Make the org app you want - org app nav collapsed or expanded, no org app nav, report nav or no report nav, add a list-based landing page (we call an overview), custom app images, and choose any theme color you like:

Illustration_of_varying_org_app_layout_arrangements

Achieve the above, and more, by adjusting your org app's navigation preferences in Customize > Branding and Navigation:

Org_app_customization_pane_with_branding_and_navigation_settings_shown

Add an overview page to act as a landing page, listing everything in the org app plus a description of what the org app is for:

Flow_for_adding_an_overview_to_an_org_app

And now, theme your org apps with custom colors, with a mini preview of how your color choice changes text color for readability and accessibility:

Demonstration_of_choosing_a_custom_color_for_an_org_app_theme

To get a sense of your changes before saving, select preview:

Org_app_preview_button_leading_to_preview

And author tip - once changes are saved, preview turns into view so authors can quickly see their org app at any time from the editing experience:

The_view_app_button_from_the_org_app_authoring_experience

What's next for customizing org app experiences? You'll have an additional nav option soon, we're working on adding the combined nav experience. In the combined nav experience report pages fold into the org app nav like seen in workspace apps today, here's a small sneak peek:

Comin_soon_combing_org_app_nav_and_report_pages_navigation_options

Third, you wish access propagation and revocation worked as you expect it would, "automatically", and some wish app sharing was possible

"When I add a report to an app built on a semantic model in another workspace, I must manually grant access to the model in the other workspace, can the app do that for me?"

"When I remove someone's access to an app their access to the semantic models remains and I must manually remove their access, can that happen automatically?"

"Granting access to an app is different from everything else and I wish I could give some users permission to share the app."

With that feedback, we've introduced

Propagation of access to underlying semantic models across workspaces. Org app users automatically get access to the items you've included in your org app, like reports, plus any underlying semantic models in the same workspace, and now with org apps, another workspace:

Illustration_of_how_org_app_access_results_in_propagation_of_access_to_included

We're also introducing automatic revocation of semantic model access, just like how access removal works for other items in the org app, like reports. Lose access to the org app...then you lose your org app-based access to the underlying semantic models. No more lingering access to clean up manually. If a user has any other form of access to a semantic model, like direct access, that access remains.

Illustration_of_how_org_app_access_removal_results_in_revocation_of_access_to_in

Of note: Access propagation and revocation will only work when the org app author has permissions to modify access on the included and underlying items.

Plus, more conventional share and access management, add users and manage access to org apps the way you manage other items. And for those org app owners who wish some consumers could have permissions to share with others, the option to extend share permissions has been added to org apps:

Flow_illustrating_share_flow_for_org_apps_and_granting_a_user_share_permissions

What's next in access? We're working to expand access propagation and revocation in org apps to underlying Fabric items like lakehouse and warehouse items as well.

We heard even more

There's more that we've heard customers want of apps. And we are continuing to talk to customers about how we can support your needs in org apps. Things like the desire to script or remotely manage apps via APIs or version via GIT, the ability to add reports from another workspace, and wondering how Copilot could help consumers understand what's in an app. Stay tuned for more information on those efforts in the future and see more below on what's next for Fabric org apps.

Get started with org apps

There's no faster way to securely distribute content to others in a customized and navigable experience. From a workspace in a Fabric capacity or trial (support for additional workspace license modes coming soon).

1. Click New > Org app (Preview)
2. Add your report, notebook, or real-time dashboard items from Add content
3. Customize your branding and navigation
4. Preview your org app, Save, and Share

For more information on how to get started with org apps, how they're different from apps, and some limitations and considerations visit Microsoft Learn: Get started with org apps (Preview) - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

The path ahead for apps and org apps

Being in preview, this is just the beginning for org apps. Fabric org apps can do things Power BI apps cannot, but there are things Power BI apps can do that Fabric org apps cannot, yet. We are listening carefully to your needs and, therefore, the solutions to be carried over from apps to org apps to improve report and content distribution in your organization. We're working on parity efforts like support for additional workspace license modes (pro and premium), support for adding paginated reports to an org app, adding the combined nav option where the org app contents and report pages are shown in one nav, and audiences-like functionality you've become accustomed to.

There's no timeline for the deprecation of Power BI workspace apps or a migration tool for moving apps to org apps. Fabric org apps are in preview and Power BI workspace apps are fully supported.

Feedback? Ideas?

Thank you to all the customers who posted feedback and worked closely with us to understand how you use apps today and shared early feedback on org apps. 🙌

As always, we're excited to hear what you think and learn from you. Share your ideas to Fabric ideas and mention 'org apps'.

If you'd like to be considered for future feedback opportunities on org apps, please share your information.
Form: Power BI apps and Fabric org apps feedback opportunity