Get started with Power Apps mobile

When you create an app, or someone shares an app with you—either a canvas app or model-driven app—you can run that app on iOS and Android devices by using Power Apps mobile.

If you're on a Windows device, you can only run canvas apps; model-driven apps aren't supported on Power Apps for Windows. Also, Power Apps for Windows isn't supported if you have the Power Apps per app plan.

App type iOS Android Windows
Model-driven X X
Canvas X X X

Note

Customer engagement apps (such as Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Customer Service) don't run in Power Apps mobile. Instead, you use the Dynamics 365 for phones and tablets apps. More information: User Guide for Dynamics 365 for phones and tablets.

In this topic, you'll learn how to get started and run a canvas app and a model-driven app on your mobile device.

Power Apps mobile user interface with model-driven and canvas apps.

Legend:

  1. Model-driven apps
  2. Canvas apps

Since canvas apps can essentially be anything, there isn’t other help topics on how to use an app once it’s created. If you need help using a canvas app, contact your app maker or Power Apps admin.

Required privileges

For privileges required to run model-driven apps on Power Apps Mobile app, see Required privileges.

Supported devices

New major versions of iOS and Android are released each year. When a new version is released, if you're using the oldest previously supported version, you'll have 60 days to update your device to at least the new minimum supported version to continue to run Power Apps mobile.

  • iOS: The latest version of iOS is always the recommended version to run Power Apps mobile. The previous version is the minimum required.

  • Android: The latest version of Android is always the recommended version to run Power Apps mobile. The previous three versions are the minimum required to run Power Apps mobile.

Minimum required Recommended
iOS 14 or later iOS 15 or later
Android 9 or later Android 12 or later
Windows 8.1 or later (PC only) Windows 10 Fall Creators Update with at least 8 GB of RAM)

Note

We currently don't support new features on Windows platform for Power Apps mobile app. Features such as the Improved Microsoft Dataverse option and guest access are not available on this platform. We recommend using a web player on Windows to leverage the full set of capabilities. Updates to Power Apps mobile for Windows platform will be announced in future.

Install Power Apps mobile app

To follow this procedure, if you're not signed up for Power Apps, sign up for free. Also, make sure you have access to a model-driven app or canvas app that you created or that someone else created and shared with you.

Choose the download link for your device:

Sign in

Open Power Apps on your mobile device, and sign in by using your Azure Active Directory credentials.

If you have the Microsoft Authenticator app installed on your mobile device, enter your username when prompted, and then approve the notification sent to your device. If you run into issues signing in, see Troubleshoot issues for Power Apps mobile app.

Sign in to Power Apps.

Find the app

The apps that you used recently will show on the default screen when you sign in to Power Apps mobile.

The Home is the default screen when you sign in. It shows the apps that you used recently and the apps that have marked as favorites.

Default Home screen.

Filter apps

If you don't have any apps, then when you sign in, you will land on the All apps screen. The list of apps is organized in alphabetical order. Type in an app name in the search bar to find an app.

Filter and find apps.

  1. Settings: Access app settings and sign out.
  2. Search: Use the search to search for apps. When you run a search, it will only search for apps that are on the screen you're on.
  3. Favorites (canvas apps only): Displays canvas apps that you have pinned to favorites.
  4. Recent apps: Displays both model-driven and canvas apps that you have recently used.
  5. Home: Displays favorite apps and recently accessed apps sorted by open date.
  6. All apps: Displays all canvas apps and model-driven apps to which you have access, including apps you created and apps that others shared with you.
  7. More (canvas apps only): Displays featured and sample apps.
  8. Details: View information about the app including run the app, add a shortcut for the app, and add the app to favorites.
  9. Sort apps: You can short by the app name or modified date.

Add to favorites

You can only add canvas apps to your list of favorite apps.

  • Swipe left and then select Favorite. A yellow star will appear next to app name when it's added to favorites. You can also select Details Details button. and then add the app to favorites.

    Add to list of favorites.

  • To remove the app from the list, swipe left again and then select Unfavorite.

    Remove the app from the list.

Sort apps

You can sort both canvas apps and model-driven apps. You can short apps alphabetically by name or by modified date. The short option is available on Home, All apps, Featured apps, and Sample apps screen.

Sort menu.

Search apps

If you know the name of the app that you want to run, then use search to quickly find the app. You can search for both canvas apps and model-driven apps.

To find an app, enter the app name in the search field. The app will only search for apps that are on the screen you're on.

Search for your app.

Refresh the list of apps

On the Home, All apps or any other screen with a list of apps, swipe down to refresh the app list.

Refresh the app list.

Add shortcuts

You can add a shortcut for both canvas apps and model-driven apps to the home screen of your device for quick access.

Use Safari to add a shortcut (iOS 13 or earlier)

  1. On the app that you want to create a shortcut for, swipe to the right and select Shortcut.

    Select shortcut.

  2. Select Pin an app on iPhone button..

    Pin an app on iPhone.

  3. Scroll down and select Add to Home Screen

    Add to Home Screen.

  4. Select Add.

    Select Add to add to Home screen.

Note

For iOS devices that have multiple browsers installed, use Safari when pinning an app to home.

Use Siri shortcuts to add a shortcut to the Home screen (iOS 14 or later)

The Power Apps mobile app is now integrated with Siri shortcuts, which gives you the ability to add a shortcut to the Home screen, launch apps with Siri, and create new workflows. For more information on how shortcuts work on iOS, see Shortcuts User Guide. This feature requires Power Apps mobile version 3.20092.x or later.

Users on iOS 14 or later can use Siri Shortcuts to pin an app to the home screen. The new experience works for both model-driven and canvas apps. When you add a Siri shortcut, the app is added to the iOS Shortcuts app and from there you can add the app to your home screen.

  1. On the app that you want add a shortcut for, swipe to the right and select Shortcut.

    Select shortcut.

  2. Add a custom phrase to open the app using voice commands and then select Add to Siri.

    Select Add to Siri.

  3. The app is added to the Shortcuts app on your mobile device. Open the Shortcuts app and select the ellipsis (...) above the app name.

    Select the ellipsis to add a shortcut.

  4. Select Add to Home Screen.

    Select Add to Home Screen.

  5. On the upper right corner, select Add and then select Done.

    Select Add.

  6. Go to your home screen to find the pinned app.

    App shortcut on home screen.

You can customize the shortcut icon but it is limited to the customization options in iOS. For more information, go to Modify shortcut icons.

Pin to home on Android

Select the ellipsis (...) on the app tile, select Pin to Home, and then follow the instructions that appear.

Pin an app.

See non-production apps

By default, only production model-driven apps are shown in the list of apps.

To see model-driven apps from non-production environments, select the Settings menu (Current: Settings icon. Early access: Settings button), and then turn on Show non-production apps. Follow the instructions that appear.

Non-production apps toggle.

Run an app

To run an app on a mobile device, select the app tile. If someone else created an app and shared it with you in an email, you can run the app by selecting the link in the email.

Run a canvas app

If this is the first time you're running a canvas app by using Power Apps mobile, a screen shows the swipe gestures.

Close a canvas app

Use your finger to swipe from the left edge of the app to the right to close an app. On Android devices, you can also press the Back button and then confirm that you intended to close the app.

Close an app.

Pinch and zoom in on a canvas app

Pinch to zoom.

If an app requires a connection to a data source or permission to use the device's capabilities (such as the camera or location services), you must give consent before you can use the app. Typically, you're prompted only the first time you run the app.

Give consent to a canvas app.

Use a model-driven app

The following image shows an example of a model-driven app screen after you've signed in. To learn how to use model-driven apps running on Power Apps mobile, go to Use model-driven apps on Power Apps mobile.

Model-driven app home page.

If an app requires a connection to a data source or permission to use the device's capabilities (such as the camera or location services), you must give consent before you can use the app. Typically, you're prompted only the first time you use the app.

Give consent.

Close a model-drive app

Select the site map Site map icon., and then select Apps.

Close a model-driven app.

Note

An app maker can customize the navigation bar and show or hide the Home, Recent, Pinned buttons in the site map. An app maker can also make groups collapsible. For more information, see Hide or show the Home, Pinned, Recent, and collapsible groups.

See also

Use model-driven apps on Power Apps mobile
Troubleshoot issues for Power Apps mobile