Microsoft PowerApps, Flow updates: Offline access, Dynamics 365 integration

Microsoft has announced some much-in-demand Q2 updates to PowerApps and Flow, including the ability to embed Power BI tiles directly within PowerApps, trigger workflows within a Microsoft Teams conversation with Flow, and to embed apps as rich forms in SharePoint Online.

One of the key enhancements to PowerApps enables users to work offline and more easily connect custom APIs, describes Darshan Desai, group program manager, PowerApps. Apps built with PowerApps can now cache and save data offline to deliver faster user experiences. Creators can also more easily connect to their companies' own APIs and data sources, as Desai describes.

Other improvements to PowerApps include:

• New and updated controls aimed at making it easier for users to work with tables of data as well as multi-column forms.
• The ability for users to build advanced analysis and data visualization into their apps by embedding Power BI tiles directly within PowerApps.
• User ability to embed PowerApps as a tab within any Teams channel, thus keeping action close at hand when collaborating with co-workers.
• An enhanced Properties panel in PowerApps Studio, making it easier change the size, color, behavior and other properties of any control in an application.
• The ability to use any system from Mac to older Windows versions to develop web and mobile apps.
• Incremental update capabilities for app authors, enabling them to save their changes and test their apps before publishing for end users.

Microsoft also announced that Flow