Share model-driven apps with other users and groups

Introduction

In today’s digital landscape, collaboration and information sharing play a crucial role in maximizing productivity and efficiency. With the emergence of low-code platforms like Microsoft Power Platform, building model-driven apps has become easier than ever. Microsoft Power Platform App Maker enables business users to create custom apps tailored to their specific needs. However, allowing users and groups to access and collaborate on these apps is equally important. In this article, we will explore how to share model-driven apps with other users and groups in Microsoft Power Platform.

1. Understanding Sharing in Model-Driven Apps

Sharing in model-driven apps revolves around granting access to individual users or predefined groups. It enables users to collaborate and interact with the app while maintaining control over the level of access granted. By sharing an app, you can choose what a user or a group can do within the app, such as read-only access or full editing rights.

2. Sharing Options

Microsoft Power Platform provides several sharing options to customize access for users and groups. Let’s explore some of these options:

2.1 Sharing with Specific Users

You can share model-driven apps with specific users by granting them access at different levels. This enables you to control who can view, modify, or manage the app. To share with specific users, follow these steps:

• Open the app in the Power Apps maker portal.
• Navigate to the ‘Sharing’ settings.
• Add the desired users by their email addresses.
• Choose an appropriate access level based on their role and requirements.

2.2 Sharing with Security Groups

Power Platform allows you to share model-driven apps with security groups defined in Azure Active Directory. By doing so, you can manage access to multiple users simultaneously. Here’s how to share with security groups:

• Open the ‘Sharing’ settings in the Power Apps maker portal.
• Add the security group by searching for its name.
• Assign the appropriate access level to the group members.

2.3 Sharing with Teams and Office 365 groups

Collaboration within teams and groups is pivotal in many organizations. Power Platform enables you to share model-driven apps with Teams and Office 365 groups. To share with a Team or Office 365 group, follow these steps:

• Open the ‘Sharing’ settings and search for the desired Team or group.
• Assign the appropriate access level, considering their role and responsibilities.

3. Access Levels

Power Platform provides various access levels to control user permissions. These levels determine what individuals or groups can do within a model-driven app. Let’s explore some common access levels:

3.1 Full Control

Users with full control have complete editing rights over the app. They can customize the app’s design, entities, views, and security settings. This access level is suitable for app owners or administrators.

3.2 Read-Write

Read-Write access enables users to view and modify records, create new records, and save changes. However, they can’t customize the app’s structure or security settings. This access level is suitable for contributors or members who need to work with app data.

3.3 Read-Only

Read-Only access allows users to view records and their details but prevents them from making any modifications. It is appropriate for users who require information access without manipulating app data.

4. Sharing Controls

In addition to access levels, Power Platform provides granular sharing controls to refine user permissions effectively. These include:

4.1 Table Permissions

Model-driven apps are built on data tables or entities. With table permissions settings, you can assign specific rights to users or groups for individual entities. For example, you can allow a group to view and edit certain entities, while restricting access to others.

4.2 Field-Level Security

Field-level security in Power Platform allows you to control access to specific fields within an entity. This ensures that sensitive or confidential data is visible only to authorized users.

5. Dynamic App Sharing

Power Platform enables dynamic sharing, a powerful feature that allows you to share an app dynamically with external users who may not have a user account in your organization’s environment. With dynamic app sharing, you can provide access to external users and collaborate seamlessly across organizational boundaries.

Conclusion

Effective collaboration and data sharing are key to harnessing the full potential of model-driven apps built using Microsoft Power Platform. By leveraging the sharing capabilities within Power Apps, you can provide controlled access to users and groups, ensuring productivity, security, and collaboration. Whether it’s sharing with specific users, security groups, Teams, or even external partners, Power Platform offers a wide range of options to tailor access levels according to specific business requirements. Empower your team to collaborate effectively and drive innovation by leveraging the sharing capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform App Maker.