Getting started with PowerApps
Welcome to PowerApps! Let’s take a few minutes to get acquainted with the basics of the service and how you can get up and running quickly. PowerApps makes it possible to create and use robust business applications, but getting started is a breeze.
If you haven’t already, sign up for free at PowerApps.com with a work or school account. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be able to sign in to PowerApps on the web.
Check out some apps
If you’re the first person in your organization to try out PowerApps, you’ll be greeted with several sample apps that you can use in your web browser. Explore these apps to get a quick sense of what’s possible and how PowerApps can help your business.
Each sample app is designed for a specific purpose, such as managing a budget, inspecting a site, or tracking service tickets. Sample apps contain fictitious data to inspire your thinking. This one illustrates how a flooring company could help service representatives deliver accurate and immediate cost estimates when visiting customer locations:
If your team is already using PowerApps, you might also see some apps on this screen that others have shared with you. When you create apps yourself and people share them with you, they’ll show up here. You can see all the apps you have access to use under the “My apps” tab.
Create your first app
To start creating, install PowerApps Studio for Windows. You’ll be able to connect to data sources and start composing apps in a visual designer that doesn’t require code.
A great way to get started is to generate an app from your own data. Just point PowerApps at the data source of your choice (for example, a SharePoint list) and watch as PowerApps automatically builds a three-screen app for browsing the list, viewing detailed records and editing data. You can then start customizing this app to look and behave exactly how you want. Learn more about generating apps from your data.
Another good way to start is by building an app from a template. Templates are similar to sample apps. They use fictitious data to help you get a sense of what’s possible, and opening them in PowerApps Studio will help you see hands-on how an app is built.
Get PowerApps for iOS or Android
You can find and use apps inside of PowerApps itself, whether that’s at PowerApps.com on the web or in PowerApps Mobile for iOS or Android. When you download PowerApps Mobile, you’ll see all the same apps available to you on the web. Use them on iOS and Android to get the most out of your device’s capabilities like camera controls, GPS location, and more.
Learn more and join the community
Ready to go deeper? Check out our documentation and tutorials for step-by-step guides and reference docs that will help you build apps like a pro. Join our community to talk with other users as well as our product team. Ask questions, share your experience, and post ideas for how to improve PowerApps.
We’re excited to see what you can do with PowerApps, and we look forward to your feedback!
