Updating Ownership Of Power Apps

In this blog, you will learn how to update ownership of Power Apps.

How does removing an app owner’s profile from Azure Active Directory (AAD) impact access to the app?

Model-driven and Canvas apps manage their ownership differently.

Model-driven app ownership

In a model-driven app, there is no concept of a co-owner. So, what happens to the application if the original owner/creator leaves the organization? Users who already have the app shared with them can continue to use it.

 But what if an update or maintenance is required? Well, our admins can help us here. Users with the role of System Customizer, System Administrator, or Environment Maker in the environment can manage the application. However, they don’t technically “own” the app.

What happens when the owner leaves? Ideally, the owner would work with the organization in their outgoing knowledge transfer sessions by explaining what it does, what the use cases are, who the user base is, and would hand over any documentation to a new owner. To change the ownership, you will need to export the application and re-import it under another user. If the owner leaves without doing this, then the admins noted above can do it.

Deleting or removing the owner won’t impact the performance of the app itself.

Below are some common questions relating to app ownership and changes:

• Q: How do you change the owner?
  • A: Export the app and re-import it under another user.
    • You will need to re-share the app with the users.
• Q: What happens if the original owner leaves?
  • A: Users who already have access to the app can continue to use it.
  • A: Ideally, the owner would work with the organization to export the application, explain how it operates, and hand over any documentation.
• Q: What happens if we need to update the app?
  • A: Admins can help here. Users with the role(s) of System Customizer, System Administrator, or Environment Maker can manage changes to the application.
• Q: What happens if the owner’s account is deleted?
  • A: Deleting or removing the owner won’t impact the performance of the app itself.

Canvas apps ownership

Canvas apps, unlike Model-driven apps, can be co-owned, or can have the owner replaced.

If an owner is leaving, they can share the app through the Maker portal. Note that this ownership change does not affect the users with whom it is shared.

On the other hand, if the owner of the app left without adding a co-owner, an admin can change the owner using PowerShell.

1. First, you will need Tenant Admin/Power Platform admin access. You will also need the Environment Id (envId) and App Id (appId). You will also need to specify the user Id. In this example, we will change the ownership to your Id.
2. Second, be sure you have the Power App cmdlets installed. You can do this with the following commands. Run PowerShell in admin mode and enter:

   Install-Module -Name Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell
   Install-Module -Name Microsoft.PowerApps.PowerShell – AllowClobber

If you already have the cmdlets installed, nothing will occur and you are good to go. Otherwise, you will see the cmdlets installed.

• Next, run the Add-PowerAppsAccount cmdlet allowing you to add your account for Power Apps,

  Add-PowerAppsAccount

• Next, update the owner, using the appId and envId you found earlier:

  Set-AdminPowerAppOwner -AppName "<appId>" -EnvironmentName "<envId>" -AppOwner $Global:currentSession.userId

When this command succeeds, the response is minimal, showing only a reference to app Id. The app is now “owned” by the new user.

I hope this is helpful!