Bug: Windows PowerApp Player - Cannot use offline mode

[PaulD1]

The PowerApp Player for Windows (from the Windows Microsoft Store) supports the SaveData and LoadData commands for offline use of Apps. However, if you download an App then later start the PowerApp Player while offline, no Apps are shown. So it is effectively impossible to use a PowerApp while offline when using a Windows device.

It seems that if you start an App while online, then go offline, it will work (assuming it is 'enabled' of offline usage) so the issue simply seems to be that downloaded Apps are not correctly appearing on the list of Apps to choose from when starting the Player while offline.

We have a need to run PowerApps offline on existing Windows hardware (so moving to Android/iOS, where offline mode works fine) is not an option.

Is this a bug that the Micorosoft team are aware of? Is it being worked on and is there an estimate for resolution?

Thanks,

Paul

[wyotim]

@Anonymous I did start a new topic which is here. I'll go update that thread too as I haven't kept up on it!

[Anonymous]

@wyotimthanks but seems like thats not exactly that I'm looking for (I should have read current thread properly). There is no security issue for me (yet!), I dont see one of my apps (recently launched) in offline at all, while another my app is shown fine. Tried only Android at this moment. I will try to query from MS support through my managers (who are involved into development) and write the answer here since my problem is very similar to the original one from this thread.

[MauriceVold]

I have seen that occasionally so I hope it to does not become a thing.  I found that actually starting it and exiting right away was not enough to put it in my list but that I actually had to run it (I usually do enough to save 1 record).  After that it shows up in my offline list.  So far I have not had an issue with it not staying in my list but based on this thread a little nervous about that.  Good Luck

[Anonymous]

Thanks! Yep, I've seen such workarounds but obviously none of them are applicable for end users who expect smooth and transparent experience.

[MauriceVold]

Yes I agree.  Wish there was a little toggle in the form designer that we could check and say it is for offline use.  That would solve that problem.

[Anonymous]

Just an update to my situation: it was a bug in some of PowerApps launcher versions (3.19083.21 and maybe some more old) and it was solved in later versions, starting from 3.19083.24. I had a chat with MS support: when launcher starts the app first time it downloads it and "installs" it. It also requires some time. Thats why some people report that they need to "spend some time" in the app or launch it several times in order to see the app offline, without proper installion it will just be downloaded again on each launch. So for my app (I sent an exported package to them) MS guys looked into logs and said there was a error on each installion

“Response was not successful. Response{protocol=http/1.1, code=404, message=The specified blob does not exist”

Not only for my app, bot for some other also. The app image that installs on the phone just became corrupted each time. But now as I said the issues is fixed, at least this one.

BTW it's not very comfortable to devs to not to see some hidden logs, for example about app (dis)functioning on the device.

[wyotim]

Thanks for sharing that @Anonymous. Out of curiosity, did you have to change anything or did the MS support do something to fix it for you? 

[Anonymous]

No, I did nothing at all! As I said it was a bug introduced in ≈3.19083.21 version, and it was fixed while we still were conversating about the bug. MS support had contacted PowerApps devs, but the bug was fixed and new version was pushed to Play market such shortly after so I think devs already noticed this bug before me.

[wyotim]

Awesome! Thanks for clarifying it for me. Glad it was all sorted out quickly and easily!