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Offline canvas app does not work, prompted for credentials

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Posted on by Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee

I have a simple canvas app, no data connections whatsover, just local images and videos in the gallery and several screens that progress in a loop via timers to create an interactive digital signage solution. Some screens have buttons to allow users to jump to different screens. This runs on a Windows 10 touchscreen kiosk PC configured to launch the PowerApps modern store app as a single-app using assigned access.

I need the app to work offline. It should as there are no connectivty requirements whatsoever. My problem is that the PowerApp modern store app prompts for credentials regularly when the kiosk PC is restarted e.g. after Windows updates, or when the kiosk PC is moved between venues where it is used a trade shows etc.

I thought that once I had connected online once, downloaded my PowerApp locally and launched it once everything would work offline? All documentation indicates this should work. I cannot understand why my simple canvas app cannot be used offline. Has anyone else experienced this? Are there known bugs? Truely offline use of a canvas app seems to be broken.

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Pstork1 69,226 Most Valuable Professional on at

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I suspect the issue here is that its a Windows 10 PC, which implies it is shut down between moving. The offline experince for PowerApps applications is designed with an always on Phone or Tablet in mind. In my experience the PowerApps application itself prompts for credentials when you start it up for the first time. That happens every time it has been shut down. So I don't think its your app that is causing the issue its the PowerApps player itself. You may need to move to an Android or iPhone tablet for your Kiosk.

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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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Thanks, I think you're correct. It does seem related to authentication sessions/cookies timing out and needing to be re-established. Would you expect even an Android or iOS device to have the same problem as they wouldn't be 'always on' if frequently shutdown to move between venues? I wish the MS documentation was clearer (hey, what's new!), as 'offline' use needs to really be called 'intermittently connected' use, or at-least the difference in behaviour between platforms/connectivity scenarios needs to be spelled out.

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Pstork1 69,226 Most Valuable Professional on at

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I agree differences could be spelled out better. But it is a cloud based service, so I think talking about offline implies that there is also an online aspect. So I don't agree that offline is misleading.

In Terms of IOS and Android. I think the difference is more that in general those devices are put to sleep rather than completely shutdown. So the state of reunning applications is paused rather than reset.

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