8 min read
6 Ways to Use Power BI in Teams (incl. how-tos!)
Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft Teams are two widely used Microsoft products. Yet not many people know that it's also possible to use Power BI (Pro) in Teams. Since October, it's even possible to use the complete Power BI application via Teams. This creates a number of great possibilities. In this blog we walk you through the options.
Power BI Pro & Teams
To use the Power BI application within Teams you need a Power BI Pro license. An exception to this is when the reports you want to view are located in a workspace that is itself in a Power BI Premium environment. It's also important that you give the person who wants to use the report access to the relevant app or workspace.
#1 Add the Power BI app to Teams
A newer feature of Power BI and Teams is the ability to add the entire Power BI app to Teams. When you add Power BI to Teams, the app appears in the navigation bar on the left. This is of course extremely handy if you're a heavy user of both Power BI and Teams. You never have to switch between the two programs again. From the Power BI app within Teams, you can use all the same functionality you normally use in the desktop version of Power BI.
To add the Power BI app to Teams, follow these steps:
- Click the three dots on the left in the navigation bar ('…')
- Type Power BI into the search bar and then click on it
- A new window opens where you then click 'Add'
- Power BI is now in your navigation bar!
Note!
The Power BI app is not automatically pinned to the navigation bar. If you then go to a different chat or team, the Power BI app will disappear from your navigation bar again. To pin the app, right-click the Power BI icon and click 'Pin'. The app is now pinned in your navigation bar.
#2 Automatically install and pin the Power BI app in Teams
For many organizations it's important that employees have quick access to the data they need. Yet it often remains difficult for them to know where to find this data. It's now possible for organizations to pin the Power BI app in Teams to the Teams navigation bar by default for their employees. When they open Teams, the Power BI app will then always be in their navigation bar.
Below is a step-by-step explanation of how to do this:
- Go to the Microsoft Admin Center via the Office Portal or go to admin.microsoft.com
- In the navigation bar, go to 'Show All'
- Then go to 'Teams' > 'Teams Apps' > 'Setup Policies' > 'Global'
- And then click Installed Apps > Add Apps > Power BI > Choose the one with the new Power BI icon
- Then go to Pinned Apps > Add App > Power BI
- Finally, don't forget to click 'SAVE'
- Note! It can take a few hours before users actually see the Power BI app in the Teams navigation bar
Tip: You can also create a 'Custom Policy'. When you do this, a copy of the Global version is made, and you can then adjust things in the custom variant. It's important to know that you do need to assign users to this Custom Policy. You do this from the main screen of the App Setup Policies with the Manage Users button. You cannot add groups here, so you'll need to add individual users each time.
Note! You can only use the features below once you've already added the Power BI application to your navigation bar. If you haven't done this yet, these features are not available. Under number 1 you can read how to add the Power BI application to your navigation bar.
#3 Add a Power BI report to a chat/team
The first option we want to walk you through is adding a Power BI report to, for example, a chat or a team. This makes it easy for you and your colleagues to go through a particular report together.
The report remains fully functional within Teams. So you can select and adjust data the way you want to see it. This functionality even goes so far that the Row Level Security features also just work. So if one of your colleagues doesn't have access to a particular dataset, for example, they won't see this in the report either.
Below we explain how to add a report to a chat or team:
- Press the '+' button at the top of the chat or team
- Click on Power BI
- Find the desired report in your Apps or Workspaces
- Select the report and click 'Save'
- You also have the option to select 'Post to the channel about this tab', which posts a message with a link so people know you've added a report to the chat/team.
Would you rather view the entire report in your browser? That's possible. When you click the 'globe' icon at the top, the report opens in your browser.
#4 Search for your Power BI report via the Teams search bar
In the middle of a conversation with a colleague and want to quickly look something up in a report? With Teams, you can also use the search bar to search for recent reports and apps in Power BI. The selected report or app then opens within the Power BI app in Teams!
Below we explain how to do this:
- Go to the Teams search bar
- Type '@PowerBI'
- Choose an item from the list or type a search term
- Select the item
- Click 'Open'
#5 Quickly share a report, dashboard, or app in a chat or team
Thanks to the integration of Power BI in Teams, it's now easier than ever to share a dashboard or app with your colleagues. You don't even need to leave the application to do this!
Below we explain how to do this:
- Find the Power BI icon at the bottom of the chat box
– If it's not there, click the three dots ('…') and search for Power BI - In the menu that opens, find the report, dashboard, or app you want to share
– By default you'll see your most recently used items here - A preview card is added to your message
- Type your message or send it right away so your colleagues receive the link
- When one of your colleagues clicks the link, it opens within the Power BI app in Teams
You can also use this feature when you're in a meeting and want to share a report, dashboard, or app with your colleagues. You do this in the same way as described above. To do this, the chat box needs to be open, so don't forget to open it first!
Note: The first time you use this feature you'll need to log in first
#6 Start a chat in Teams from the Power BI app
Are you working in a report and want to quickly share an insight with your colleagues? With 'Chat in Teams' you can easily send links from Power BI to reports and dashboards directly to specific people, teams, or meeting chats. The links retain all the filters and slicers you've applied in your Power BI report. When the recipients of your message open the link, it opens in the Power BI app within Teams.
Below we explain step by step how to do this:
- Open a report, app, or dashboard in Power BI
- Click 'Chat in Teams'
- In the window that opens, search for the desired channel or meeting
- Click 'Send'
Note: you may first need to click 'share' to give recipients access to the item. You can also do this afterward once you've already shared the item.
Tip: The 'Chat in Teams' feature is also available in the menu of the visuals in the report; when you click the three dots ('…') you'll see the option. When you use this option, the visual will be highlighted when users open the link. Another handy tip is to put the visual in focus mode and then click 'Chat in Teams'. When your colleagues then open the link, they'll see the specific visual you want them to see.
Want to learn more about Power BI?
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