Dynamics Community Forum Thread Details

How to show Environment Name of business app in the "business apps" area on office.com?

Hi,

we use MS Dynamics/PowerApps to make our own business apps, and we use different environments to deploy them (dev/prod/etc.). These apps can then be seen in the "apps" area on office.com

I restored an environment a while ago, and somehow, the apps from that environment showed the name of the environment they are in under the app name.

This was a fluke, and I could not find any settings to make the other environment names show. Any app settings, or environment settings, or even security roles that I tried, did not work.

The environment names completely gone now, they were there one day, gone the next., not even sure how/why, because nothing changed overnight.

We would like to be able to show the environment names under the app names, because the apps have the same names through all environments (for example. App "Tree" has the same name under dev and prod), so it would be easier to identify which app tile is the correct one to open.

I hope I explained this well enough, thank you in advance.

Categories:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Hello SE-27111003-0,

You're right, by default, PowerApps doesn't display the environment name alongside the app name in the "apps" area on office.com. While you can't directly enable this functionality, there are workarounds to help you easily identify the correct app for your needs:

1. Use Prefixes or Suffixes in App Names
Add a prefix or suffix to your app names that indicates the environment. Here are some examples:
Prefix: DEV_Tree, PROD_Tree
Suffix: Tree (Dev), Tree (Prod) This approach requires some upfront work to rename your apps but provides clear identification at a glance.
2. Leverage App Icons
Assign unique icons to your apps based on the environment. This provides a visual cue without modifying the app name itself.
3. Utilize Custom Canvas App Header
While not a native feature, you can create a custom canvas app header that displays the environment name dynamically. This requires coding knowledge but offers a more integrated solution. Resources for this approach can be found in the PowerApps community forums (https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Showing-the-current-environment-name-in-the-PowerApps-Canvas-App/td-p/1241358).
4. Implement Documentation
Maintain a clear and up-to-date document that maps app names to their corresponding environments. This can be a shared spreadsheet or document within your team.

Additional Tips:
Utilize Environments Effectively: Make sure users only have access to the environments relevant to their work. This reduces the number of apps displayed and simplifies their choice.
Consider Tooling: Explore third-party tools that might offer environment tagging or additional filtering options for apps in the Power Platform.
By implementing some of these suggestions, you can improve the usability of your PowerApps by making it easier for users to identify the correct app for their specific environment.

Unfortunately, the "fluke" you experienced where the environment names appeared briefly isn't a known feature that can be replicated. But the workarounds listed above should provide a more permanent solution for your situation.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics query.

Best Regards,
Daivat Vartak

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