Introduction
At FabCon Europe in Barcelona, Microsoft announced a way to create data apps in Power BI Desktop by describing them in plain language. The apps can capture inputs and write data back, and Microsoft says they will be available in preview to Power BI Pro and Premium Per User customers, not only Fabric capacity customers. Here is what it does, what it costs, when it arrives, and what works today.
What Can You Build With Apps in Power BI?
According to Microsoft, you start from an existing semantic model, describe the app you need, generate it in natural language, preview and edit it, then publish it to Microsoft Fabric. Unlike a report, Microsoft says, these apps can accept inputs, write back data, preserve shared state, and support operational workflows. Copilot in Power BI helps you analyse data and build reports; this experience is meant for building applications.
As an illustration of our own, think of an exceptions list where reviewers record an owner, a status, and a short explanation next to the figures they are responsible for, and everyone sees the same updated view. Today that work often happens in a separate spreadsheet.
Do You Need Fabric, and What Does It Cost?
No, according to Microsoft. Apps in Power BI will be available in preview to Pro and Premium Per User customers as well as Fabric capacity customers. Microsoft says Pro and Premium Per User customers will get Fabric Apps and Fabric Database capabilities at no additional cost, up to 1 GB per app. Each app gets a SQL database in Fabric, authentication and security, and Microsoft says it can be handed to developers or IT later without being rebuilt.
That licensing detail matters to many Power BI teams. Under Microsoft's own announcement, one commenter asked for a separate news stream for people who use Power BI without Fabric, tired of reading about features they will never be able to use. This one, at least on paper, includes them.
When Can You Use It?
What Can You Use Today?
Fabric IQ in Microsoft Copilot Chat and Cowork, which Microsoft made generally available at the same event. In Copilot Chat, users can ask business questions and get answers grounded in their Power BI reports and semantic models, with Copilot working out which report or model to use. In Cowork, Power BI content can take part in longer, asynchronous tasks. Microsoft says this is available to Microsoft Copilot customers without additional AI token costs, so check your Copilot licensing first. Fabric IQ MCP is also entering general availability, and Copilot in Power BI will use your Microsoft 365 data, with no date given.
What Is Still Unclear?
Quite a lot. Microsoft's posts do not say what happens beyond 1 GB per app, what terms apply after the preview, or exactly when it arrives. Readers under Microsoft's announcement are asking where the line sits between an app built in Power BI and a Fabric App built by developers, and that is not spelled out either. The Register framed the news as millions of Power BI users becoming Fabric app developers. That is the practical question for your team: write back creates a new data store, and someone has to own it, secure it, and maintain it. Decide who that is before the preview arrives.
What Are Semantic Views and Apache Ossie?
Microsoft also gave an early look at semantic views, which let teams define business metrics once where data lives in OneLake and reuse them across tools. It reaffirmed its support for Apache Ossie, an incubating, vendor neutral standard for sharing semantic metadata, developed with Snowflake and others. Neither has a date, so treat both as direction, not plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are apps in Power BI?
Apps built in Power BI Desktop from a semantic model using plain language, which Microsoft says can accept inputs and write data back. They are announced, not yet available.
Do I need Fabric capacity to build them?
No. Microsoft says the preview will include Pro and Premium Per User customers, with up to 1 GB per app at no additional cost.
Conclusion
For years, Power BI has mostly ended at the insight, and the action happened somewhere else. These apps could close that gap, but they arrive as a preview with open questions. Before they ship, pick one small process that currently lives in a spreadsheet, decide who would own its data, and judge the preview on that, not on the announcement.
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