TL;DR: Fetch environment variables in PowerApps without premium by calling a solution-based Power Automate flow on OnStart and storing the value locally.
💡 Challenge
Environment variables are free in Power Automate, but reading them in PowerApps normally requires a premium license, which contradicts the whole point of a single, cross-platform configuration value.
✅ Solution
Add a small solution-based Power Automate flow that returns the environment variable, and call it from the app’s OnStart to load the value into a local variable, no premium needed.
🔧 How It’s Done
1. Create a flow inside a solution to access the environment variable, it only needs a trigger and a response.
🔸 Use the Power Apps trigger.
🔸 Keep the flow in the solution so it can reference the environment variables.
2. Return the value.
🔸 Read the environment variable inside the flow.
🔸 Return it with the Respond to a PowerApp action.
3. Call the flow from your app on OnStart.
🔸 Add the flow via the Power Automate panel.
🔸 Assign its output to a variable, e.g. Set(gvConfig, YourFlow.Run().value).
🎉 Result
You can now use environment variables in PowerApps without a premium license, keeping configuration central and cost-effective.
🌟 Key Advantages
🔸 Universal: the same environment variable works across apps and flows.
🔸 Central changes: update in one place, applies everywhere.
🔸 Cost efficiency: no premium license required in the app.
🎥 Video Tutorial
🛠️ FAQ
1. How can I retrieve environment variables in PowerApps without a premium license? Use a Power Automate flow triggered from your PowerApp that fetches the environment variable and returns it to the app.
2. Do I need a premium connector to use environment variables in Power Automate? No, environment variables are available in Power Automate without a premium license when accessed within a solution.
3. Can I update environment variables centrally? Yes, since environment variables are hosted in the solution, any change applies globally to all apps and flows that reference them.
Marcel Lehmann
Microsoft MVP