#PowerPlatformTip 2: ‘Transfer PowerApp Ownership’

TL;DR: Reassign a departed maker’s Power Apps via the CoE Starter Kit admin apps or the Set-AdminPowerAppOwner PowerShell cmdlet for clean, bulk ownership transfer.

💡 Challenge

When a maker leaves the company, the apps they own can become orphaned, and reassigning ownership through the maker UI one by one is slow and easy to miss. You need a reliable, admin-friendly way to hand over Power Apps ownership.

✅ Solution

Use an admin approach instead of the maker UI: either the CoE Starter Kit admin apps (for a governed, low-code experience) or the Set-AdminPowerAppOwner cmdlet from the Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell module for scripted, bulk changes.

🔧 How It’s Done

1. Choose your tool

🔸 For a UI: deploy the CoE Starter Kit and use its admin apps to inventory and manage app ownership.

🔸 For scripting / bulk: install the Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell module.

2. Set the new owner via PowerShell

🔸 Run Set-AdminPowerAppOwner -AppName <AppId> -EnvironmentName <EnvId> -AppOwner <UserObjectId>.

🔸 Loop over multiple apps to reassign them in bulk.

3. Verify the result

🔸 Confirm the new owner in the Power Platform admin center or maker portal.

🎉 Result

Ownership is reassigned cleanly, no orphaned apps, no manual clicking through each app. Admins keep full control and governance stays intact.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Admin-grade: Works even when you’re not the current owner, using admin permissions.

🔸 Scales: Script bulk reassignments across many apps at once.

🔸 Governed: Fits into a CoE / governance process for departing makers.

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🛠️ FAQ

1. Can I reassign ownership of multiple apps at once?

Yes, wrap Set-AdminPowerAppOwner in a PowerShell loop to reassign many apps programmatically.

2. Do I need admin privileges?

Yes. You need a Power Platform / environment admin (or Global admin) role to change ownership for apps you don’t own.

3. What happens to the previous owner?

Set-AdminPowerAppOwner sets the new owner and changes the previous owner to the “Can View” role, they keep read access but no longer own the app. App data and connections remain intact.