Are you looking for a quick solution to recover a deleted Power App? If so, you’re in the right place. Accidental deletions happen, but with Microsoft Power Apps, there’s a method to restore your app using PowerShell. As a solopreneur with 30+ years in IT, I’ve learned the hard way how crucial it is to have a clear, step-by-step recovery guide. In this post, I’ll walk you through everything you need—from installing the right PowerShell cmdlets to authenticating in your Power Apps environment and successfully restoring your app.
If at any point you’d like personalized support, feel free to
book a consultation or support call with me. Let’s dive in!
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Why Recovering a Deleted Power App Requires PowerShell
You might be wondering, “Can’t I just restore my Power App from a Recycle Bin or an admin dashboard?” Unfortunately, Microsoft Power Apps does not provide a built-in Recycle Bin for undeleting apps. The standard interface doesn’t offer a straightforward undo option. That’s where PowerShell comes in. By using a few specialized cmdlets, you can interact directly with the Power Apps environment to see which apps are marked as deleted and then recover the ones you need. This process is surprisingly simple once you have everything set up correctly.Prerequisites Before You Begin
Before you roll up your sleeves, make sure you have:- PowerShell (Preferred: PowerShell ISE) While you can use regular PowerShell, PowerShell ISE offers a convenient split-screen view and allows you to run commands line by line.
- Admin Rights You must have administrative privileges in your Power Apps (Office 365) environment to proceed.
- Windows Environment You’ll need a Windows PC or VM, as installing these cmdlets on macOS or Linux can be more complex.
- Knowledge of Your Environment Name In Power Apps, each environment has a unique name (GUID). You’ll need it to specify which environment you’re working with.
Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Your App
Follow these four steps carefully, and you’ll be well on your way to restoring your deleted app.Step 1: Install PowerShell Cmdlets for Power Apps
Before you can recover anything, you need to install the PowerShell Cmdlets for Power Apps. Open PowerShell or PowerShell ISE and run the following commands one line at a time, confirming with “Yes to All” whenever prompted:Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -MinimumVersion 2.8.5.201 -Force -Scope CurrentUser Install-Module -Name Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser -Force Install-Module -Name Microsoft.PowerApps.PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser -AllowClobber -Force Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Force
- Install-PackageProvider NuGet: Ensures you have the package provider needed to pull modules from the online repository.
- Install-Module (Administration + PowerShell): Installs two main modules that let you manage and interact with Power Apps from the command line.
- Set-ExecutionPolicy: Allows you to run scripts from your local machine without restrictions.
Step 2: Log In to Your Power Apps Environment
Next, you’ll need to authenticate so that you can connect to the correct tenant and environment. Use:Add-PowerAppsAccountA Microsoft login prompt will pop up. Enter the credentials for the Office 365 account that has administrative rights in the Power Apps environment. Once logged in, PowerShell will keep your session active for the current run.
Step 3: List Recoverable Power Apps
Before recovering an app, you need to see which apps are available for recovery. That’s whereGet-AdminDeletedPowerAppsList comes into play. You’ll need your
EnvironmentName:
- Find Your Environment Name
Go to
Power Apps Admin Center in a browser. Select your environment, and note the URL; it contains
your environment’s GUID (e.g.,
bdcb2817-d734-e949-a155-c1fe55888057). - Run the Command
Get-AdminDeletedPowerAppsList -EnvironmentName bdcb2817-d734-e949-a155-c1fe55888057
PowerShell will display a list of GUID AppNames that you can recover. Jot down or copy the GUID of the app you want to restore.
Step 4: Recover the Deleted Power App
Finally, let’s bring that accidentally deleted app back to life. Run the following command, replacing the EnvironmentName and AppName with your actual values:Get-AdminRecoverDeletedPowerApp -EnvironmentName bdcb2817-d734-e949-a155-c1fe55888057 -AppName 7df64765-ef1d-4ad0-bede-ec8c12c0af29If your app recovers successfully, you should see a 200 status code in the output. Once the command completes:
- Go back to your Power Apps dashboard.
- You’ll find your restored app listed, often appearing with a name like “Restored_with current date.”
- Click the … (three dots) next to the app.
- Choose Settings or the pencil icon, and change the Display name.
Common Questions
Does Power Apps Have a Recycle Bin?
Currently, Power Apps does not have a Recycle Bin that you can access via the main dashboard. The only supported approach to restore a deleted app is through the PowerShell commands explained in this guide.What Is the Retention Time to Undelete a Power App?
Microsoft doesn’t publicly specify an official “retention time” for deleted Power Apps. Typically, you can recover deleted apps for a certain period (often 30 days), but it may vary by tenant policies. If you’re unable to see your app in theGet-AdminDeletedPowerAppsList, it likely means it’s been permanently purged from the system.
Conclusion
Recovering a deleted Power App doesn’t have to be a nightmare. By leveraging PowerShell, you can safely and efficiently restore your app—even if it seems irretrievable at first glance. With the right cmdlets installed and a quick login to your environment, you can list recoverable apps and run a single command to bring them back. If this guide helped you, or if you ran into any hiccups along the way, please let me know in the comments. Your feedback helps me keep the content accurate and up to date.Book a Consultation or Support Call
Need one-on-one guidance or a personalized walkthrough to ensure your app is set up correctly? Book a consultation or support call with me to get expert help tailored to your exact scenario. I’ll work with you step by step, making sure your app is back online and optimized.Like what you read? Buy me a coffee to show your support! Thanks for reading, and best of luck recovering your deleted Power App! Feel free to explore more tips, tricks, and Subscribe My Youtube Channel: Ahmad Raza
