Get-UnusedPowerApps

Overview

Get-UnusedPowerApps is a PowerShell function that helps Power Platform administrators identify unused Power Apps across their environments. It identifies apps that either have no assigned users or haven't been modified for a specified period (default: 180 days).

This tool is particularly valuable for:

• Environment cleanup initiatives
• License optimization efforts
• Security reviews
• Governance processes
• Application lifecycle management

Prerequisites

• PowerShell 5.1 or higher
• Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell module installed
• Power Platform Administrator permissions
• Active authenticated session (via Add-PowerAppsAccount)

Installation

Option 1: Import as a Module

1. Save the script as PowerPlatformTools.psm1
2. Import it into your PowerShell session:

Import-Module .\PowerPlatformTools.psm1

Option 2: Dot-Source the Function

. .\Get-UnusedPowerApps.ps1

Syntax

Get-UnusedPowerApps 
    -EnvironmentName <String> 
    [-UnusedDays <Int32>] 
    [-IncludeAppDetails] 
    [-ExportFormat <String>] 
    [-ExportPath <String>]

Parameters

Output

The function returns an array of PowerShell objects with the following properties for each unused app:

When IncludeAppDetails is specified, additional properties include:

• AppType
• Description
• CreatedBy
• CreatedByEmail
• IsHeroApp
• IsFeaturedApp

Examples

Example 1: Find unused apps in a specific environment

Get-UnusedPowerApps -EnvironmentName "12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567890ab"

Returns all unused Power Apps in the specified environment.

Example 2: Find apps unused in the last 90 days

Get-UnusedPowerApps -EnvironmentName "12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567890ab" -UnusedDays 90

Returns Power Apps that have no users or haven't been modified in the last 90 days.

Example 3: Export results to CSV

Get-UnusedPowerApps -EnvironmentName "12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567890ab" -ExportFormat CSV

Returns unused Power Apps and exports the results to a CSV file in the current directory.

Example 4: Process all environments and export to JSON

Get-AdminPowerAppEnvironment | 
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty EnvironmentName | 
    Get-UnusedPowerApps -ExportFormat JSON -ExportPath "C:\Reports\UnusedApps.json"

Processes all environments and exports the combined results to a JSON file.

Example 5: Find apps in all Sandbox environments

Get-AdminPowerAppEnvironment | 
    Where-Object { $_.EnvironmentType -eq "Sandbox" } | 
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty EnvironmentName | 
    Get-UnusedPowerApps -IncludeAppDetails

Finds unused apps in all sandbox environments with detailed information.

Practical Applications

Regular Cleanup

Set up a monthly automated job to identify unused applications:

# Connect using service principal (recommended for automation)
Add-PowerAppsAccount -TenantID $tenantId -ApplicationId $applicationId -ClientSecret $clientSecret

# Get all environments and find unused apps
Get-AdminPowerAppEnvironment | 
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty EnvironmentName | 
    Get-UnusedPowerApps -UnusedDays 90 -ExportFormat CSV -ExportPath "C:\Reports\MonthlyUnusedApps.csv"

Usage Reporting

Create a dashboard of app usage by combining with other data:

$allEnvs = Get-AdminPowerAppEnvironment
$results = @()

foreach ($env in $allEnvs) {
    $envName = $env.EnvironmentName
    $envDisplayName = $env.DisplayName
    
    $unusedApps = Get-UnusedPowerApps -EnvironmentName $envName -IncludeAppDetails
    $allApps = Get-AdminPowerApp -EnvironmentName $envName
    
    $results += [PSCustomObject]@{
        EnvironmentName = $envDisplayName
        TotalApps = $allApps.Count
        UnusedApps = $unusedApps.Count
        UsagePercentage = if ($allApps.Count -gt 0) { 
            [math]::Round(($allApps.Count - $unusedApps.Count) / $allApps.Count * 100, 2) 
        } else { 0 }
    }
}

$results | Export-Csv -Path "C:\Reports\AppUsageByEnvironment.csv" -NoTypeInformation

Limitations and Considerations

• The function uses LastModifiedTime as a proxy for app usage, which isn't a perfect measure of actual usage
• Role assignments check might not capture shared apps where users access via environment-level permissions
• Processing large environments may take time, especially with many apps or role assignments
• Requires admin permissions to access the environments and apps

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Connection errors
   • Ensure you're connected via Add-PowerAppsAccount before running
   • Check your permissions on the environments
2. No data returned
   • Verify the environment ID is correct
   • Check if there are any apps in the environment
3. Export errors
   • Ensure the specified path is writable
   • Try using an absolute path instead of a relative one

Diagnostic Steps

1. Run with verbose output:

   $VerbosePreference = "Continue"
   Get-UnusedPowerApps -EnvironmentName "your-environment-id"
   $VerbosePreference = "SilentlyContinue"
   

2. Test environment access:

   Get-AdminPowerAppEnvironment -EnvironmentName "your-environment-id"
   

Version History

• v1.0 (March 2025): Initial release
• v1.1 (Coming soon): Add app usage analytics integration

Support

For questions, suggestions, or issues, please contact:

• Email: info@theofficelab.eu
• GitHub: 

License

This script is provided under the MIT License. Feel free to modify and distribute it, but please include the original attribution.