About
Show your Microsoft Power BI reports and dashboards on your screens, next to your other content. No link or embed code: sign in with Microsoft and pick the report from a list, so it stays private. It reloads on a timer, or shows a picture of the report for screens with an older browser. Available on Pro and Ultimate.
Get Started
You need a Microsoft account that can open the report in Power BI, usually with a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User license (not needed when the workspace is on Premium or Fabric F64+ capacity). The report or dashboard must be in a workspace. Some organizations need an admin to approve the app first (see FAQ).
Set up
Add a report or dashboard to a slide
- Open the playlist and the slide, click Plugins, search for Power BI and click the PowerBI tile
- Click Authenticate, sign in with Microsoft and accept the permissions
- Choose the workspace under Select workspace, and the report or dashboard under Select resource
- Resize the box, or click Fit to canvas, and publish
The box starts at 16:9; reports look best when the box has the same shape as the report page.
Show another report
- Click the Power BI box
- Pick another workspace under Select workspace, and the report under Select resource
- Publish
Show several reports
- Add a new Power BI plugin for each report, on the same slide or others, rather than copying one
Keep it up to date
Reload the report automatically
- Click the Power BI box and turn on Refresh periodically (off by default)
- Set Refresh interval seconds, from 16 to 6000 (default 600, 10 minutes)
- Publish
This reloads the report on the screen; it doesn’t refresh your data in Power BI, so check your data refresh schedule there too.
Show a picture of the report (Screenshot Mode)
- Click the Power BI box and turn on Screenshot Mode
- Choose Screenshot Maximum Age: No Limit (Static), 15 Minutes (Ultimate), 1 Hour (Pro and Ultimate) or 24 Hours (default)
- Publish
Our server takes the picture and updates it on that schedule. Use it for screens whose browser is too old for the live report. A picture isn’t interactive, and Refresh periodically is turned off.
Account and removing
Sign in with another account
- Click the Power BI box and click Log out at the bottom
- Click Authenticate and sign in with the other account
- Choose the workspace and report again, and publish
Remove Power BI from a slide
- Click the box (unlock it first if it’s locked) and click the trash can, or press Delete
- Publish
There’s no confirmation; press Ctrl + Z (Cmd + Z) right away to undo. Removing it doesn’t sign you out: click Log out first if you want that.
Options
Click the Power BI box to see these in the settings on the right.
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Fit to canvas, align left, center, right, top, middle or bottom, and lock |
| Authenticate | Signs in with Microsoft |
| Select workspace | The Power BI workspace |
| Select resource | The report or dashboard, under Reports and Dashboards |
| Refresh periodically | Reloads the report on a timer. Off by default |
| Refresh interval seconds | How often: 16 to 6000 seconds, default 600 |
| Screenshot Mode | Shows a picture of the report instead of the live report |
| Screenshot Maximum Age | No Limit (Static), 15 Minutes (Ultimate), 1 Hour (Pro and Ultimate), 24 Hours (default) |
| Log out | Disconnects your Microsoft account from this box |
FAQ
Plans and access
Which plans include Power BI?
Pro and Ultimate. On Essential you see Only Pro and Ultimate with Try it: you can try it in the editor, but it’s removed when you publish. It’s only on my.playsignage.com, not on partner-branded portals.
Do I need a Power BI Pro license?
You need a license that lets you open the report in Power BI. For shared workspaces Microsoft usually requires Power BI Pro or Premium Per User, unless the workspace is on Premium or Fabric F64+ capacity. Your Power BI admin knows which you have.
It asks for admin approval when I sign in. What do I do?
Ask your Microsoft 365 or Entra admin to approve Play Digital Signage. Your Power BI admin may also need to turn on Embed content in apps (Tenant settings → Developer settings).
Can I use a personal Microsoft account?
We haven’t confirmed which account types work. Use the account you open the report with in Power BI, and contact us if it doesn’t work.
Can I paste a Publish to web link or embed code?
No, and you don’t need to. Publish to web makes a report public, and secure embed links ask viewers to sign in again; neither suits a screen without a person in front of it.
Using it
How often does the data update?
On the screen: every Refresh interval seconds, or per Screenshot Maximum Age in Screenshot Mode. In Power BI: as often as your data refresh schedule. The report can’t be newer than your latest data refresh.
Can I show more than one report?
Yes. Add a separate Power BI plugin for each, rather than copying one.
Do I need to publish after changes?
Yes. Size, position, refresh and Screenshot Mode only reach your screens after you publish.
How long does it stay signed in?
Up to 90 days, kept fresh while the report is shown. Microsoft can end it sooner, for example after a password change. Then click Log out, Authenticate, choose the report and publish. Contact us if the screen still doesn’t show it.
Does removing it sign me out?
No. Click Log out before you remove it if you want that.
Troubleshooting
My screen only shows the Power BI loading logo. What's wrong?
The live report needs a recent browser (Chrome 100 or newer). Players with a rarely updated browser, like Samsung Tizen, LG webOS or BrightSign, may not load it.
- Turn on Screenshot Mode
- Ask the device maker for a firmware update
- On Android: in the screen’s settings, set Website rendering engine to Use system engine, and update Chrome on the device
Why can't I find my report under Select resource?
Only content in a workspace your account can access shows. Check the workspace, or click Log out and sign in with the right account.
