Power Apps Grid: Responsive Canvas Apps

Key insights

• Grid Container is a new Canvas Apps control that replaces heavy X/Y positioning and makes layouts responsive across desktop, tablet, and phone.
  It helps builders create modern screens without manually moving every control.
• Rows, columns, gap, grid position are the core properties that control layout.
  Use rows/columns to define structure, gap to set spacing, and grid position to place items precisely.
• Responsive design becomes easier: Grid Containers keep elements aligned when screens resize and work well with existing horizontal and vertical containers.
  Build home pages and form screens that adapt without complex formulas.
• Inline editing and infinite scrolling bring richer data interactions inside the grid, plus nested subgrids, grouping, and aggregation for large datasets.
  These features improve usability and performance for data-dense apps.
• Enable and configure the grid from the solution explorer Controls tab for model-driven apps; turn on inline edit, grouping, or infinite scroll, then save and publish.
  Canvas makers can combine grid settings with other container types for specific layouts.
• Limitations and best practices: the grid is new and won’t fit every scenario alone.
  Test across devices, mix container types when needed, and follow accessibility and Fluent design guidelines for consistent UX.

Overview: Why this video matters

In a recent YouTube walkthrough, Reza Dorrani demonstrates how the new Power Apps Grid Container reshapes responsive design for Canvas apps. He explains basic concepts clearly and shows real-world examples that move makers away from manual X and Y placement. Consequently, the video highlights how the grid can simplify layout work while aligning apps across desktop, tablet, and mobile. As a result, app builders may find faster, more consistent ways to design screens.

Core features and developer experience

First, Dorrani explores grid properties such as rows, columns, gap, and grid position, showing how they control placement without relying on absolute coordinates. Then, he demonstrates inline editing and nested behaviors that bring model-driven grid capabilities into Canvas contexts. Thus, the control combines layout flexibility with interactive features like inline edits and grouping. Moreover, the video shows how the grid aligns with Microsoft’s Fluent design principles to improve accessibility and visual consistency.

Practical examples from the walkthrough

Next, the presenter builds a modern Home screen and a Customer Profile form to prove the grid’s usefulness in everyday app scenarios. During the builds, he emphasizes how grid-based layouts remain aligned when the screen resizes, which eases work for responsive apps. In addition, he compares the grid approach to older horizontal and vertical containers, explaining when swapping or combining containers results in better outcomes. Consequently, viewers see both simple and composite layouts that address common business app needs.

Performance and data handling tradeoffs

However, performance choices involve tradeoffs that Dorrani calls out, such as infinite scroll versus paging for large data sets. While infinite scroll improves browsing and feels more modern, it can complicate selection limits and memory use, so makers must balance smooth UX with platform limits. Likewise, enabling many inline features adds convenience but increases complexity in configuration and testing. Therefore, developers should weigh responsiveness and functionality against potential performance and maintenance costs.

Challenges and limitations in real projects

Meanwhile, Dorrani also points out that the new grid does not solve every layout scenario, and some screens still need mixed container types to behave as expected. For instance, specific custom visual placements or highly irregular interfaces may require a combination of grid, horizontal, and vertical containers. Additionally, early adopters should expect gaps in documentation and quirks that come with a fresh control, which means extra testing across devices. Consequently, teams must plan pilot runs and incremental rollouts to limit user impact.

Adoption, configuration, and next steps

Finally, the video covers enablement steps for makers who want to try the control in model-driven and Canvas apps, including where to add it and how to configure behavior like grouping or inline edits. Furthermore, Dorrani recommends experimenting with grid settings in a sandbox to understand tradeoffs before applying the control to critical forms and views. In effect, measured adoption and feedback loops will help teams refine patterns that work for their users. Altogether, his practical guidance makes the new Power Apps grid easier to evaluate and integrate.

What editors should take away

In summary, Reza Dorrani’s video provides a useful, hands-on look at a control that could change how many makers approach Canvas apps. Therefore, it is worth watching for anyone building responsive business applications, while keeping in mind that the grid is new and not a one-size-fits-all solution. Moreover, the tradeoffs between interactivity, performance, and complexity mean teams should pilot the control in representative scenarios. Ultimately, this grid represents a meaningful step toward modern, responsive Power Apps design, but it requires thoughtful adoption and testing.

Keywords

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