Video content has become an effective way to educate users, demonstrate processes, and improve application usability. In Microsoft Power Apps, the Video control allows makers to embed instructional videos, training material, product demonstrations, and other multimedia directly into Canvas Apps.

Whether you're building an employee onboarding solution, a learning portal, or an application with embedded tutorials, the Video control helps create a more engaging user experience without requiring users to leave the app.

This article explains how the Video control works, its key properties, implementation examples, and best practices for building video-enabled Power Apps.

What is the Video Control?

The Video control is a media component available in Canvas Apps that plays video content from supported external sources or uploaded media files.

It can be used to display:

• Training videos

• Product demonstrations

• Help and support tutorials

• Company announcements

• Process walkthroughs

• Safety instructions

• Educational content

Users can interact with the video using built-in playback controls such as Play, Pause, Seek, Volume, and Full Screen (where supported). External videos should use HTTPS and be publicly accessible without authentication.

Why Use Video in Power Apps?

Embedding videos directly inside an application provides several advantages:

• Improves user training

• Reduces support requests

• Demonstrates complex business processes visually

• Eliminates the need for external documentation

• Enhances employee onboarding

• Provides consistent learning experiences

Adding a Video Control

To insert a Video control:

1. Open your Canvas App in Power Apps Studio.

2. Select Insert.

3. Expand Media.

4. Choose Video.

5. Resize and position the control on the desired screen.

After adding the control, configure its Media property with either an uploaded video or a supported video URL.

Important Video Control Properties

Media

Specifies the video source.

Example:

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxx"

You can also reference an uploaded media file.

AutoStart

Determines whether the video starts automatically when the screen opens.

true

or

false

AutoStart is useful for kiosk applications but is generally recommended to remain disabled for accessibility.

ShowControls

Displays playback controls such as:

• Play

• Pause

• Volume

• Progress bar

• Full screen (platform dependent)

Example:

true

Loop

Automatically restarts the video after playback finishes.

true

Useful for informational displays and digital signage.

OnEnd

Runs Power Fx formulas after the video finishes playing.

Example:

Navigate(HomeScreen)

Possible actions include:

• Navigating to another screen

• Displaying a completion message

• Updating records

• Starting another process

• Logging training completion

AutoPause

Automatically pauses playback when users leave the current screen.

true

This helps prevent unnecessary resource usage and improves the user experience.

Example 1: Employee Training Portal

An organization wants new employees to watch an onboarding video before accessing the application.

Configuration:

OnEnd:

Navigate(HomeScreen)

After the training video finishes, users are automatically taken to the main application.

Example 2: Product Demonstration

A sales application includes demonstration videos for each product.

Gallery Selection:

VideoPlayer.Media = Gallery1.Selected.VideoURL

Selecting a product immediately loads its demonstration video into the player.

Example 3: Help Center

Instead of lengthy documentation, users can watch short tutorial videos explaining application features.

Each help topic contains:

• Video

• Description

• Downloadable guide

• Frequently asked questions

This approach significantly improves user adoption.

Example 4: Compliance Training

Employees must complete mandatory training before proceeding.

OnEnd:

Patch(
EmployeeTraining,
ThisItem,
{
Completed:true
}
)

The application records completion automatically once the video ends.

Example 5: Safety Instructions

Manufacturing applications often require users to review safety procedures.

The Video control can display:

• Equipment handling

• Emergency procedures

• PPE requirements

• Operational guidelines

This ensures important information is always available within the application.

Best Practices

To get the best results from the Video control:

• Use HTTPS URLs for externally hosted videos.

• Keep videos short and focused.

• Enable playback controls so users can pause, replay, or adjust volume.

• Provide captions or transcripts to improve accessibility.

• Compress large video files to improve loading performance.

• Test playback across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

• Avoid placing many video controls on a single screen to reduce performance issues.

Accessibility Considerations

When adding video content to Power Apps:

• Enable ShowControls so users can control playback.

• Include closed captions whenever possible.

• Provide descriptive AccessibleLabel values for screen readers.

• Offer a written transcript for important instructional content.

• Avoid enabling AutoStart unless there is a strong business requirement.

Common Business Use Cases

Organizations commonly use the Video control for:

• Employee onboarding

• Customer self-service portals

• Product demonstrations

• Equipment training

• Software tutorials

• Learning management solutions

• Safety and compliance programs

• Interactive help centers

• Digital kiosks

• Internal communication

Troubleshooting Tips

If your video does not play:

• Verify the Media URL is correct.

• Ensure external videos use HTTPS.

• Confirm the video is publicly accessible if hosted externally.

• Check internet connectivity.

• Test the app on different devices to identify platform-specific limitations.

• Verify that playback controls are enabled if users need manual playback.

Conclusion

The Video control is an effective way to deliver multimedia content directly within Microsoft Power Apps. By combining videos with Power Fx formulas and business logic, you can create engaging applications that improve user training, simplify complex processes, and enhance the overall user experience.

Whether you're building a learning platform, embedding product demonstrations, or providing in-app support, the Video control helps transform static applications into interactive, user-friendly solutions.