adding shortcuts to the homescreen

Hi all,

i would like to add a shortcut to the homescreen (lockdown). I know how to add a screen item to the homescreen, using launch://com.microsoft.powerbim (in this case powerbi) , but powerbi created a shortcut to a report on my android devices home screen, which is only visible in admin mode. So i need to find a way to link to this shortcut, instead of a "normal" program.

I've been trying to find the shortcut using the applications button in the devices screen (how i'm normally doing it), but i can't seem to find this shortcut.

3 years ago
SOTI MobiControl
ANSWERS
RS
Rafael Schäfer
3 years ago

open the shortcut in admin mode and send legacy script identify_activity 

then take a look into the device logs to get this data needed

but be aware this can be maybe different for evreytime you create a report. maybe locate where this report is stored on the device and put a shortcut to the file or folder (i currently don't know if file:\\ also can locate to a specific folder).

It could also be that's only possible to put the files app to the lockdownscreen but most likely not wanted.

ML
Maurice Lahaije
3 years ago

the logfile only show this:

1:25:12 PM
Information
Custom log (Current activity name: com.android.launcher3/.Launcher)
 
am i looking in the right place?
RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

That script command cannot be used to find details of a shortcut item that is not an app/activity.

According to Microsoft documentation found at  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/consumer/mobile/mobile-app-quick-access-shortcuts,

 the report or dashboard  that the shortcut references doesn't have to be in one of your workspaces, but can also also be inside apps, or located on an external (B2B) tenant.  Thus, I believe there is no simple solution to what you want.   

If the report/dashboard file resides on your device,  find exactly where it is, and you can likely use file://  to reference the file, which can then be open directly if the filename extension is already registered with the Android system to be opened  by default with the com.microsoft.bim app.   For shortcuts related to report/dashboard item residing inside the app or on an external tenant,  it can be more complicated.   Finding the parameters of the shortcut may already be a challenge.  

Unfortunately,  I don't have any Microsoft Power BI account/license to try out.

ML
Maurice Lahaije
3 years ago

Thanks Raymond. In the meantime i was able to find the link using the script command, but when i place it on the lockscreen, it simply says "activity not found"

com.microsoft.powerbim/com.microsoft.powerbi.ui.reports.PbxReportActivity

the package name for powerbi itself is launch://com.microsoft.powerbim, this works fine.

RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

I have installed the latest com.microsoft.powerbim on a test device, and confirmed that it has an activity component called

     com.microsoft.powerbi.ui.reports.PbxReportActivity

within the package.

However, my tests showed that this item doesn't  seem to be an unconditionally launchable activity.   This maybe because I have no account to log in beforehand, nor do something first so that there is/are some background service(s) running  before this activity can be launched successfully..  

TA
Thibaud A.
a year ago

Hello,

I don't know if this i relevant for you anymore Maurice but i found a solution trying to do the same today..

The easy way to set this up : You need to first open your powerBi report, then under "File>Generate a QR code"

Read the generated QR code with a phone without powerbi application. Open the link, and then copy the link it's trying to reach 

will look like this : https://app.powerbi.com/MobileLandingPage?Action=OpenReport&reportObjectId=ANOBJECTID&reportPage=ReportSection

Then on the lockdown configuration, simply add an HTTPS:// item with "app.powerbi.com/MobileLandingPage?Action=OpenReport&reportObjectId=ANOBJECTID&reportPage=ReportSection" as text.

I believe that you found the solution since you open the post.. But some people might found that useful.

Regards,

Thibaud