From smarter visuals to real-time write-back, Microsoft Power BI is evolving fast - and if you’ve been keeping an eye on the updates this year, you’ll know there’s a lot to be excited about. In this blog, we highlight the updates that matter most and how they can help you work more efficiently, collaborate more easily, and make better decisions.
👉 Are you looking for the updates about Microsoft Fabric? Make sure to read our next blog, as well.
As of June 30, Microsoft Power BI Desktop is no longer available in 32-bit. If you’re still using that version, now’s the time to upgrade to 64-bit to ensure compatibility with new features and better performance.
You might’ve noticed the refreshed start-up screen when opening Microsoft Power BI Desktop. But the real upgrade is under the hood: performance improvements mean the app now launches faster and runs more smoothly on your local machine.
This new feature introduces a powerful capability: you can now add, edit, or delete data directly in the underlying database — all from within your Microsoft Power BI report.
That means real-time decision-making becomes much easier. You can instantly update your data source and analyze the impact immediately. It’s especially useful for:
Translytical task flows use Microsoft Fabric’s preview feature, User Data Functions, which provide native connection management for Microsoft Fabric SQL databases, warehouses, and lakehouses. This ensures seamless integration and optimal performance.
⚠️ Note: This feature requires Microsoft Fabric capacity, since Fabric items are being used.
Read more about translytial task flows on Microsoft's website
Recent updates to visual calculations include:
Field parameters are becoming more powerful:
This feature is generally available as of July 2025.
More information about Field parameters on Microsoft's website
Sparklines are now generally available in Microsoft Power BI. They allow you to show trends over time within tables and matrices. You can use them alongside calculation groups and numeric parameters for more tailored insights.
Example: Display product sales trends across categories, or highlight only those that meet specific targets.
New preview features make working with your Power BI files (.pbix files) more seamless:
These features make it easy to navigate, open, save, and share your files directly from and to OneDrive and SharePoint.
Moreover, the preview feature Saving to OneDrive and SharePoint uploads the file in the background and ensures your changes are automatically saved to your OneDrive or SharePoint location, so you always have access to the previous and latest versions.
Microsoft continues to expand Copilot’s capabilities. Here are some of the most meaningful updates and newest prompts:
Microsoft also introduced a standalone Copilot option in Microsoft Power BI. This lets you ask questions across all artefacts you have access to - not just the one you’re currently viewing. As of July, verified answers are included in Copilot's responses.
Example: “Which items contain info about margins?” or “How are we doing in terms of sales compared to last year?”
Explore the standalone Copilot on Microsoft's website
Copilot now helps you optimize your semantic model for AI use cases - making it easier to get meaningful insights from your data.
This feature lets you explore your semantic model without building a full report. You can:
⚠️ Note: This feature is enabled by default for viewers, which may expose sensitive data. Admins can manage access via Admin Portal → Tenant Settings.
When embedding Microsoft Power BI reports in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can now choose whether to keep the original layout or sync with the latest version online.
Moreover, you can now add text directly to visuals to elaborate on specific topics - useful for storytelling and presentations.
⚠️ Note: This only works with single visual add-ins.
Read more about the PowerPoint integration on Microsoft's website
Collaborating on semantic models used to make it difficult to track ongoing changes. While deployment pipelines show differences before moving to test or production, there wasn’t an easy way to monitor edits in real time. That’s now changed in Microsoft Power BI Online - you can see who made which changes and even restore previous versions when needed.
⚠️ Note: This only applies to edits made in Microsoft Power BI Online. Publishing from Microsoft Power BI Desktop will override version history.
⚠️ Note: Enabled by default in Pro workspaces, but can be disabled via the Admin Portal.
In this blog, we’ve highlighted some of the most impactful Microsoft Power BI updates from the first half of the year. For a complete list of all recent changes, we recommend checking out the official Microsoft Power BI update blog.
Microsoft has released a new Fabric roadmap, offering a clear overview of upcoming features and their expected release or general availability dates. It’s a helpful resource for staying informed about what’s coming next in Microsoft Power BI and beyond.
Microsoft Power BI continues to grow - not just with new features, but with thoughtful improvements that make working with data more intuitive and collaborative. Whether you’re building reports, exploring insights, or managing models, these updates are designed to help you work smarter.
Want to explore these features in your own environment or need help getting started? We’re happy to guide you.
Senior Microsoft Data & AI Consultant
Connect with Ruben on LinkedIn
Microsoft Data & AI Consultant
Connect with Hanne on LinkedIn
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