Clear App data without deleting List data

[DavidSmith1]

I have an App to store attachments in a SharePoint list. Since this list will grow beyond the apps capacity and it will be used on 45+ devices, I would like the data on the App to clear on startup without losing any data on my SharePoint list. How could I go about doing that?

[RandyHayes]

@DavidSmith1 

Can you explain more about what you mean by clearing the data?

PowerApps does not store any data and only brings in what you tell it to.  So when your app starts, it is pretty much empty of data until the first time you go to a datasource to gather some.

[DavidSmith1]

@RandyHayes 

Thank you for that info.

Let me explain my app's purpose. An employee goes out and takes multiple photos as attachments to a call ID. These upload to my SharePoint list where I can see them and reference later if needed.

I would like these to not be on the app where multiple drivers can reference them or possibly edit them once they have uploaded to my SharePoint. They're either deleted locally after upload or at another time. Does that make more sense?

[RandyHayes]

@DavidSmith1 

So unless you have built the capability to store the images locally, PowerApps is not going to do that by default.  If you take photos in the app, they are only as good as that session.  If you open the app again, they will not be there.  If you take photos and do nothing with them (i.e. store in your datasource), then they will be gone when the app is closed.

If you have, during that session, updated them back to your datasource, then they will be there in the datasource from that point forward.  The only way they could be referenced or shown in the app is if they are purposely gathered again from the datasource.  PowerApp would not have them there any other way.

[DavidSmith1]

@RandyHayes 

That makes sense. How would I keep the app from pulling from the data source when I open it up?

[RandyHayes]

@DavidSmith1 
That is all going to be about your design.  If you don't want people to get an attachment or change it after it is created, then put that logic in your app.  If you want only the creator/owner of that record to be able to do so, then put that logic in.

Otherwise, PowerApps will not know what to do anyway.  It's a blank canvas...you make it do what you want with the formulas and design that you put together.

The only area of concern would be (and I think you might have eluded to this in one of your messages) if multiple people are going to use the same device under the same account.  If that is the case then technically they are all the same owner.  But I'm not really sure you have this scenario.