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15. Maps: Showing Maharashtra on a Map

15.2 Enabling Map Visuals

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Start with a problem

Zoya inserts a Map visual on a training-institute laptop in Solapur and sees a grey box with a message instead of a map.

Explain simply

Map visuals send location names to an online map service, so they can be switched off in Desktop options or by the organisation's admin (tenant settings).

Show the data

Setting Where Effect
Use Map and Filled Map visuals Options › Global › Security Map and Filled map work in Desktop
Shape map visual Options › Global › Preview features Shape map appears
Azure Maps / ArcGIS Admin portal (tenant) Allowed or blocked for everyone

About this data: This table uses columns: Setting, Where, Effect. This table uses columns: Before, After. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).

Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv, dark_stores_maharashtra.csv (source: src/practice/).

Demonstrate

  1. File › Options and settings › Options.
  2. Global › Security › tick Use Map and Filled Map visuals › OK.
  3. Restart Desktop if the message stays.
  4. Re-insert the Map visual with City in Location.

Show the result

Your result should look like this (fictional sample):

Before After
Grey box with a message Bubbles for Pune, Nashik, Kolhapur

Explain what happened

The option allows Desktop to call the map service. Without it Power BI refuses to send location data, which protects confidential place names.

Explore further

  • In a company, the admin decides; you cannot override tenant settings from Desktop.

Detailed reference for this lesson:

Map visuals send location data to online mapping services, so they can be switched off.

Steps in Power BI

  1. File › Options and settings › Options › Global › Security.
  2. Under Map and Filled Map visuals, tick Use Map and Filled Map visuals › OK. Restart Power BI Desktop if the visuals still show a message.
  3. Shape map: File › Options and settings › Options › Global › Preview features › tick Shape map visual › restart Desktop.
  4. Azure map / ArcGIS: if the visual shows "disabled by your admin", ask your Power BI administrator. These are tenant settings in the Admin portal.

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

Friends, pay attention: a common surprise is that map visuals are disabled by the organisation's admin settings, or that Azure Maps needs to be enabled. If the map shows an error, check the tenant settings and Options › Security for map visuals before rebuilding anything. Clear?

Fix common mistakes

Wrong result Reason Correction
Map still disabled after ticking Desktop not restarted, or tenant blocks it Restart; then ask the admin
Shape map missing from the gallery Preview feature off Tick Shape map visual in Preview features
Works in Desktop, blank in the Service Tenant setting off in the Service Ask the admin to check tenant settings

Practise independently

Practice task

List the two places you would check if a Map shows disabled by your admin.

Hints
  • One is local, one is tenant-wide.
Solution

Desktop Options › Global › Security, and the Power BI Admin portal tenant settings (ask the admin).

Think like a professional

Location data can be sensitive (customer addresses). Professionals check the company policy before sending it to map services.

Ravi Sir's Cards for this lesson

Enable map visuals. Maps send place names to an online map service, so they can be switched off by default.Revision card

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