How to Use Not in Power Apps (Not and !)

Not flips a true-or-false value: true becomes false, false becomes true. You'll use it constantly with checks like IsEmpty and IsBlank, which answer the opposite of the question you usually want to ask. Power Fx lets you write it as a function, Not(...), or as the ! operator.

Syntax

Syntax

Not( Boolean )
! Boolean

Both mean the same thing (operators reference). Its partners are And (&&) and Or (||).

Prerequisites

• A canvas app with a Text control to try formulas in. The example uses the Career Development Plan app, from Part 4 of the series, and its MyDirectReports table (see How to Get a User's Direct Reports in Power Apps).

Step 1: Flip IsEmpty

IsEmpty(MyDirectReports) asks "does this person have no reports?". The useful question is the opposite: "do they have reports?":

Text control → Text

Not(IsEmpty(MyDirectReports))

Step 2: Name It

The example turns that into a named formula, written with !:

App → Formulas

IsManager = !IsEmpty(MyDirectReports);

IsManager then shows the My team button only to managers; see How to Show or Hide a Control in Power Apps with Visible. There, !IsManager gives false for a manager, which is how the example tested the hidden state.

Tip: Seeing the Result in Studio

The preview strip shows the value of the part of the formula your cursor is in. With !IsEmpty(MyDirectReports), it showed the value of IsEmpty(...) (false), not of the whole formula. Writing Not(...) while testing, or checking the named formula itself, shows the flipped value.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	What happens	Do this instead
Double negatives, such as If(!IsBlank(x), …) with the branches swapped to match	Logic that's hard to follow	Test the positive case, If(IsBlank(x), …), and order the branches to match
! before something that isn't true or false	An error or a surprising result	Only flip true-or-false values
Forgetting brackets: !A && B vs !(A && B)	Different results	Add brackets to show what you mean

FAQ

Not or !?

Same result. ! is shorter; Not reads more like English. Pick one per app.

Is there "not equal"?

Yes: <>, as in Status <> "Approved".

How do I combine conditions?

With And (&&) and Or (||): IsManager && !IsBlank(MyJobTitle).

Conclusion

Not(x) and !x turn true into false and back. Use them to turn "is it empty?" into "does it have anything?", and name the result when you use it more than once.

Additional Resources

• And, Or, and Not functions: the logical functions.
• Operators and identifiers: !, &&, || and <>.