Google opens connected apps platform for Gemini and Search in U.S. beta

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Google opens connected apps for Gemini

Highlights

Google launched its Connected Apps Platform in public preview for U.S. developers, broadening Gemini and Search integrations via a waitlist system.
Developers integrate apps through Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers or Android MCP, maintaining control over brand assets and tracking metrics once apps go live.
Over 50 connected apps, including Adobe, Experian, Localiza, Peloton, and Calm, will expand from Gemini into Google Search over the coming weeks.

Developer rollout expands Google AI integrations

As reported by TechCrunch, Google is launching its Connected Apps Platform in public preview for U.S. developers who join a waitlist, opening Gemini and Search to a broader range of third-party services. The company says developers can build and submit apps for use across its products, potentially extending how consumers interact with outside services without leaving Google’s AI experiences.

Connected apps were introduced in Gemini and Google Search earlier this year, allowing users to securely link third-party services and complete tasks through Google’s AI interfaces. Examples include using Canva to design a flyer or YouTube Music to create a playlist, while developers can decide whether their apps appear in Search, the Gemini app, or both.

To participate, developers integrate through a cloud-hosted MCP, or Model Context Protocol, server or Android MCP using AppFunctions APIs, then register, test, and submit through the Google Connected Console. Once live, they can track traffic, latency and error rates, while keeping control over brand elements such as verified logos and authenticated accounts.

Visibility battle grows on the agentic web

Google’s expansion comes as consumer-facing AI platforms race to become the main interface through which users reach digital services, potentially reducing the need to open standalone apps directly. That makes broad app availability important if AI providers want to keep users engaged within their ecosystems.

Google already has more than 50 connected apps in Gemini, including partners such as Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton, alongside its own services including Workplace, Photos, YouTube Music and Google Home. The company says those apps will come to Google Search over the next few weeks, where integrations currently include Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music and Yahoo Fantasy Football.

Google also says meditation app Calm is joining the initiative and will soon launch on both Gemini and Search. The company does not say when the Connected Apps Platform will become more broadly available beyond the current U.S. preview.

In our earlier article on CEO adoption of AI agents, we covered survey findings showing that many large U.S. companies are already reporting efficiency and growth gains, even as only a small share view AI agents as truly transformational so far. The piece also highlighted how companies expect AI to drive continued hiring, retraining, and sustained investment in AI infrastructure as agentic systems move closer to core workflows.

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