Google Unveils Connected Apps Platform to Streamline Third-Party Integrations Across Search and Gemini AI

Google is rolling out its new Connected Apps Platform, a dedicated tooling suite that makes it far simpler for businesses and independent developers to link their app functionalities directly to Google’s AI-powered experiences spanning Search and the Gemini assistant.

The connected apps feature first made its limited debut across Gemini and Google Search earlier this year, allowing users to securely link their accounts for popular third-party services and interact with them directly inside Google’s interfaces to complete targeted, hands-on tasks. For example, users can connect their Canva account to design a custom flyer from a Gemini prompt, or link YouTube Music to auto-generate a themed playlist without ever opening the standalone apps.

This model of AI-native service integrations is already being tested by other major consumer AI players, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Muse, with varying implementation approaches. The core long-term industry premise is that these seamless integrations will eventually shift broader consumer behavior away from launching and toggling between dozens of individual standalone apps, and toward accessing all their favorite tools directly through their go-to AI assistant. But for that shift to actually take hold and keep user attention, platforms need a large, diverse library of supported connected apps for users to explore — a gap Google’s new platform is built to address.

Rather than restricting connected app access to a small, pre-curated set of enterprise partners, Google’s new open platform invites any business or developer that wants to reach users via Search or Gemini to submit their own custom connected app, and access built-in tools to monitor its real-world performance after launch. The platform’s preview beta is currently live for U.S.-based developers, who can build and submit integrations that work across Google’s full product ecosystem.

Per Google’s documentation, the onboarding workflow requires developers to integrate with either a cloud-hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) server or Android MCP via the AppFunctions APIs, then use the purpose-built Google Connected Console to register, test, and submit their final connected app build. The process essentially creates a secure, stable bridge between a developer’s app and Google’s AI feature stack. Developers retain full control over their distribution choices, and can select whether their connected app will be available exclusively on Search, exclusively in the Gemini app, or on both platforms. Once the app goes live, devs can track key metrics including traffic volume, request latency, and error rates, while keeping full ownership over their brand identity, such as verified official logos and secure authenticated user account flows.

Much like how search engine optimization (SEO) became a core priority for brands to boost their visibility in traditional web search rankings, these connected app integrations are set to become one of the foundational first steps for businesses looking to stand out to users in the emerging agentic web landscape.

Google already hosts more than 50 connected apps on the Gemini platform, from well-known partners including Adobe, Experian, Localiza, and Peloton, alongside Google’s own expansive native service suite spanning Workspace, Photos, YouTube Music, and Google Home. The full library of these existing Gemini connected apps will roll out to Google Search over the coming weeks. Search currently supports a smaller, more curated set of integrations including Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music, and Yahoo Fantasy Football, with popular meditation app Calm announced as a new official launch partner that will go live on both Gemini and Search soon.

The new Connected Apps Platform is now in public preview, open to U.S. developers who sign up for the official waitlist. Google has not shared a public timeline for broader, global general availability for developers outside the U.S.