Google’s new Connected Apps Platform turns Gemini and Search into an app hub

On October 28, Google announced the Connected Apps Platform, a new way for third‑party services to plug directly into both Gemini and Google Search. The platform is now in public preview for U.S. developers, giving companies a straightforward path to make their apps “Gemini‑ready” and reachable from Google’s core interfaces.

Instead of opening individual apps, users will increasingly be able to ask Gemini or Search to do something—design a flyer, build a playlist, place an order—and have those requests executed via connected services like Canva or YouTube Music. Google frames this as an early step toward an “agentic web,” where AI agents orchestrate work across many services on a user’s behalf rather than simply returning links.

Developers integrate through Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers or Android MCP using AppFunctions APIs, then register and test their apps in the new Google Connected Console. They can choose whether their app appears in Gemini, Search, or both, and retain control over branding and analytics such as traffic and error rates. Over 50 connected apps are already available in Gemini, and Google plans to roll them out to Search over the coming weeks, positioning the platform as a new distribution channel for SaaS and consumer apps alike.