Google is expanding its Connected Apps ecosystem with a new platform that allows more developers to integrate their services directly into Google Search and the Gemini app. The platform entered developer preview on October 28, 2026, providing a unified process for registering, testing and publishing apps across Google’s AI-powered products.
The announcement marks another step toward an internet where users can complete tasks through AI assistants instead of navigating individual applications. By allowing developers to connect their services to Search and Gemini through standardized interfaces, Google aims to make third-party tools more accessible while giving businesses a new way to reach users at the moment they need a service.
Key Takeaways
- New developer platform: Google launched the Connected Apps Platform on October 28, 2026.
- Two distribution channels: Developers can choose to publish integrations in Google Search, Gemini or both.
- Standardized integrations: Developers can connect through cloud-hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers or Android MCP using AppFunctions APIs.
- Developer dashboard: Google Connected Console supports registration, testing, submissions and performance monitoring.
- More than 50 connected apps: Existing integrations span productivity, commerce, creativity, fitness and other categories.
- New partners: Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton are among the services available in Gemini, while Calm is also joining the ecosystem.
- Gradual rollout: The initial preview is limited to eligible U.S.-based developers, with Google planning to expand access over time.
What Is Google’s Connected Apps Platform?
The Connected Apps Platform is a framework that allows third-party developers to bring their services into Google’s AI experiences.
Previously, creating an integration with Gemini or Search could involve working directly with Google. The new platform introduces a more standardized onboarding process, allowing developers to register their applications, test their functionality and submit them for review through a dedicated console.
Once an integration is approved, users can access the connected service through supported Google experiences. Depending on the integration, they may retrieve information, interact with their own accounts or ask an AI assistant to help complete a task.
For example, someone planning an event could use Search to prepare a shopping list and connect it to a grocery service. A user working on a presentation could ask Gemini to help create visual assets through a connected design application.
The important change is that Google is making it easier for more businesses to participate in this ecosystem instead of limiting integrations to a relatively small group of established partners.
How Will Developers Connect Their Apps to Google?
Google’s platform supports two main integration approaches.
1. Cloud-hosted MCP servers
The Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard that allows AI applications to interact with external tools and data sources through a defined interface.
Developers can expose their service’s capabilities through a cloud-hosted MCP server. This allows compatible Google products to discover and invoke the tools that the developer makes available.
For example, a project-management application could expose functions for retrieving tasks, updating project information or creating new work items. The AI assistant could then use those functions when a user requests a relevant action.
Developers must also implement appropriate authorization mechanisms. Google’s documentation includes guidance for OAuth 2.1, which allows users to authorize access to their accounts without simply handing their passwords to an AI assistant.
2. Android MCP and AppFunctions
Android developers can use AppFunctions, Google’s framework for exposing application functionality to AI assistants and other compatible systems.
This approach is particularly relevant when an app’s functionality needs to run on an Android device. Rather than requiring every operation to be handled by a remote server, supported functions can be invoked locally.
Both approaches are designed to give developers a more consistent route into Google’s connected-app ecosystem.
What Is Google Connected Console?
The Google Connected Console is the management interface for developers participating in the platform preview.
It provides a central place to register integrations, test their functionality and submit them for Google’s review. Developers can also select where an app should appear: Google Search, Gemini or both.
After an integration goes live, the console offers performance information such as traffic, latency and error rates. This can help developers identify slow requests, troubleshoot problems and understand how their services are being used.
Google also says developers can maintain control over their brand identity through features such as verified logos and authenticated accounts.
These capabilities matter because third-party integrations need more than a technical connection. Businesses must be able to maintain their identity, monitor reliability and manage how their services appear inside Google’s products.
Which Apps Are Joining Search and Gemini?
Google says more than 50 Connected Apps are available across Search and Gemini, covering areas such as productivity, creative work, commerce, health and fitness.
| Service or category | What users can potentially do |
|---|---|
| Adobe | Create and work with creative assets |
| Experian | Access supported credit-related information |
| Localiza | Interact with vehicle-rental services |
| Peloton | Access supported fitness experiences |
| Calm | Use mindfulness and meditation features |
| Project-management tools | Organize tasks and manage projects |
| Shopping integrations | Find products and move toward purchases |
| Event-ticketing services | Discover events and access ticketing tools |
Google announced that existing Gemini integrations from partners including Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton would also be coming to Search in the following weeks. The company separately announced Calm as a new partner for both experiences.
The exact functions available depend on each integration, the user’s account permissions and the Google product being used. Connecting a service does not automatically make every feature of its standalone app available through Gemini or Search.
Why Google Is Expanding Connected Apps Now
The announcement reflects a broader shift in how technology companies expect people to interact with software.
Traditionally, users open an app, navigate its interface and perform a task themselves. AI assistants introduce another option: users can describe the outcome they want, and the assistant can help find information or invoke connected tools to achieve it.
This creates a potential distribution channel for software companies. A business no longer has to rely exclusively on customers opening its website or downloading its app. It can also make relevant capabilities available when a user asks an AI assistant for help.
For Google, connected apps can make Search and Gemini more useful by enabling them to do more than provide information. For developers, the platform offers an opportunity to reach users through two major Google products without necessarily building separate integrations for each one.
The challenge will be ensuring that these integrations remain reliable, secure and useful enough for people to trust them with real tasks.
What This Means for Developers and Businesses
The platform could be particularly valuable for software companies that already offer functions an AI assistant can call.
A productivity company, for example, might expose tools for searching documents, updating tasks or organizing information. An online retailer could make product discovery or shopping-cart operations available through a connected experience. A creative software provider could allow users to begin design tasks from a conversational interface.
However, participation will require more than making an API available. Developers must define which actions their integration supports, implement authorization, test behavior and meet Google’s review requirements.
Businesses should also consider how they measure success. Traffic, latency and error-rate data can help assess technical performance, but developers will still need to determine whether the integration generates meaningful engagement, completed tasks or commercial value.
Access is also being rolled out in phases. Google has initially opened the preview to eligible developers in the United States and has not announced a precise date for broader international availability.
Security and User Permissions Remain Important
Connecting an AI assistant to an external service can introduce privacy and security risks if access is not carefully controlled.
An integration may need permission to read account information, modify records or perform actions on a user’s behalf. Developers should therefore expose only the capabilities required for the intended workflow and use secure authorization rather than collecting passwords directly.
Users also need clear information about what they are connecting and what the integration can do. A tool that can read a calendar should not automatically have permission to modify unrelated account data.
Google’s support for standardized integrations and authorization mechanisms provides a framework for managing these relationships, but the security of each connected app will also depend on its implementation and the permissions it requests.
The Bigger Picture
Google’s Connected Apps Platform signals that AI assistants are becoming potential gateways to the wider software ecosystem. Instead of competing only to deliver the best answers, AI platforms are increasingly competing to help users complete tasks by connecting them to services, accounts and tools.
That shift could influence how businesses think about distribution, application design and discoverability. Just as companies previously optimized their websites for search engines and built integrations for mobile platforms, they may increasingly need to make their services accessible to AI-powered interfaces.
The long-term impact will depend on adoption, the quality of integrations and whether users prefer completing tasks inside an assistant rather than opening dedicated apps. Google’s new platform lowers some of the technical barriers, but the ecosystem’s success will depend on providing genuinely useful experiences.
FAQs
1. What is Google’s Connected Apps Platform?
It is a developer platform that lets third-party businesses integrate their services into Google Search and the Gemini app through standardized interfaces.
2. Can developers publish an app in both Google Search and Gemini?
Yes. Developers can choose whether their connected app should appear in Search, Gemini or both, subject to Google’s review and the capabilities supported by each product.
3. What is MCP, and why does Google use it?
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard that allows AI applications to interact with external tools and data sources through a defined interface.
4. Which companies are already part of the Connected Apps ecosystem?
Google says more than 50 connected apps are available across Search and Gemini. Partners include Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton, while Calm is also joining the ecosystem.
5. Can developers worldwide join the preview?
The initial preview is limited to eligible U.S.-based developers. Google says it plans to add more developers, markets and products over the coming months, but a specific global rollout date has not been announced.
Looking Ahead
The next stage will be the gradual expansion of the developer preview and the arrival of more integrations in Search and Gemini. Developers will be watching how easily they can publish their services, how users discover connected tools and whether the new channel creates measurable engagement.
For businesses, the opportunity is to make their services available at the point where users express an intent, rather than waiting for them to open a separate app. If Google can maintain strong security, reliable integrations and a useful developer experience, Connected Apps could become an important part of how people interact with software through AI.
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