TL;DR
What is Google's Connected Apps Platform?
Google opened a preview that lets more companies plug their apps into Google Search and the Gemini app. People may soon use your service inside Google's AI without opening your app or site. If you build software, sign up for the preview waitlist. If you don't, nothing yet.
What did Google launch?
On October 28, 2026, Google launched a preview of its Connected Apps Platform, a single place for developers to build and manage apps that work inside Google Search and the Gemini app, Google's AI assistant.
Connected apps already existed, but only from partners Google picked. They let you link an outside service and use it from a chat. TechCrunch's examples: ask Canva to design a flyer or YouTube Music to build a playlist without leaving Google. The new platform opens the door to any developer who wants in, starting with a waitlist.
Google says there are now more than 50 Connected Apps across Search and Gemini, covering things from productivity and event tickets to health and fitness. Apps from Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton are live in Gemini and come to Search "in the coming weeks." Calm, the meditation app, is a new partner launching on both.
How do you add your app to Gemini and Search?
Google describes three steps:
- Connect your service. Developers use either a cloud-hosted MCP server or Android's AppFunctions. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard way for apps to plug into AI assistants. AppFunctions does the same job inside Android apps, so actions can run right on the phone.
- Register, test and submit the app in the Google Connected Console, Google's new dashboard for this.
- Pick where it shows up. Before review, developers choose Search, the Gemini app or both.
Once an app is live, Google shows traffic, latency (how long your app takes to respond) and error rates. Developers also keep control of their brand, including verified logos and signed-in accounts.
If you already built an MCP server for another AI assistant, you have a head start. Google's docs say the platform uses the same open standard.
Who can join the Connected Apps preview?
Not everyone, yet. Google says it is "opening access in phases" and will add more developers, markets and Google products "over the coming months." TechCrunch reports the preview is open to US developers who sign up for the waitlist, and that Google gave no date for wider access.
So treat it as an application, not a switch you flip today. Google also hasn't said how it decides which apps get suggested to users, so there's no promise of extra traffic.
Why this matters if you run a small business
Google is turning Search and Gemini into places where people get things done without visiting a website. The same day, Google said it is expanding ads inside AI Mode worldwide, so both the paid and the app side of AI search grew on Wednesday.
For a small software company or a booking, ordering or fitness service, this could put you in front of Google's users at the moment they ask for help. For a shop or service without an app, it's a sign that AI assistants are becoming another storefront, and that the big brands are setting up there first.
X reactions
Google announced the preview on its main account on Wednesday afternoon.
Our take
This feels like the early days of SEO, when getting found meant learning new rules before your competitors did. Building one app for both Search and Gemini is a sensible offer, and the dashboard with traffic and error numbers shows Google wants developers to treat this as a real channel.
But a waitlist, a review step and no word on how apps get picked means Google holds all the cards. If you already have an MCP server, applying costs you little. If you don't, keep an eye on it, and don't rebuild your business around a preview.
— Artificially Nerdy
What to do this week
- Software makers with an MCP server: apply for the preview at developers.google.com/connected-apps.
- Android app developers: read Google's AppFunctions guide to see which of your app's actions could run inside Gemini.
- Try a connected app yourself in the Gemini app, such as Adobe or Peloton, so you see what your customers will see.
- Service businesses without an app: nothing to do yet. Note which of your competitors show up as connected apps.
FAQ
Is the Connected Apps Platform free for developers?
Google didn't mention any fees in its announcement or docs. The preview uses self-service sign-up through the Google Connected Console.
Do users have to link their accounts?
Yes. Google's docs say users link an app once, then can see their own account details and take actions in that service from Gemini or Search. Developers use OAuth 2.1, a standard sign-in permission system, to let Gemini act for the user.
Is this the same as ChatGPT apps?
It's a similar idea. TechCrunch notes that ChatGPT and Meta's Muse have their own takes on letting outside apps work inside an AI assistant. Google's version covers both Search and Gemini from one build.
Which apps already work in Google Search?
TechCrunch lists Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music and Yahoo Fantasy Football among the apps already in Search. The Gemini partners, such as Adobe and Peloton, arrive in Search over the next few weeks.
Sources
- Google: Build and manage Connected Apps in one place — the official announcement, setup steps, partner list and phased access.
- Google for Developers: Connected Apps Platform — MCP and AppFunctions paths, account linking and preview sign-up.
- TechCrunch: Google opens Gemini and Search to more apps — US waitlist, existing Search apps, comparison with ChatGPT and Meta.
- The Verge: Google will let more developers make apps that plug into Search and Gemini — additional launch coverage.
- Google on X — the October 28, 2026, launch post.
