Google Opens Connected Apps Platform for Gemini and Search to Developers
Google has opened a public beta of its Connected Apps Platform, letting developers in the U.S. build and submit apps that work inside Gemini and Google Search…
Google is adding connected apps to Gemini and Google Search through a new Connected Apps Platform that lets businesses and developers submit their own integrations. A public beta opened to developers in the U.S. on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and they can join through a waitlist.
Connected apps let users link third-party services and take specific actions without leaving Google's AI tools. Google's examples include connecting to Canva to design a flyer or to YouTube Music to build a playlist. The new platform extends that model beyond Google's hand-picked partners.
How developers get in
The process starts on the technical side. Developers integrate with a cloud-hosted MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, or with Android MCP through the AppFunctions APIs. They then use the Google Connected Console to register, test and submit the app, according to Google.
Developers can choose whether the app appears in Search, in the Gemini app, or in both. Once an app is live, they can track traffic, latency and error rates. They also keep control of their brand identity, including verified logos and authenticated accounts.
Google has not said when the platform will be more broadly available.
Who is already on board
Gemini already has more than 50 connected apps, according to TechCrunch. Partners include Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton. Google's own services are also in the mix, from Photos to YouTube Music and Google Home.
Those apps will reach Google Search over the next few weeks. Search currently has fewer integrations, among them Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music and Yahoo Fantasy Football. The Verge noted that OpenTable and Instacart have built similar integrations into Google's AI tools.
Google said meditation app Calm is a new partner and will soon launch on both Gemini and Search.
Why it matters
The move follows similar efforts from other consumer AI services. TechCrunch pointed to ChatGPT and Meta's Muse as examples with their own takes on the idea. The premise is that people may stop opening individual apps and instead use their favorite services through the AI provider they prefer.
That only works if the catalog is wide enough. By opening submissions to any business or developer, Google is betting on volume rather than a short list of partners.
For companies, the platform could become an early step toward visibility on what TechCrunch called the agentic web, in the way SEO once shaped how sites ranked in search. Users, in turn, should see more services they can act on directly inside Gemini and Search.
Search integrations from the existing Gemini catalog are due to start arriving within weeks.
Source: techcrunch.com
