Google Opens Gemini and Search to Broader App Ecosystem with New Connected Apps Platform

Platform Aims to Let Users Interact with Third‑Party Services Through AI

Google has launched a Connected Apps Platform that lets businesses link their services to the company’s AI tools in Search and Gemini. The feature, first introduced earlier this year, enables users to securely connect and use popular third‑party products such as Canva for design or YouTube Music for playlist creation without leaving the AI conversation.

Competitors including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Muse have pursued similar integrations, betting that consumers will increasingly rely on their preferred AI assistants to access services instead of opening separate applications. For that shift to gain traction, however, a diverse catalog of compatible apps is essential.

Opening the Door to Developers

Google is inviting any developer or company to submit its own connected app and monitor its performance. The platform is currently in beta for U.S. developers, who can build applications that work across Google’s products.

To join, developers integrate with a cloud‑hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) server or Android MCP using the AppFunctions APIs, then register, test, and submit their app through the Google Connected Console. Participants can decide whether their app appears in Search, the Gemini app, or both.

Once live, developers gain access to dashboards that track traffic, latency, and error rates, and they retain control over branding elements such as verified logos and authenticated accounts.

Why This Matters for the Agentic Web

The initiative mirrors the role SEO once played for websites, offering an early pathway for services to become more visible as users increasingly interact with AI agents rather than traditional apps. By providing a standardized way to plug into Google’s AI, the platform could accelerate the transition to an “agentic web.”

Current App Portfolio and Expansion Plans

Google already offers more than 50 connected apps within Gemini, supplied by partners such as Adobe, Experian, Localiza, and Peloton, alongside its own suite that includes Workplace, Photos, YouTube Music, and Google Home. Over the coming weeks these apps will also become available in Google Search, which currently supports a smaller set of integrations such as Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music, and Yahoo Fantasy Football.

The meditation service Calm has been announced as a new partner, with its app set to launch on both Gemini and Search shortly.

Google has opened the platform to public preview for U.S. developers who join the waitlist but has not disclosed a timeline for a wider rollout.