The Pulse
Google Opens Gemini and Search to More Third-Party Apps
Google has launched a preview platform where developers can register and manage apps intended to work in Search, the Gemini app or both. The company says more than 50 Connected Apps are available across the products, with integrations from
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
Google launched a preview of its Connected Apps Platform on October 28, 2026, giving developers one place to build and manage apps for Search and the Gemini app. The company says the platform is intended to let more developers bring their services into both products, where users can connect accounts and take actions through Google’s interfaces.
One submission path for Gemini and Search
Developers can integrate through a cloud-hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) server or through Android MCP, which uses Android’s AppFunctions APIs. Google’s developer documentation describes MCP as a way to connect tools and authorized data across applicable Google products. Android MCP is a client-side option: AppFunctions lets Android apps share functionality with assistants, and can allow tool execution to happen locally on a device.
After building an integration, developers use Google Connected Console to register, test and submit the app. They choose before review whether it should appear in Search, the Gemini app or both. The developer site describes preview onboarding as self-service and says the console covers tool registration, usage analysis, review and publishing. Once an app is live, Google says developers can track traffic, latency and error rates, and manage brand details such as verified logos and authenticated accounts.
Google Group Product Managers Chips Mistry, for Search, and Mai Lowe, for the Gemini app, write:
“The Connected Apps Platform gives developers the opportunity to build once and reach high-intent users across both Search and the Gemini app.”
More apps, with different catalogs in each product
Google says it has launched more than 50 Connected Apps across Search and Gemini, spanning categories such as productivity, event ticketing, health and fitness. TechCrunch reported that more than 50 were already available in Gemini, while Search had fewer integrations, including Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music and Yahoo Fantasy Football. The two products therefore do not yet offer identical catalogs.
Google says integrations from Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton are live in Gemini and are due to reach Search in the coming weeks. The company also said a new Calm integration would launch across both products. It did not provide a full app count for each product in its announcement.
The integrations are designed to let users reach services from within Google’s conversational interfaces. Examples reported by TechCrunch include using Canva to design a flyer and YouTube Music to build a playlist; Google’s announcement describes Connected Apps as supporting tasks such as ordering groceries and making playlists. The app integration can expose a service’s data or tools, while the service remains where users carry out actions such as managing an account or completing a task.
Preview access rolls out in phases
Google says it is opening access in phases and plans to add developers, markets and Google products over the coming months. Its developer page invites interested developers to apply for the preview. TechCrunch reported that the public preview was available to U.S. developers who sign up for a waitlist, and that Google had not given a date for wider availability.
The process does not make an integration automatically available: developers must register and test their apps, submit them for review and select the Google products where they want them to appear. Google says the new partner integrations already live in Gemini are expected to come to Search over the next few weeks. The announcement does not specify dates for broader access to the platform.