Google Launches Connected Apps Platform for Search, Gemini

Google launched a preview of its "Connected Apps Platform," which connects third-party developer apps directly into Search and Gemini, on October 28, Search Engine Roundtable reported. Google's official blog described it as a unified way to build and manage apps for Search and the Gemini app in one place. Group Product Managers Chips Mistry (Search) and Mai Lowe (Gemini App) announced the news jointly.

Developers can connect their apps via a cloud-hosted MCP server or Android MCP using AppFunctions APIs, registering, testing, and submitting through a new "Connected Console." Before review, they choose whether the app goes live in Search, Gemini, or both, and after launch they can track traffic, latency, and error rates. Developers keep control over brand identity, including verified logos and authenticated accounts.

For a Connected App to actually work, users need to add it themselves through Search's personalization settings. Citing examples like ordering groceries or building a playlist, Google said the goal is to let these apps carry out real tasks directly inside Search results or Gemini answers, not just display information.

Google said more than 50 Connected Apps are already running across Search and Gemini combined, spanning categories from productivity tools to event ticketing to health and fitness. Adobe, Experian, Localiza, and Peloton are already live in Gemini, and the meditation app Calm is set to be newly integrated into both Search and Gemini. The Search rollout trails Gemini, with Google saying the same apps will come to Search within a few weeks.

This is still just a preview, and Google said it plans to gradually expand participating developers, supported countries, and eligible products over the coming months. SEO expert Marie Haynes called the announcement potentially a bigger shift for search marketers than anything before it, framing it as Search moving beyond a results page into an "agent manager" role. Google's John Mueller also wrote on LinkedIn that while he doesn't personally work on Connected Apps, he's excited about the project.

Source: Search Engine Roundtable, October 28, 2026. Checked October 30, 2026. Read the original