Google has announced that its Connected Apps platform is now available to a broader set of developers for Gemini and Search. For owners of small and mid‑size firms this creates a new avenue for customers to discover services through AI‑driven search results.
What happened
According to TechCrunch, Google’s Connected Apps platform lets third‑party services link securely to its Gemini AI and Search products. Users can connect to services such as Canva for flyer design or YouTube Music for playlist creation, then trigger specific actions directly from a query.
Developers register an app, integrate it with a cloud‑hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) server or an Android MCP, and use the AppFunctions API suite to define the actions that can be called. The Google Connected Console provides a testing environment and a submission workflow, after which the app can be made available in Search, Gemini, or both.
The preview is currently in public beta for developers in the United States who sign up for a waitlist. Google has not disclosed when the program will open to other regions, but the company says the platform will eventually support a global developer community.
Google already lists more than fifty Connected Apps in Gemini, including partners such as Adobe, Experian and Peloton, alongside its own services like YouTube Music, Google Home and Workplace. The company also announced that meditation app Calm will join the effort, launching on both Gemini and Search in the coming weeks.
Developers retain control over branding, with options to display verified logos and authenticated accounts. They can also decide whether the integration appears in Search, Gemini, or both, giving flexibility in how users encounter the service.
Why it matters for businesses
The model resembles the way search‑engine optimisation once gave websites a foothold in organic results. By exposing a service through an AI assistant, a business can be reached at the exact moment a user asks for a relevant task, without the user needing to open a separate application.
The shift mirrors similar experiments by other AI providers, such as ChatGPT and Meta’s Muse, which also allow third‑party tools to be invoked from a conversational interface. Google’s approach aims to capture consumer attention by offering a wide range of connected apps that can be accessed through a single AI‑driven entry point.
Consumer attention is limited, and the platform’s success depends on the breadth of available integrations. Google already has over fifty apps, but the company encourages more developers to submit their own, hoping to create a rich ecosystem that keeps users within the AI experience.
Performance data is built into the platform. According to TechCrunch, developers can monitor traffic, latency and error rates, and adjust their implementations accordingly. Brand identity is also protected through verified logos and authenticated accounts, ensuring that the service appears trustworthy to end users.
For sales and operations teams, the ability to capture a request at the moment of intent can shorten the path from interest to action. A retailer that can fulfil a “order a pizza” request via a connected app could capture a sale that might otherwise be lost to a competitor’s native app.
While the preview is currently U.S.‑centric, businesses in other markets should watch the rollout closely. The underlying principle—integrating services into AI‑enhanced search—will likely be rolled out globally, offering a new, measurable channel for customer acquisition that complements traditional web and app marketing.
Practical steps for SMB owners
- Assess API readiness – Verify that your core service can be exposed through a simple, secure API that handles the most common user requests.
- Join the waitlist – Register for Google’s Connected Apps developer waitlist to receive early access when the program expands beyond the United States.
- Build a minimal integration – Use the AppFunctions APIs and the Model Context Protocol to create a lightweight connector that performs the essential actions a user might request.
- Test in the Connected Console – Register the app, run functional tests, and review the performance dashboards for latency and error metrics before going live.
- Plan a launch strategy – Decide whether to appear in Search, Gemini, or both, and align the rollout with any existing marketing or CRM campaigns to maximise impact.
The bottom line
Google’s expanded Connected Apps platform gives businesses a practical way to surface their services inside AI‑enhanced search experiences. Although the programme remains in beta and is currently limited to U.S. developers, the approach promises a new, measurable channel for customer acquisition that complements traditional web and app marketing.