# Google opens its Connected Apps Platform to developers for Gemini and Search

published: 2026-10-28T18:05:32.089Z
topic: mcp
source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/as-ai-agents-reshape-the-web-google-opens-gemini-and-search-to-more-apps/
url: https://aiagentnews.io/stories/google-opens-its-connected-apps-platform-to-developers-for-gemini-and-search

Google has launched the Connected Apps Platform, which lets businesses and developers register apps that users can link and act through in Gemini and Google Search. The platform is a preview open to U.S. developers who join a waitlist, and Google has not said when it will be widely available.

Google's Connected Apps Platform lets any business or developer that wants to reach users through Search or Gemini submit its own connected app and track how it performs. Connected apps let users securely link third-party services, such as Canva or YouTube Music, and take specific actions with them inside Gemini. Google says it already has more than 50 connected apps in Gemini, including ones from Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton, and these are coming to Search over the next few weeks.

Developers build an app by integrating with a cloud-hosted MCP server or Android MCP through the AppFunctions APIs. They then use the Google Connected Console to register, test and submit the app, and choose whether it appears in Search, the Gemini app or both. After launch, developers can monitor traffic, latency and error rates and keep control of brand elements such as verified logos and authenticated accounts.

Google also named Calm as a new partner, saying its app will soon launch on both Gemini and Search. The platform is in public preview for U.S. developers who sign up for the waitlist.

## Why it matters if you build agents

Agent builders now have a route into Google's AI surfaces through an MCP server or Android AppFunctions, plus a console for testing and monitoring submitted apps. Access is limited to U.S. developers on a waitlist, with no general availability date, so teams outside that group should plan around that limit. If connected apps become a main way users reach services, exposing an MCP server now may help a service stay visible.