Google is introducing a Connected Apps Platform so developers can build an app integration once and choose whether it works with Gemini, Search or both. The platform is launching in preview, with access expanding over the coming months, and could make it easier for more services to show up where people search and use AI.
Watch Desk analysis
What happened
Google has already rolled out more than 50 Connected Apps across Gemini and Search, covering areas including productivity, entertainment, fitness and event bookings. Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton are available through Gemini, with Google planning to bring them to Search in the coming weeks. Calm is also joining both platforms.
The new platform is intended to replace separate integrations for Gemini and Search with a single build. Developers will get a central dashboard to test integrations, submit them for review and track performance after launch. It supports cloud services and Android apps. Digital Trends’ report says availability will vary by app and its integration, so “works with Gemini and Search” need not mean identical features in both.
Why it matters
If the approach works, people could do more between finding something and acting on it without hopping between apps. For developers, one integration for two Google services could reduce duplicated work and make joining the ecosystem more appealing. The preview is not a magic portal that makes every app appear overnight, but it gives Google a more direct route to expanding the roster.
Our read
The useful news is less “Google has another app list” and more that it is trying to make integrations easier to build and manage. That could improve the experience for users, while giving developers a reason to connect their services. The proof will be in what those connections actually let people do, not the size of the directory.
What to watch
- How quickly access to the preview expands, and to which markets.
- Which new services arrive in Search and Gemini, and whether their features differ.
- Whether developers find the shared platform simpler than maintaining separate integrations.
Discussion spark: Would you rather have Gemini and Search handle more tasks through connected apps, or keep each service’s features and data use separate?
Sources and evidence
- Source update (28 October 2026, 17:00 UTC)
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