Key points
- Google opened a public preview of its Connected Apps Platform; developers apply, and approved apps can run in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app.
- Apps connect through a remote MCP server (web, Android, iOS) or Android MCP via AppFunctions (Gemini on Android only).
- Policy bars apps from using overly broad or deceptive capability descriptions to win selection over other connected apps; violations can mean removal or account termination.
- Search connected apps currently run in the U.S. in English; Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton are due on Search in coming weeks, plus a Calm integration.
Why it matters for marketers: AI Mode can now hand tasks to third-party apps, so brands with a product or service must decide whether to build a connected app and describe its capabilities accurately.
Google has opened a public preview of its Connected Apps Platform, which lets approved third-party apps run inside AI Mode in Search and in the Gemini app. Developers apply for access, register apps in Google Connected Console, and go through Google's review and testing before anything is published.
The policy on selection is the part marketers should read closely. The model relies on an app's server instructions to decide when to pass it a task. Google's rules say apps cannot use overly broad or deceptive capability descriptions to get picked over another app, and cannot reference other tools or set rules for when they should be used. Ads and promotional material from other companies are excluded, though apps may include their own branding. Penalties range from rejection to account termination.
For brands, this makes the way an app describes what it does a visibility factor inside AI Mode. Developers must also list at least three capabilities shown to users who decide whether to connect. Users may see the last-used app as a default, can name a different one, or can pick from a list. Google says developers will be able to see traffic, latency and error rates once an app is live.
Current Search apps include Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music, Yahoo Fantasy Football and Sleeper Fantasy Football, in English in the U.S. Google says more developers, markets and products will follow in the coming months. John Mueller of Google called the platform "still extremely early" and noted he does not work on it. Teams with a service people might request through AI should watch the rollout and review the documentation now.
Sources
This brief is our own summary. Read the full reporting at the source.
