THE CRUNCH
Google has launched the Connected Apps Platform, opening Gemini and Search integrations to any business or developer that wants in. Connected apps, introduced earlier this year, let users securely link third-party services and act on them through Google's AI: designing a flyer in Canva or building a YouTube Music playlist, for example. Google says over 50 connected apps are already live in Gemini from partners including Adobe, Peloton and Experian, with Search carrying a smaller set such as Instacart and Yahoo Fantasy Football.
The platform is in public preview for US developers, who join via a waitlist. To take part, they integrate with a cloud-hosted MCP (Model Context Protocol) server or Android MCP using the AppFunctions APIs, then register, test and submit their app through the Google Connected Console. Developers choose whether their app appears in Search, the Gemini app or both, and can track traffic, latency and error rates after launch while keeping control of verified logos and authenticated accounts.
Meditation app Calm is a new partner set to launch on both Gemini and Search. TechCrunch suggests the move could become an early visibility play for the agentic web, much as search engine optimisation shaped which sites ranked in classic search. The premise is that consumers could ultimately shift away from opening individual apps and instead use their favourite services through their preferred AI provider, though that depends on a wide range of connected apps being available to explore.