Google has opened the Connected Apps Preview, giving developers a formal route to apply for access to AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app. Google announced the platform on Oct. 28, and Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search, later said on X that the public preview had opened. The process puts app review, eligibility rules and selection policies in writing.
Developers can connect an app through a remote MCP server or AppFunctions, which Google also refers to as Android MCP. Google says the MCP route can reach Gemini and Search users on web, Android and iOS. Android MCP provides access to Gemini users on Android. The Connected Apps Preview therefore begins with a choice that affects where an app can be used.
How Developers Apply to the Connected Apps Preview
Registration takes place in Google Connected Console. Developers select a category for each application, and that category sets minimum capabilities that cannot be changed after registration, according to Google’s prerequisites page. They must also identify at least three capabilities that users will see when deciding whether to connect an app.
The console asks developers to specify availability by country, language and Google product. Google then reviews and tests each app before publication. If an app requires sign-in, its developer must provide test accounts with sample data. Google says an app that it cannot fully test may be rejected.
That review process makes the application’s stated functions part of its eligibility. Google’s policy says an app cannot refer to competing tools or create rules for when another tool should be used. It also bars deceptive attempts to influence the model, including overly broad capability descriptions intended to make one connected app win selection.
Connected Apps Preview Sets Rules for Selection
Google’s MCP server guide says models use server instructions to recognize when to delegate tasks. The guide recommends clear instructions so requests reach the right service. That puts a practical limit on how developers describe their products: instructions can explain what an app handles, but cannot claim broad or misleading abilities to steer the model.
Google can reject an app, suspend or remove its access, or suspend or terminate a developer account for policy violations. The policy excludes other companies’ ads and promotional materials within an integration, while allowing an app to include its own brand information.
For users, Google’s Search help page says AI Mode may default to the last app they used for a task. Users can name a different app in a request, or submit a general query and choose from the available apps. The listed Search integrations are currently available in the United States and in English: Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music, Yahoo Fantasy Football and Sleeper Fantasy Football.
What the Connected Apps Preview Means for Search Visibility
Google has launched over 50 connected apps across Search and Gemini. According to Google’s blog post, developers will be able to view traffic, latency and error rates after an app goes live. That gives approved developers access to performance measures, while the application process determines whether an integration can enter the products at all.
The development matters to search strategy because Google has defined how apps may describe their capabilities inside its AI experiences. Businesses considering visibility in AI answers can also review answer engine optimization and how AI search treats brands. These topics address the broader challenge of being represented in AI-driven search, while Google’s new preview concerns app integrations.
Google says it plans to add more developers, geographic markets and products in the next few months. In the coming weeks, apps from Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton that are already available on Gemini are expected to come to Search, alongside a new Calm integration for Search and Gemini. Google Search Advocate John Mueller called the effort “still extremely early” in a LinkedIn comment and said he does not work on the product.
Developers interested in joining can apply through Google Connected Console and should review the platform documentation before registering. Google’s requirements make category selection, test access and accurate capability descriptions part of the application, while expansion to more markets and products remains planned.
Google’s approach also fits within its wider emphasis on clear information about organizations and products. For a related look at how brands establish a stronger search presence, see Google Knowledge Panel requirements.
