Google previews a shared platform for Connected Apps
Developers can prepare integrations for Gemini and Search as access opens in phases.
Google’s October 28 announcement introduces a preview for bringing services into Gemini and Search. Developers choose the intended Google products before review. Once an app is live, they can monitor traffic, latency and errors. Google plans to add developers, markets and products over the coming months.
The platform overview explains the user-facing purpose: link a service, then access authorized account information and take actions within applicable Google products. MCP, short for Model Context Protocol, is an open standard connecting AI systems with tools and data. One integration path uses a remote server. Android’s AppFunctions provides another path for native app capabilities, particularly when the developer wants tool execution to happen locally on the phone. Android apps implement that route with the Jetpack AppFunctions SDK.
The console procedure separates testing, approval and release. Only invited Gmail testers can use an unpublished app. Google reviews and tests the integration before general availability; approval makes it ready for the developer to publish. The submitted version is locked during review while an editable draft supports future changes. Tool synchronization captures a version-specific snapshot. After publication, changing those tools requires a new version; the previous published version remains live while the developer prepares and tests its successor.
