TL;DR
Google connected apps let AI Mode in Search hand parts of a task to linked third-party products. The first named partners are Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music, with more apps expected to follow.
What Google Announced
On July 16, Google announced that third-party connected apps had started rolling out in AI Mode in Search in the U.S.
The first named launch partners are Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music. From AI Mode, someone can turn a grocery list into an Instacart cart, ask Canva for design templates, or create and save a playlist in YouTube Music.
You can read Google's announcement for the full launch details.
What Are Google Connected Apps?
Google connected apps are integrations that let AI Mode do more than answer a question or return a list of links. Once a service is linked, AI Mode can hand part of a task to that product and bring its result or next action into the Search experience.
That means a search can end with something useful already done: items added to a cart, design options ready to open, or a playlist saved and ready to play. Some final steps, such as checkout, still happen in the partner's app or website.
Google says it is working with more partners and plans to launch more connected apps soon. It did not announce a public directory or submission route in this release.
The Direction Is Clear
OpenAI has ChatGPT Plugins. Anthropic has Claude Connectors. Google now has connected apps in Search. The names differ, but the direction is the same: AI products are moving from generating text and citations to taking action through connected third-party products.
At Google I/O, Google said Gemini Spark would integrate with third-party tools through MCP. It has since rolled out custom MCP connections in Spark. Connected apps in AI Mode are another step in that same direction: Google is building AI products that act through third-party services, with MCP becoming its connection layer.
Want to Build One?
This is an initial launch-partner rollout, and Google says it plans to launch with more apps soon. Companies should prepare now. This is one of the clearest opportunities to have your product used at the exact moment someone expresses intent in AI Search. The practical starting point is an MCP server that exposes the actions your product can take safely and clearly.
AgentDiscoverability.com builds production Gemini connected apps, ChatGPT Plugins, and Claude Connectors. If you want to build one, book a call.