Connect more of your apps to Search

Source: Google Date: 2026-07-16 URL: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/connected-apps/

Summary

Google launched “Connected Apps” in AI Mode for Search (US, rolling out this week): users link third-party services — Instacart, Canva, YouTube Music at launch — and act on them (add to cart, pull templates, build playlists) without leaving the search results page. Framed as extending app-connection capability already present in the Gemini app to the Search surface.

Implications

• Agentic tooling / Google distribution thread. This is Google turning Search itself into an agent host with tool-calling into partner apps — the same connector pattern every agentic coding tool has (MCP-style), applied to consumer search. Watch whether the partner roster grows past three and whether this becomes the template for monetizing AI Mode (commerce-adjacent partners first: shopping, media, design).
• Read together with the NotebookLM→Gemini Notebook rebrand (same day): Google is consolidating “connect your apps” as a cross-product capability (Gemini app, Search, Notebook) rather than a one-off feature.