Google just rolled out something new for Search. It's called Connected Apps, and it lets AI Mode actually do things in other apps, not just talk about them.
Say you're planning a birthday party. You ask AI Mode for a grocery list. Normally it just gives you the list and you're on your own from there. Now, if you connect Instacart, it can drop those items straight into your Instacart cart. Need a flyer for the party? Connect Canva and AI Mode can show you real templates to pick from. Want music for the day? Connect YouTube Music and it'll build you a playlist and save it right there.
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| Source Google |
This isn't Google's first attempt at something like this. Gemini already had these app connections for a while. Now it's coming to plain old Google Search too.
What's actually new
Google announced this through two of its Search people, Chips Mistry and Biharck Araújo. Three apps work right now:
Instacart lets you turn a grocery list into an actual cart. You still go finish the checkout yourself on Instacart's app.
Canva lets AI Mode pull up design templates for whatever you're working on, like a flyer or invite.
YouTube Music lets you ask for a playlist and it gets saved to your account. One thing to know, these playlists can expire if you don't save them in time.
Google says more apps are coming later, they just haven't said which ones yet. All of this runs on something called MCP, a standard that lets AI tools talk to outside apps properly.
Don't confuse this with Personal Intelligence
Google has another feature called Personal Intelligence that sounds similar but isn't the same thing. That one just uses your Gmail, Photos, and Calendar to make AI Mode's answers feel more personal to you. Connected Apps goes a step further, it actually reaches out and does something in another app on your behalf.
One thing to keep in mind
This is only live in the US right now, and only in English. There's no word on when India gets it. So if you're trying to find this option on your phone right now, don't worry if it's not showing up yet. Google usually expands these things fast once they work well, so it's worth checking back in a few months.
How to set it up (once it's available for you)
- Open Google Search and switch over to AI Mode.
- Go to your account settings, or just visit myactivity.google.com/search-services/apps directly.
- You'll see the apps you can connect, right now that's Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music.
- Tap connect on whichever app you want, then log in if it asks.
- Go back to AI Mode and use it like normal. Ask for a grocery list, a design, or a playlist.
- When AI Mode can send part of the task to one of your connected apps, it'll show that option in the chat itself. Just tap it.
- For Instacart, you'll still open their app to actually pay and check out.
- If you ever want to stop it, just go back to the same settings page and disconnect the app.
That's really all there is to it. No extra app to download, just a one-time connection and it keeps working after that.
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