Google expands “connected apps” inside Search’s AI Mode, starting in the U.S.

Google is rolling out a new way to plug third-party apps into Search’s AI Mode, aiming to let users complete more tasks without leaving the search results page. In a product update posted Tuesday, Google said it is enabling users to “securely link and interact” with selected services directly in AI Mode, with the rollout beginning this week in the United States.

The change is designed around practical, end-to-end flows. Google described examples including using AI Mode to help generate a grocery list, then connecting Instacart so that ingredients can be added directly into an Instacart cart and checked out with a few taps through Instacart’s app or website. In another example, it said a user working on a design project could connect Canva to surface template options through AI Mode.

For media-focused tasks, Google said users will be able to curate playlists in AI Mode and then save the results to YouTube Music, followed by playback without leaving Search. Google positioned the integrations as a way to “get more done” by turning search prompts into actions carried out in the connected services.

Google also said it is building on existing capabilities. The post noted that users can already connect some services to the Gemini app, and that the company is now extending that “directly connect your apps in Search” approach to AI Mode within Search.

A core element of the update is personalization. Google wrote that, with Personal Intelligence and connected apps, Search can provide “even more tailored responses.” Personal Intelligence is Google’s in-product capability intended to use user-specific context to shape results, and the company’s messaging here ties that personalization to actions that originate in third-party services.

The company did not provide a full list of which services are included in the initial U.S. rollout, nor did it specify whether users will see the same partner integrations across accounts or geographies. Instead, the post emphasized a set of named partners, including Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music, and said it is “working with a range of partners” with more launches planned after the initial start.

From a business perspective, the move reinforces Google’s strategy of keeping engagement inside its own search experience while still tapping into the functionality of popular third-party platforms. For consumer services, connected-app actions can become a new distribution channel, potentially steering users toward app experiences through a front door that starts with Search.

It also reflects the growing pattern in AI-assisted search: shifting from generating answers to enabling transactions and workflows. If users can create a cart, save content, or start actions in other services without navigating away, AI Mode becomes less like a chat interface and more like a command layer for everyday tasks.

One caveat is that Google’s announcement, while specific on examples and the concept of secure linking, does not disclose the technical scope of the integrations, such as exactly what permissions are requested, how data is handled during linked actions, or which features will be available as partners expand. The post also does not break out timeline details beyond “starting to roll out this week in the U.S.”

What to watch next is the breadth of partner support and the pace of expansion beyond the initial U.S. availability. Users will likely look for which categories of apps become available first, how reliably AI Mode triggers the connected actions in practice, and whether Google extends connected-app functionality to more tasks beyond the examples the company highlighted.