Gemini is getting a new job on Android: helping people find apps in the Google Play Store without making them sift through search results first. Google has started rolling out a connected Play Store app for Gemini, and once it’s enabled, you can describe what you want in plain language and get app suggestions that open directly to the right Play Store listing.
That means you can ask for something vague, like a productivity app for meal planning, or something specific, like an app by name. Gemini can also look up in-app items and even let you buy a Google Play gift card without jumping out of the chat. The company is clearly trying to make Gemini a front door for more of Android, not just a chatbot that answers questions and then politely steps aside.
How Gemini’s Play Store search works
Once the feature is turned on, Gemini suggests a few relevant apps and sends you straight to the Play Store page when you tap one. If you already have an app installed that fits the request, Gemini can point that out too, which is a small but useful fix for the annoying habit of reinstalling something you already own.
- Search by task, app name, or in-app item
- Open results directly in the Play Store
- Buy a Google Play gift card from chat
- See if an installed app already matches your request
Who gets access to Gemini’s app search
Google says you need to be 18 or older, signed into Gemini with a personal Google account, and willing to turn on Keep Activity in settings. Workspace accounts are not supported yet, which is a familiar Google move: consumer features first, work accounts later, and sometimes much later.
The rollout was teased at I/O in May, and it fits a broader pattern across Google’s products. Gemini Live already reaches into Maps, Keep, Tasks, and Calendar, while Gemini itself can book rides and place food orders inside other apps. App discovery is just the latest piece of that strategy, and it is easy to see why Google wants it: if Gemini becomes the place where you ask, search, compare, and act, that’s a stronger habit than opening a browser and hoping for the best.
TV shows and movies are next for Gemini
Google says the same approach will expand to recommending TV shows and movies later this year. That would push Gemini even further into recommendation territory, where the real competition is not just other assistants but the old-fashioned search bar, app store ranking pages, and whatever recommendation engine is already built into your streaming service. The open question is simple: will people trust Gemini enough to let it pick the app, or will they keep scrolling like they always have?