Workflow guide
How to Connect an MCP Server to the Gemini App as a Custom App
Confirm you are eligible, add the provider’s MCP server URL in Gemini on the web, check one known item, then keep requests small and review drafts before anything is written back.
Some providers offer an MCP server: an endpoint, documented by that provider, that lets a compatible AI assistant look things up or take actions in their service. If you’re eligible, the Gemini app can connect to one as a custom app, which can help when the tool you rely on isn’t among Gemini’s built-in apps.
It is also a different trust decision from a built-in app. Google says it doesn’t control, monitor or secure third-party MCP servers, so the provider’s behavior and permissions matter as much as Gemini’s. This guide keeps the first use small: one known item, a bounded set of results, and a draft you review in Gemini. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
This walkthrough covers custom apps in the consumer Gemini app only, not Gemini CLI, Gemini Enterprise or Google Cloud. Product claims were checked against three official Google help pages on October 28, 2026. AI assisted the research and writing. The prompts and fictional example are Connector Scout editorial recommendations, not results from hands-on testing, and we do not recommend any particular MCP server.
Quick answer
Custom apps currently need a personal Google Account, age 18 or over, in the US, with Keep Activity on, in English. Work and school accounts can’t use them yet. On gemini.google.com, open Settings > Connected Apps (or Personal Intelligence > Connected Apps), add the provider’s MCP server URL under Custom apps, select Next and follow the sign-in steps. Google does not control or secure third-party MCP servers, so connect only a provider you trust, and check one known item first. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
- Who
- Personal Google Account, 18+, US, Keep Activity on, English
- Where to add
- Gemini on the web; then usable on web and mobile
- Writes
- Gemini currently asks you to confirm write actions; this is not a safety guarantee
The walkthrough ends with your review and anything you choose to send or save yourself. Installation and prompts are not substitutes for checking the provider, its permissions and the original items.
Can you use custom apps?
Check this before looking for a server URL. Google lists every requirement below; if one doesn’t apply, the Custom apps option may simply not appear. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
| Requirement | What Google says today | If it doesn’t fit |
|---|---|---|
| Account type | A personal Google Account | Work and school accounts can’t use custom apps for now |
| Age and location | 18 or over and in the US | The feature isn’t offered |
| Keep Activity | Must be on | Custom apps are unavailable while it is off |
| Language | English only, for now | Not available in other languages yet |
| Where you add it | Gemini web app at gemini.google.com | You can’t add a custom app from mobile, but can use one there once connected |
| Server | An MCP server URL that follows the MCP specification | Use the provider’s documented MCP endpoint; a website URL alone does not establish MCP compatibility |
Custom app eligibility in the Gemini app
Account type
- What Google says today
- A personal Google Account
- If it doesn’t fit
- Work and school accounts can’t use custom apps for now
Age and location
- What Google says today
- 18 or over and in the US
- If it doesn’t fit
- The feature isn’t offered
Keep Activity
- What Google says today
- Must be on
- If it doesn’t fit
- Custom apps are unavailable while it is off
Language
- What Google says today
- English only, for now
- If it doesn’t fit
- Not available in other languages yet
Where you add it
- What Google says today
- Gemini web app at gemini.google.com
- If it doesn’t fit
- You can’t add a custom app from mobile, but can use one there once connected
Server
- What Google says today
- An MCP server URL that follows the MCP specification
- If it doesn’t fit
- Use the provider’s documented MCP endpoint; a website URL alone does not establish MCP compatibility
Google’s custom-app page does not mention a paid plan requirement. Because work and school accounts are excluded for now, this is not something a Workspace admin can switch on for you. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
Keep Activity has its own trade-off. When it is on, Google says it uses your activity to improve its services, including training generative AI models, with help from human reviewers. Weigh that before turning it on just for this feature. (Gemini Apps Privacy Hub)
Choose the server and account before you connect
Get the MCP server URL from the provider’s own documentation or settings, not from a forum post or a link in a chat. Read the provider’s privacy policy and terms, and look at which actions its server supports. Google recommends exactly this review and says not to connect a server unless you trust the underlying app. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
Where the provider offers it, sign in with a test or limited account and point it at non-sensitive data for your first session. That narrows what the server can reach, but it is a precaution, not a guarantee. For a deeper review of a server and its operator, use our MCP server checklist.
Add the custom app in Gemini on the web
- On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
- At the bottom, open Settings > Connected Apps. If you don’t see Connected Apps, open Personal Intelligence > Connected Apps.
- Under Custom apps, use the “Add a custom app link to get started” field, or select Add a custom app if you already have one.
- Enter the provider’s MCP server URL.
- Select Next and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in with the provider.
Google’s pages don’t describe the menus identically. The custom-app page uses Settings > Connected Apps, while the general Connected Apps page uses Customize > Connectors from the sidebar. Your screen may show either; look for the Custom apps section. (Google on custom apps in Gemini; Google on Connected Apps)
If the server doesn’t support Dynamic Client Registration, Google says to open Show more next to Advanced features and enter your credentials. Follow the official Gemini and provider authorization flow, supply only the client or credential details that flow requires in its designated secure fields, and never post secrets in a conversation or on Connector Scout. Once connected, typing @ and selecting the app explicitly asks Gemini to use it for that prompt. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
Check one item you already know
Pick something in the provider’s service you can open yourself: a record, note or ticket with a distinctive title and a detail you remember. Then compare Gemini’s answer with the original.
@[custom app name] Find the item titled [exact title] (or with ID [ID]). Tell me its exact title, where it lives in [service], and one short detail from it quoted word for word. If you can see a last-updated date, include it. If you find a similar item but not this one, say so instead of guessing. If you can’t tell which tools this app offers, say that rather than describing them. Only read; do not create, change or delete anything.
If the answer doesn’t match, check that you signed in to the right account with the provider and that the account can see the item. Asking Gemini not to change anything is an instruction about the task. It is not a read-only setting, and it does not limit what the server allows.
Keep requests bounded and sourced
A narrow request is easier to check. Name the items or the filter you want, ask for the list of what was actually returned, and ask Gemini to say when it cannot apply a filter. If the server doesn’t report something, the honest answer is “unknown.”
@[custom app name] Look only at [items, project or folder] from [date range]. For each item you actually retrieved, give me its title or ID, a link if the app provides one, and up to three factual points with a short quote. Then list: - items I named that you could not retrieve, - any filter (date, project, owner) you could not apply. If you cannot apply a filter, tell me before widening the search. Do not create, change or delete anything.
Using only the items you just retrieved, sort the findings into: 1. Facts: what an item states directly, with its title or ID and a short quote. 2. Inferences: conclusions drawn from more than one item or from indirect clues, labelled [inferred] with your reasoning. 3. Conflicts: where items disagree, quoting both. 4. Unknown: anything the brief needs that no retrieved item states. Do not fill gaps from general knowledge, and do not change anything in [service].
A fictional example
This illustration uses an invented support-ticket app and invented tickets. It is not a real result and does not represent any real server.
| Source evidence | Inference | Unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket T-104: “Export fails for files over 50 MB.” Ticket T-117: “Large export timeout.” | The two tickets may describe the same issue | Whether the cause is the same; neither ticket names one |
| Ticket T-104 status: “Fixed in 3.2.” Ticket T-117 status: “Open”, updated later | The fix may not cover every case | Whether T-117 was retested on 3.2 |
| No ticket in the requested range mentions mobile | None | Whether mobile users are affected; nothing retrieved says either way |
Fictional findings: source evidence, inference and unknowns
Ticket T-104: “Export fails for files over 50 MB.” Ticket T-117: “Large export timeout.”
- Inference
- The two tickets may describe the same issue
- Unknown
- Whether the cause is the same; neither ticket names one
Ticket T-104 status: “Fixed in 3.2.” Ticket T-117 status: “Open”, updated later
- Inference
- The fix may not cover every case
- Unknown
- Whether T-117 was retested on 3.2
No ticket in the requested range mentions mobile
- Inference
- None
- Unknown
- Whether mobile users are affected; nothing retrieved says either way
Keep the last column visible. “No mobile issues” is not the same as “no ticket I retrieved mentioned mobile.”
Draft the result in Gemini
Using only the facts, inferences, conflicts and unknowns above, draft a short summary for [audience] here in this chat, under 300 words. - Facts, each with the item title or ID. - Conflicts and who might resolve them. - Inferences, kept labelled [inferred]. - A “Not checked” line listing items or filters you could not retrieve or apply. Keep the draft in this chat. Do not post, send, create or update anything in [service] or anywhere else.
Compare dates, names and quotes with the originals before sharing the draft. Gemini can make mistakes. Google says Gemini currently asks for manual confirmation before any write action by a custom app; treat that confirmation as your moment to read exactly what will change, not as a guarantee that a server will behave as described. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
What may be shared with the provider
Don’t assume only the words of your prompt leave Gemini. Google says that when you use a custom app, Gemini may share information from your chat and other available sources, such as other Connected Apps, Personal Intelligence, skills, tasks and logged-in websites. A custom app may also request more data than your request needs. (Google on custom apps in Gemini)
Once data reaches the provider, its privacy practices apply. On Google’s side, Gemini saves and uses information from Connected Apps, including MCP server tools, under the Gemini Apps Privacy Notice, and Google warns that it does not monitor or secure data from custom third-party Connected Apps. (Google on custom apps in Gemini; Gemini Apps Privacy Hub)
Pause, unlink, remove or delete
These are four different controls. None should be assumed to delete data the provider already received; use the provider’s deletion controls.
| Control | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Turn off (disconnect) | Connected Apps > Custom apps: turn the app off | Stops Gemini using the app; follow any on-screen steps |
| Unlink the MCP server | Custom apps > More details > Disconnect, or your Google Account’s Linked apps page | Revokes its permissions; the app stays listed and can be relinked |
| Remove the app | Custom apps > More details > Remove app | Removes it and also unlinks the MCP server |
| Delete Gemini Apps activity | Gemini Apps Activity | Removes selected activity from your history; doesn’t recall copies the provider holds, and Google’s separate retention rules and exceptions still apply |
Ways to stop using a custom app, and what each one does
Turn off (disconnect)
- Where
- Connected Apps > Custom apps: turn the app off
- What it does
- Stops Gemini using the app; follow any on-screen steps
Unlink the MCP server
- Where
- Custom apps > More details > Disconnect, or your Google Account’s Linked apps page
- What it does
- Revokes its permissions; the app stays listed and can be relinked
Remove the app
- Where
- Custom apps > More details > Remove app
- What it does
- Removes it and also unlinks the MCP server
Delete Gemini Apps activity
- Where
- Gemini Apps Activity
- What it does
- Removes selected activity from your history; doesn’t recall copies the provider holds, and Google’s separate retention rules and exceptions still apply
Google suggests regularly reviewing custom apps and removing ones you no longer need. To ask about data a provider already holds, use that provider’s own privacy controls. (Google on custom apps in Gemini; Gemini Apps Privacy Hub)
For Gemini’s native Gmail, Drive and Calendar connection, see our Gemini Google Workspace guide; that is a separate setup and eligibility path. For how MCP compares with APIs and other approaches, see MCP vs APIs vs A2A.
Connector Scout is independent. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google or any MCP server provider, and this guide contains no sponsored or affiliate links.
Sources
- [1] Google, Connect & manage custom apps for Gemini Apps
- [2] Google, Use & manage Connected Apps in Gemini
- [3] Google, Gemini Apps Privacy Hub
Accessed and reviewed 28 Oct 2026.