TipGemini gets a Customize menu – see your skills and which apps Gemini can access
Google is bringing skills and connected apps together in one place in Gemini, in a new menu called Customize. It is rolling out to everyone, free users included, on the web, on mobile and in the desktop app. A good moment to review which apps Gemini is allowed to read.
On 21 October 2026 Google announced a new menu in the Gemini app called Customize. It brings together two things that used to live in different places: your skills, meaning saved instructions you start with a slash in the chat, and the apps you have connected to Gemini, such as Gmail, Google Drive or services from other companies.
Under skills you can create and edit your own instructions, for example that Gemini should write in your tone or always answer in a certain layout. Under connected apps you can add more than 40 services on top of Google's own apps. You choose what gets connected, and according to Google you can check the apps' permissions and disconnect them at any time.
The menu is rolling out globally on the web, in the mobile app and in the Gemini app for Windows and Mac, for all tiers, free included. The rollout started on 13 October and can take up to 15 days before the menu is visible to everyone. Good to know: most connected apps are so far only available in English in the US, with a few in other English-speaking countries, Brazil and India. So expect a smaller choice of apps in the Nordics than in the US.
The menu ties in with Google replacing Gems with skills. According to Google, Gems move into Settings on 17 November 2026. If you have not yet turned your most important Gems into skills, the new menu is a good place to start.
How to get started
- Open Gemini and tap the menu on the left (the three lines on mobile).
- Choose Customize. If you do not see it yet, wait a few days – the rollout takes up to 15 days.
- Go through your connected apps and disconnect anything you do not use.
- Create your first skill, for example one that describes how your writing should sound.
- Never give a chatbot access to more than it needs for the task.
More on TipAI
Sources
- Google Workspace Updates: An easier way to customize how Gemini works for you (21 okt 2026) (retrieved 2026-10-22)
- Android Authority: Gemini is getting a new place to manage apps and skills (retrieved 2026-10-22)
- Google Workspace Help: About the transition from Gems to skills (retrieved 2026-10-22)
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