What is a key characteristic of connected apps in Salesforce?

The key characteristic of connected apps in Salesforce is that they integrate applications with Salesforce using APIs. Connected apps are designed to streamline and secure the process of allowing external applications to interact with Salesforce data and functionality. By leveraging APIs, connected apps enable functionalities such as authentication, data access, and seamless communication between Salesforce and third-party applications.

Using APIs, connected apps can initiate interactions, consume Salesforce services, and provide a consistent user experience across platforms. They support various standards for authentication and authorization, helping to ensure that data access is controlled and secure. This makes them a valuable tool for organizations looking to extend Salesforce's capabilities and integrate it with other systems or applications effectively.

In contrast, other options present scenarios that do not align with the purpose and functionality of connected apps. For instance, the notion that they operate independently of APIs contradicts the essence of connected apps, which fundamentally rely on APIs to establish connections. Additionally, while connected apps may vary in their authentication requirements, claiming that they require no user authentication overlooks the critical security protocols that are inherently part of their design. Lastly, stating that they do not support SAML or OAuth is misleading, as connected apps actually do support these popular authentication mechanisms to facilitate secure integrations.