Google AI updates NotebookLM with prompt-based slide editing and PowerPoint export

Google is finally fixing the most annoying thing about NotebookLM slide decks

Google also revealed that slides can now be exported in the PPTX format. NotebookLM is one of the more useful AI tools on the market right now, allowing you to collate info from your own sources into an easily digestible virtual notebook or podcast format. The tool gained support for slide decks last year, and Google has finally addressed a key limitation. Google revealed via the NotebookLM Twitter account (h/t: Android Police) that the AI tool now lets you refine and modify slides with a prompt. That's great news, as you couldn't actually modify slides before. That meant if you were unhappy with one slide in a generated slide deck, you had to generate the whole deck all over again. This isn't the only addition to NotebookLM. Google adds that you can now export slide decks in the PPTX format. It also noted that unspecified Google Slides support was coming next. The ability to export slide decks in the PPTX format is great news and means users can theoretically use PowerPoint and similar apps to edit slides. In any event, Google says the ability to modify individual slides is rolling out now to Pro and Ultra subscribers. Are you a free user? Then you can expect this feature to land in the "coming weeks."

NotebookLM Slide Decks just got way more flexible

Rajesh started following the latest happenings in the world of Android around the release of the Nexus One and Samsung Galaxy S. After flashing custom ROMs and kernels on his beloved Galaxy S, he started writing about Android for a living. He uses the latest Samsung or Pixel flagship as his daily driver. And yes, he carries an iPhone as a secondary device. Rajesh has been writing for Android Police since 2021, covering news, how-tos, and features. Based in India, he has previously written for Neowin, AndroidBeat, Times of India, iPhoneHacks, MySmartPrice, and MakeUseOf. When not working, you will find him mindlessly scrolling through X, playing with new AI models, or going on long road trips. You can reach out to him on Twitter or drop a mail at [email protected]. Google has been rapidly improving NotebookLM, rolling out major new updates or improvements almost every other week. Just a few months ago, the AI tool gained the ability to generate Slide Decks from added information sources. Now, Google is making it even better by adding one of the most-requested features: prompt-based customizations. Generating Slide Decks in NotebookLM is relatively easy. You can choose between Detailed Deck or Presenter Slides depending on your use case, along with the slide's length and language. Then, describe the deck you want to create and hit Generate to let Gemini build it for you. The problem is that there was no way to customize the Slide Decks after they were generated. If you did not like a particular slide in a deck, you had to start from scratch. With NotebookLM's latest update, Google is solving this problem for good. In a deck, you can now use prompts to refine or modify an individual slide. So, if you want to modify the second and fifth slides in a deck, you can update them individually using prompts. This is more efficient than regenerating the whole Slide Deck again. For now, prompt-based customization appears to be available on the web. Support for mobile apps should arrive later. Do note that you cannot manually edit or tweak specific elements within a slide since they are essentially AI-generated images. This makes minor, pixel-level tweaking of visual elements almost impossible. It also means you cannot directly edit the text inside a slide. Currently, the ability to customize Slide Decks in NotebookLM is rolling out for users on the Google AI Ultra or Pro tiers. Free users will gain access to the feature in the coming weeks. Export your Slide Decks to PowerPoint That's not it. Google is adding the ability to (finally!) export your Slide Decks as PPTX. This means you can download and view them in Microsoft PowerPoint. If you heavily rely on PowerPoint as part of your workflow, this will speed things up for you. AP Recommends: Subscribe and never miss what matters Tech insights about everything mobile directly from the Android Police team. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Google Slides support is in the works, too, and should arrive soon.