Google's NotebookLM: AI Research Assistant Set to Launch Mobile App

Google confirms a NotebookLM app is on the way

If Google wants to fill our phones with AI, it needs to give Pixels more storage Summary Google is finally developing a native NotebookLM mobile app after being web-only since late 2023. A mobile app will enhance the tool's usability and aid in user discovery. Google hasn't disclosed platform support or release date for the new app, but users can install a PWA while they wait for the mobile app release. Google's AI-powered NotebookLM has only been available as a website, despite launching over a year ago. That's finally about to change. Related 5 ways NotebookLM helped me work much smarter in 2024 NotebookLM has become my second brain Posts 8 Google has confirmed that a NotebookLM app is on the way (via 9to5Google). The official NotebookLM account on X responded to a user asking about a dedicated app by saying "The NotebookLM app is coming soon!" This is the first time Google has directly acknowledged a native app is in development. From the web to a mobile device Close NotebookLM is a powerful research and writing tool powered by Google's Gemini AI. You can upload documents and create notebooks that the AI can reference for summarization and organization. But the service has been web-only since it first rolled out last year. It did receive an interface overhaul to make it look more modern, but that's hardly the same thing as getting a native app. A native mobile app will improve its usefulness dramatically. Soon, you'll be able to take care of projects on the go. Discovery alone will see a big boost, as appearing in the Play Store or Apple's App Store will help draw new users. It could also help smooth some of the UI issues from which the PWA version suffers, such as overlapping elements and light status bars. Source: X.com Google didn't say if it was building a fully native app from scratch or simply wrapping the web experience. Either approach would work and allow for relatively smooth updates. What's next for NotebookLM There's very little other information to go off. Google hasn't said which platforms will be supported or given a release date, though Android seems a given. We also don't know if the mobile app will bring any different capabilities from the web version. You can save NotebookLM as a web app if you don't want to wait. On Chrome, go to notebooklm.google and then tap on the three dots to the right of the address bar. Select Add to home screen and follow the instructions. This will work until a more polished, mobile-first experience finally arrives. Related Turn any website into an app with Chrome 124 Even the most obscure ones Posts

Google NotebookLM Is Finally Getting an App

Jackery's New Curved Solar Roof Tiles Are What I've Been Waiting For Summary NotebookLM, Google's AI tool, is getting a mobile app soon, making it more accessible on the go. Users can currently interact with NotebookLM's website on smartphones, but a dedicated app will improve the experience. The tool uses Google's AI models to analyze uploaded documents, making it useful for students, researchers, and writers. Personal opinion: NotebookLM is probably Google's most useful AI product. You can feed it sources and use it as a useful and capable research/study tool. So it's a shame, then, to see that it somehow doesn't have an app -- Google pays more attention to Gemini instead. Now, though, this is finally changing. In a recent post via X (formerly Twitter), the team behind the tool announced that "the NotebookLM app is coming soon," letting us in on the news that Google is, indeed, working on a mobile app for its NotebookLM AI tool. Since it was first launched, NotebookLM has worked as a website-first interface. That has been mostly okay since the best way to interact with it is through a computer browser -- it's easier to load up files/sources and ask questions from a computer than from a smartphone. But there are some cases where you still want to use it on the go -- maybe you already loaded up your notebook's sources elsewhere and you want to jog your memory a bit before an exam. To Google's credit, the website works on smartphones, and users can even save it as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on their smartphones so they can easily load it up without going into the website manually from the browser. Still, if the experience can be improved upon further, it's better for everyone this way, so it's good to see that Google is working on a proper app. In case you've never used it, NotebookLM leverages Google's AI models to help users interact with their own uploaded documents. The tool is good for a range of uses, letting you summarize complex texts, ask specific questions about the source material, and generate new ideas based on the provided information. It's designed as a personalized AI collaborator, particularly useful for students, researchers, writers, and really anyone needing to deeply understand and synthesize information from multiple sources. Related Google NotebookLM Can Now Try to Find Sources for You You can search the web straight from NotebookLM now. Posts It's cool because while Gemini can still look at documents and answer questions based on that info, you can upload up to 50 sources or 300 sources for Pro users on NotebookLM. It's a different, more scalable AI chatbot that's better geared for actually helping you read sources, magazines, and books, especially when they're really long or otherwise dense sources. Since it also gives answers based on the sources you give it, it will rarely tell you anything that's not contained within those sources, and it'll cite where it's taking information from. It can still hallucinate, but you can quickly check whether the info is right by just looking at the part of the text it's citing. As a college student, I use it a lot to study and prepare myself for exams, and it's one AI product none of the other big players have attempted to replicate. We don't have any specifics on how this app will look once it's released, but Google might be working on a native app similar to the Gemini app. We'll have to wait and see -- this could either be imminent or it could be a few months away from release. With how quickly Google has been at releasing new AI stuff, we'd bet it won't take too long. Source: Google (X/Twitter) via 9to5Google

One of my favorite AI tools is getting an iPhone app, and here's why you should install it

Google surprised me when I first experimented with its NotebookLM AI tool. The AI-powered research assistant offers a relatively intuitive and focused setup to make custom guides on any topic you can name. It's now poised to become even more accessible with a mobile app soon. The app should be exciting for anyone who works with large volumes of information or just has an idiosyncratic learning style. NotebookLM basically takes any text, including Google Docs, PDFs, and even YouTube videos that have a transcript, unifies it, and recontextualizes the result as a summary, study guide, or other presentation. As good as NotebookLM's summarization and ability to synthesize notes are, its most memorable aspect is the Audio Overviews it can create. Audio Overviews basically turns all that information you uploaded into a podcast hosted by two AI characters. The synthetic conversation between the two AI hosts can actually sound like people who have read what you uploaded and want to discuss it. At first, I thought it was a gimmick, but it's really just a reformatting of information like any other. If you've ever felt like you'd absorb details from books and other text better in a BBC panel discussion, it's a great option. It's also the most obvious reason to anticipate the NotebookLM mobile app. It's perfect for multitaskers, commuters, and anyone whose eyes are too tired to stare at another screen. I've used it to refresh myself on interview transcripts before writing articles and just as a fun way to explain a confusing topic. When the app hits smartphones, the ability to do this on the go may be huge for anyone who wants to absorb complex information but doesn't always have the time or focus to read it. Of course, Audio Overview is just one part of what makes NotebookLM worth your attention. Unlike many AI assistants, which often operate in a vacuum or require you to explain everything from scratch, NotebookLM has context from the content you share specifically. Its abilities are many, from basic summaries and the ability to answer questions to creating timelines, brainstorming new ideas built on the information, and instant cross-references. That's useful on a computer. As a mobile app, there's a lot more opportunity to exploit NotebookLM's tools. Sure, you'll have needed to upload the information, but if it's there, you can instantly pull up that quote you can't quite remember or fact about the person you're about to meet. Of course, it's not perfect. NotebookLM is only as smart as the information you give it. If your sources are a mess, it won't magically fill in the blanks. It also can't replace real research. Sometimes, it misses nuance or answers too confidently when the source it pulls from is hedging. But the fact that it's transparent about the answers helps compensate. And, at least it will always offer something to listen to on your next long commute.

You Will Soon Be Able to Generate AI Podcasts With the NotebookLM App

NotebookLM confirmed the development on X No other details about the app were shared NotebookLM was released in India in June 2024 Google's NotebookLM platform will soon be available as an app, the company confirmed on Monday. The artificial intelligence (AI) research and writing assistant was first introduced as Project Tailwind in 2023. It was then rolled out the next year, with India getting access to the platform in June 2024. Users can add information in a notebook across a wide range of formats, and then create an AI-generated summary as well as ask the chatbot queries about the information. It also allows users to generate a podcast-style audio discussion of the topic hosted by two AI voices. In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the official handle of NotebookLM confirmed that Google is working on an app interface for the platform while replying to another user. No other details were shared, including whether just an Android app is being built or if iOS users will also get to use the platform as an app. Other details, such as features, app design, and any new additions for paid subscribers, were also not mentioned. Currently, NotebookLM can be accessed via its web interface, or as a progressive web app (PWA) on mobile devices. PWA creates an app icon and slightly redesigns the interface for smartphones, however, there is no optimisation and mobile-forward design that's seen in other Google apps. Notably, the post did not mention any release date for the under-development app. NotebookLM's popularity soared after Google added the audio overviews feature. The feature uses AI to generate an audio discussion based on one or more sources. The audio discussion has an engaging format where two AI hosts talk among themselves and explore different aspects. Due to the popularity, the company also created a paid version of the platform with higher usage limits. The base version offers up to 100 notebooks with 50 sources per notebook, up to 50 chat queries a day, and up to three audio generations a day. The paid tier, dubbed NotebookLM Plus, offers five times the usage limit as well as additional privacy and security features. The Plus version can also be accessed via the Google One AI Premium plan.

Google's AI-Powered NotebookLM Could Soon Get Its Own App

A dedicated app could make the feature more accessible, especially in developing regions. By now, you may be aware of Google's NotebookLM site. It helps students understand complex topics by breaking them down and summarizing with the help of AI. However, their breakout feature is to turn any article, data, or information into a podcast hosted by two AI hosts. Google has now confirmed that you'll soon be able to access NotebookLM as an app on your phone. Ever since it came out last year, the NotebookLM has remained available as a website that you can access via your desktop or mobile browser. There was no native app for it, and it almost seemed like Google had no plans on making one. However, it doesn't seem that far off now, as Google has revealed that a NotebookLM app is coming out soon. Apart from the post itself, we don't have much to go on. However, we do expect the app interface could be similar to its progressive web app layout. Which is what appears when you visit NotebookLM on a mobile browser and save it as a PWA. It has a three-tab layout, featuring Sources, Chat, and Studio. Since NotebookLM has been available for more than a year, it is high time we get a proper app. Plus, given that Microsoft is also adding a similar feature to create AI-hosted podcasts to Copilot, Google needs to make its offering more accessible. I also feel a mobile app offers wider appeal, especially in developing regions where many students don't have a desktop or laptop at home. For them, a mobile app can prove quite fruitful. What are your thoughts on the story? Would you like a NotebookLM app, and what are some features you want them to add to it? Let us know in the comments below.