Google adds “Notebooks” to Gemini app for tighter NotebookLM sync and better file organization

What’s new

Google is rolling a new “Notebooks” feature into the Gemini app — think personal knowledge bases that follow you across Google products. Notebooks live in a new side-panel slot between My stuff and Gems and give you a dedicated place to gather chats, files, Drive items, web pages, or copied text. Want to turn scattered class notes, research, and chat transcripts into something actually usable? This is that attempt.

How it works

Every chat now has an “Add to notebook” option in the overflow menu. Pick a notebook and Gemini will use those handpicked sources alongside its regular tools and web search to answer questions, draft outlines, or even generate a cinematic video overview of your notes. Sources are shown above the prompt box (you can add or remove files), there’s a shortcut to open NotebookLM, and the overflow menu lets you toggle “Use notebook memory” or add Instructions to tell Gemini how to respond and in what tone. Conversations you have inside a notebook show up under the prompt box, and chats from Gemini appear back in NotebookLM — bidirectional sync, basically.

Rollout and why it matters

Notebooks are first available on the web for Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers; it has been reported that mobile users, more countries across Europe, and free accounts will see the feature in the coming weeks. Google calls this a first step, and it has been reported that more notebook capabilities are coming. Will this finally tame the tab graveyard and scattered notes? If it works as advertised, students, researchers, and anyone juggling projects could breathe a little easier.

Sources: 9to5google.com