Google has officially launched mobile apps for its AI-based research and note-taking assistant, NotebookLM, making the tool available on Android and iOS devices for the first time.
Highlights
The release came a day earlier than anticipated and precedes the company’s annual developer conference, Google I/O 2025.
Originally introduced in 2023 as a web-based tool, NotebookLM is designed to help users better manage and understand complex information by using AI to interact with documents.
With its expansion to mobile, users can now access its key features from their smartphones and tablets, offering greater flexibility in handling research tasks on the move.
Core Features and Functionality
NotebookLM allows users to upload various source materials—such as documents, PDFs, and websites—and then generates AI-driven summaries, answers questions, and organizes the information across multiple notebooks.
The mobile apps retain the majority of features available on the desktop version, including notebook creation, access to saved notebooks, and source viewing.
One notable addition to the mobile experience is Audio Overviews. This feature enables the app to produce podcast-style summaries using AI-generated voices, offering offline playback and background listening.
Users can interact with the summaries, asking follow-up questions or steering the conversation by tapping the “Join” button.
Integration and Sharing
The mobile version is also optimized for seamless integration with native sharing functions on both Android and iOS.
While browsing content—whether on a website, YouTube, or within a PDF—users can tap the share icon and select NotebookLM to immediately add that content as a reference source.
Enhanced AI with Gemini 2.5 Flash
NotebookLM on mobile is powered by Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash, an advanced language model optimized for speed and reasoning. This integration improves the app’s ability to handle more complex queries, offering deeper and more accurate contextual responses.
User Interface and Accessibility
The app has been tailored for mobile usability, featuring an intuitive interface that displays a homepage with notebook previews.
Users can sort notebooks by filters such as Recent, Shared, Title, or Downloaded. Each notebook card includes a title, an emoji icon, the number of sources, last modified date, and an option to play the associated Audio Overview.
Offline Access and Multitasking Support
In addition to offline playback, the app supports background audio functionality, allowing users to continue listening to summaries while using other applications. This supports multitasking and adds flexibility for users who need access to information during activities like commuting or travel.
Availability and Requirements
NotebookLM is now available on the App Store for devices running iOS 17 or later, and on the Google Play Store for devices using Android 10 or higher.
The apps follow the device’s system settings for light or dark mode and are designed to extend the existing desktop experience with mobile-optimized convenience.
The early release of the mobile apps suggests that Google may share additional updates related to NotebookLM during the I/O 2025 keynote.
With its focus on AI-assisted research, audio interactivity, and mobile usability, NotebookLM is positioned as a useful tool for students, researchers, and professionals who regularly work with dense or fragmented information.
