NotebookLM Mobile App Makes Organizing and Summarizing Your Research Easier Than Ever

NotebookLM Now Available on Mobile

Google’s NotebookLM, an AI-powered app initially launched as an academic research tool in 2023, is now officially available on both Android and iOS, alongside its web version. While it might not boast the polished interface of some other AI products, NotebookLM offers practical features that help you organize, summarize, and interact with information from diverse sources like websites, PDFs, YouTube videos, and more.

The app is free with generous usage limits, but subscribing to Google’s AI plans (starting at $20/month) unlocks higher limits for heavier use. If your work involves pulling together data from multiple formats for study or analysis, NotebookLM can save you time and effort.

Create Your First Notebook

NotebookLM organizes content into notebooks, each containing various sources. Supported formats on mobile include PDFs, websites, YouTube links, and copied text. To start on Android, tap Create New on the home screen and select files or links to import.

Once imported, sources are analyzed and summarized automatically. You can manage sources in the Sources tab—adding or deleting as needed. Each notebook is named based on its initial sources, but you can rename it anytime via the menu. This setup makes it straightforward to centralize and review your research materials.

The Chat Tab: Ask Questions and Get Summaries

The Chat tab is where NotebookLM’s AI capabilities shine. You can ask questions about your imported materials, whether to extract specific details or get a broad overview. Responses include citations, allowing you to verify the source of each piece of information. This reduces the risk of inaccuracies, though the app does note that errors can still occur.

Each answer can be rated, copied, or saved. Keep in mind, chat history isn’t saved after closing the app, so make sure to save important insights externally.

More Features: AI-Generated Podcasts and Interactive Audio

One standout feature is the ability to generate AI-hosted podcasts called Audio Overviews. These podcasts summarize your notebook contents in a conversational style, voiced by two AI hosts with natural speech patterns and pauses. You can start generating these on mobile either from the Chat tab or the Studio tab.

Audio generation may take some time depending on the amount of content, but you can continue using the app or switch to other tasks while it processes. When ready, listen to the podcast with standard playback controls and even download the audio file.

Interactive mode lets you join the podcast by speaking questions or comments, which the AI hosts then respond to in real time. This feature creates a dynamic way to engage with your research as if you were part of a live discussion.

Additional Tools on the Web

The web version offers extra options not yet available on mobile, such as creating study guides, timelines, FAQs, and briefing documents from your sources. Google plans to introduce video overviews next, expanding how you can interact with your notebooks.

For science and research professionals, NotebookLM provides a flexible environment to centralize diverse information and interact with it using AI, simplifying the process of synthesizing knowledge from multiple formats.

To explore AI tools that can further support your research workflows, consider checking out Complete AI Training’s collection of AI tools and courses tailored for professionals.