Key Points:
- NotebookLM is now on mobile! Google has launched official NotebookLM apps for both Android and iOS, just ahead of Google I/O 2025.
- New mobile features include Audio Overviews, allowing users to listen to AI-generated podcast-style summaries of their documents, with offline playback and background support.
- You can now share websites, PDFs, and YouTube videos directly to NotebookLM from your phone to use them as sources.
- The app includes light/dark mode, notebook creation, and full access to previously saved content.
Google just dropped a little surprise ahead of its big I/O 2025 keynote, NotebookLM is now available on Android and iOS. That’s right, Google’s AI-powered research and note-taking assistant has officially gone mobile.
From Desktop-Only to Pocket-Ready
Until now, NotebookLM was a desktop-only tool. Launched back in 2023, it gave students, researchers, and digital hoarders (like me) a smarter way to actually use their notes, not just stare at them and pretend we’ll “go through them later.”
With the new mobile app, Google is letting you carry your brainy AI buddy right in your pocket. Whether you’re reading a dense PDF, watching a YouTube lecture, or scanning a complicated website, you can now share that content directly to NotebookLM as a source. Boom! It’s ready for summaries, questions, and context.
Audio Overviews: Yes, Your Notes Can Talk Now
One of the coolest features making its way to mobile? Audio Overviews. These are basically AI-generated podcasts based on the documents you’ve uploaded. It’s like having a personal podcast made just for you, narrated by your own research assistant.
Better yet, they support background playback and offline use. So you can catch up on your reading during a run, commute, or while pretending to clean your apartment.
Clean UI, Light/Dark Mode, and All the Basics
The app brings everything you’d expect. You can create new notebooks, access your existing ones, and easily switch between light or dark mode, depending on your system settings (and mood). The interface is clean and intuitive, much like Google’s other productivity apps.
It even lets you organize your source materials from different media — not just text, but also web pages, PDFs, and videos. That’s a huge win for people juggling multimedia research or writing complex reports.
That said, it doesn’t really take advantage of the Material 3.
Why Now?
The timing of this release is suspiciously strategic. Landing just one day before Google I/O 2025. While Google originally said NotebookLM mobile would arrive “this week,” it quietly went live a day early. Safe to say they’re setting the stage for some bigger AI-centric announcements during the keynote.
Related: Google Gemini’s AI Can Edit Any Photo with a Few Words
Will we see even deeper integration with Gemini or other productivity apps like Docs and Drive? Possibly.
Should You Try It?
If you’re a student, researcher, journalist, content creator, or anyone who lives knee-deep in articles, docs, or lecture notes, NotebookLM is absolutely worth trying out.
It’s free, smart, and can now live on your phone. And if nothing else, let it read your notes back to you while you pretend you’re hosting your own research podcast.
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