A preview of what's to come
Google teases NotebookLM app in the Play Store ahead of I/O release
NotebookLM is a genuinely useful AI tool, and it's coming to your phone.
Ryan Whitwam
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May 2, 2025 12:24 pm
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Credit:
Google
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After several years of escalating AI hysteria, we are all familiar with Google's desire to put Gemini in every one of its products. That can be annoying, but NotebookLM is not—this one actually works. NotebookLM, which helps you parse documents, videos, and more using Google's advanced AI models, has been available on the web since 2023, but Google recently confirmed it would finally get an Android app. You can get a look at the app now, but it's not yet available to install.
Until now, NotebookLM was only a website. You can visit it on your phone, but the interface is clunky compared to the desktop version. The arrival of the mobile app will change that. Google said it plans to release the app at Google I/O in late May, but the listing is live in the Play Store early. You can pre-register to be notified when the download is live, but you'll have to tide yourself over with the screenshots for the time being.
NotebookLM relies on the same underlying technology as Google's other chatbots and AI projects, but instead of a general purpose robot, NotebookLM is only concerned with the documents you upload. It can assimilate text files, websites, and videos, including multiple files and source types for a single agent. It has a hefty context window of 500,000 tokens and supports document uploads as large as 200MB. Google says this creates a queryable "AI expert" that can answer detailed questions and brainstorm ideas based on the source data.
NotebookLM also originated Audio Overviews, the sometimes creepy AI-generated "podcasts" that have since crept into other Google AI products. Those will be accessible in the app, and you can join the conversation yourself to talk with the AI-generated hosts. Again, it's a little creepy but also cool? However, this and a few other features in NotebookLM are only available to those with a $20 Gemini Advanced subscription.
Credit:
Google
NotebookLM is a contender for Google's best AI idea since the entire technology industry went gaga for large language models (LLMs). Unlike so much of what Google has been doing in AI, NotebookLM doesn't intrude upon your established workflows, and it offers a genuinely useful feature set. With a strict focus on the data sources you've provided, it is less likely to hallucinate falsehoods, and it cites its sources in line, making it a snap to check the documents for verification.
The app will let you access your existing AI experts and add new ones right from your phone. The app even integrates with the Android sharing menu, allowing you to add new sources to the app without even opening it. A version of the app for iOS is listed for pre-registration, too. However, Apple's store also lists an official launch date: May 20, the same day Google I/O kicks off.
Ryan Whitwam
Senior Technology Reporter
Ryan Whitwam
Senior Technology Reporter
Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards.
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