Google’s latest AI application, NotebookLM, has launched on mobile devices, representing a major advancement for the AI-driven study tool that began as a limited research initiative in 2023. While the app introduces several encouraging features, it appears not to be fully adapted for mobile functionality, especially in comparison to its desktop version.
NotebookLM does not function as a traditional note-taking application like Google Keep or Notion. Rather, it acts as a research and study resource, leveraging AI to assess and elaborate on intricate subjects with specific context. Users have the ability to develop “notebooks” by gathering a variety of sources, such as websites, YouTube videos, PDF documents, or personal notes. Each notebook can include up to 50 sources, each capable of containing a maximum of 500,000 words.
The app utilizes a Gemini model to analyze these sources, providing features such as text-based conversations, summaries, and spoken Audio Overviews. Audio Overviews are a notable aspect, enabling users to download podcast-like summaries for offline listening. However, the process of generating and downloading these overviews can take a considerable amount of time, and occasionally the operation may fail.
Despite these attributes, the mobile application has its drawbacks. It does not feature the capability to automatically locate sources, a function that is present in the web version. Furthermore, it is not possible to create new notes directly within the app, which limits its practicality as a note-taking solution.
Google is aware of these drawbacks and has promised future enhancements to improve the app’s features. For the time being, the NotebookLM mobile app serves mainly to access Audio Overviews, while the web client continues to be the more extensive option for experiencing the full spectrum of NotebookLM’s offerings.
