Google Launches NotebookLM for Android and iOS Ahead of I/O 2025

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 20, 2025 — Google has launched mobile versions of its AI-powered research assistant NotebookLM, making the app available on Android and iOS for the first time since its desktop debut in 2023.

The announcement was made Monday, just one day ahead of Google I/O 2025, the company’s annual developer conference where more updates on AI and productivity tools are expected. With the new rollout, users can now access NotebookLM on smartphones and tablets, significantly extending the tool’s reach beyond its original desktop-only format.

NotebookLM, short for “Notebook Language Model,” is designed to help users better engage with and understand complex information. It allows people to upload or link source materials — such as PDFs, websites or YouTube videos — and ask questions or generate summaries based on those documents. Google positions the tool as a kind of personalized AI research assistant that tailors its responses to the specific sources users choose to include.

Mobile users will now be able to create new notebooks, view existing ones, and add content from their devices via the share icon. That means a webpage, document or video can be quickly imported into a notebook with just a few taps. Each notebook keeps its sources organized and accessible for follow-up questions and reference.

A notable feature now available on mobile is Audio Overviews, which automatically generates podcast-style briefings based on a user’s notebook contents. The overviews offer a hands-free way to digest material, with support for background playback and offline listening — a feature likely to appeal to students, commuters and professionals working across time zones.

The mobile app reflects the same interface flexibility seen in other Google products, with both light and dark modes available and automatically syncing with a user’s system preferences. Google has emphasized usability and consistency across platforms, ensuring that features introduced on desktop are equally available on mobile.

By moving NotebookLM onto mobile devices, Google is aiming to deepen the app’s utility for students, researchers and information-heavy professionals who need to reference material or conduct research while away from a desk.

Although NotebookLM remains in experimental status under Google Labs, the company has steadily expanded its capabilities over the past year. It introduced support for more file types, improved citation accuracy, and recently added real-time syncing between notebooks. The mobile expansion is another sign that Google sees the tool as more than a niche experiment.

With Google I/O 2025 scheduled to begin Tuesday, industry observers expect the company to unveil broader integrations between its suite of AI tools and everyday applications like Docs, Gmail and Search. NotebookLM may play a key role in that strategy, especially as users grow more accustomed to context-aware AI tools.

Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, NotebookLM operates within a closed context defined by the user’s materials. This approach is intended to minimize hallucinations — AI-generated inaccuracies — and provide more grounded, document-based answers.

Google has framed the tool as especially useful for students writing papers, professionals preparing presentations or journalists sifting through research. The company has also hinted at potential future use cases in legal, healthcare and academic settings, though NotebookLM is not currently approved for any regulated industry applications.

The timing of the mobile launch, just hours before the I/O keynote, signals that NotebookLM may receive further updates during the event. Google’s recent emphasis on making AI helpful rather than novel suggests that NotebookLM’s trajectory will be about integration, not just innovation.

NotebookLM for Android is now available on the Google Play Store, and the iOS version can be downloaded from the App Store. Access remains free during its experimental phase, though Google has not commented on whether pricing or premium tiers will be introduced later.

By extending the reach of NotebookLM to mobile, Google is clearly positioning the assistant as a core part of its broader AI roadmap — one that emphasizes user control, content relevance, and functional utility over flash.

 NotebookLM makes studying complex material feel less like a chore and more like a conversation.