KastorFlowTested and updated October 30, 2026
What is Gemini Notebook?
It's NotebookLM under a new name, since July 16, 2026.
Gemini Notebook is Google's AI research notebook. You add your own sources, such as PDFs, websites, YouTube videos, Google Drive files and copied text. It answers your questions from those sources with citations, tells you when the answer isn't there, and turns them into Audio Overviews, reports, slide decks, flashcards and more. It's free with a Google account at notebook.google.com.
What changed with the rename
- The name. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on July 16, 2026, and calls it the same standalone product. Your notebooks are still there.
- The address. It opens at notebook.google.com. When we tried notebooklm.google.com on October 30, 2026 it took us there.
- Notebooks in the Gemini app. You can open and create notebooks inside the Gemini app, and they stay in sync with Gemini Notebook.
- Code in notebooks. Each notebook gets a secure cloud computer that writes and runs code to analyze data from your sources. It reached Google AI Ultra first, with Google AI Pro to follow.
- Coming later. Notebooks in AI Mode in Google Search.
From Google's announcement, July 16, 2026, read October 30, 2026. How search moved to the new name: NotebookLM search statistics. The whole story: NotebookLM history.
How it works, in a real test
On October 30, 2026 we gave a new notebook two research papers and one Wikipedia page, and tried the three things it's built for.
| What it does | What we tried | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Answers from your sources | Asked for a number from a table inside a PDF | It gave the right number and said which test set it came from |
| Shows where an answer came from | Clicked a citation | The PDF opened with the table highlighted |
| Makes things from your sources | Asked for flashcards, a data table, a briefing and an Audio Overview | The first three took a minute or two each, and a 14-minute Audio Overview took about 6 minutes |
What it won't do
- Answer general questions by itself. Asked the capital of France, it said our sources didn't cover that and offered web research.
- Watch a video. It reads a YouTube video's captions, not the picture. Can it watch videos?
- Open a playlist or channel. A playlist link came in as page text with no transcripts, and a channel link failed. Our 18-link test
- Always get it right. In one test the chat gave an exact timestamp, with citations, that was 23 minutes off. Check anything you'll rely on.
NotebookLM vs Gemini: the notebook and the app
| Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) | The Gemini app | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers from | The sources you add to a notebook | The model's own knowledge and, when it needs to, Google Search |
| Citations | Answers point to the passage in your source | Links when it searched the web |
| Question outside your material | Says so, and offers web research | Answers it |
| Made for | Studying, research and work on a set of documents you choose | Any question, writing, coding, images |
| Outputs | Audio and Video Overviews, reports, slide decks, mind maps, flashcards, quizzes, infographics, data tables | Chat answers and the app's own tools |
| Where | notebook.google.com, and inside the Gemini app | gemini.google.com and the Gemini mobile apps |
Both run on Google's Gemini models, and since the rename your notebooks also open inside the Gemini app. Use the app for open questions. Use a notebook when the answer has to come from your own material.
How to start
Go to notebook.google.com, click New notebook, add a source or two and ask a question. It takes a couple of minutes. Our step-by-step guide covers the rest.
Where KastorFlow fits
KastorFlow is a Chrome extension that works inside Gemini Notebook.
- It saves ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok chats, web pages and whole YouTube playlists as sources.
- It puts every notebook, source and Studio artifact in one library you can search with Ctrl+K.
- It runs imports and refreshes on a schedule (Pro).
- It connects AI agents such as Claude and Cursor to your notebooks, with a free MCP server. NotebookLM MCP
Free to install, no account needed. Works on notebook.google.com and notebooklm.google.com.
Add to ChromeQuestions
Is Gemini Notebook the same as NotebookLM?
Yes. It's the same product under a new name since July 16, 2026.
Is Gemini Notebook the same as the Gemini app?
No. Gemini Notebook is a separate product built around your own sources. Your notebooks also show up in the Gemini app and stay in sync.
Does NotebookLM use Gemini?
Yes. NotebookLM, now Gemini Notebook, runs on Google's Gemini models, and Google's AI plans give it higher Gemini model access. The difference from the Gemini app is what it answers from: your sources, with citations. NotebookLM vs Gemini
Can Gemini Notebook answer general questions?
Not directly. In our test it said its sources didn't cover the question and offered to do web research. If you agree, it answers and offers sources you can import. What it won't do
Where is NotebookLM now?
At notebook.google.com. Old notebooklm.google.com links take you there.
Is Gemini Notebook free?
Yes, with a Google account. Google AI plans raise the usage and source limits. Limits and pricing