NotebookLM Is Now Gemini Notebook: What Actually Changed

Trackline Academy · Updated August 30, 2026 · All articles

On July 16, 2026, Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. If you are wondering whether that means a different product, lost notebooks, or broken links, here is the short answer: it is the same tool, everything you built carries over, your old links redirect automatically, and the rename actually shipped with meaningful new abilities. This guide covers what changed, what stayed the same, and what has landed since, so you can stop second-guessing which name is current.

The rename, in one minute

• What happened: Google announced the rename on July 16, 2026, on its official blog. NotebookLM became Gemini Notebook, folding the product into the Gemini family while keeping it a standalone app.
• Why it matters: at the rename, the product had more than 30 million users and over 600,000 organizations. This was a branding consolidation, not a shutdown or a rebuild.
• Where it lives now: the app's home is notebook.google.com. The old notebooklm.google.com address permanently redirects there, so old bookmarks and shared links keep working.
• Is the transition done? Effectively yes. As of late August 2026, every official Google surface, from the marketing site to the help center, uses only "Gemini Notebook" in its text. The old name mostly survives inside URL paths and older articles around the web.

What stayed exactly the same

Your notebooks, sources, notes, and Studio outputs are untouched. No features were removed. Pricing did not change either: there is still a capable free tier, and the paid tiers still come through the Google AI plans (Plus at $4.99, Pro at $19.99, and Ultra at $100 to $200 a month as of late August 2026) rather than a separate Notebook subscription. The core of the product is what it always was: you add your own sources, and it answers with citations grounded in those sources rather than the open web.

What the rename actually shipped

Two genuinely new abilities arrived with the new name:

• The cloud computer. Each notebook now has a secure, sandboxed environment that writes and runs real code against your sources. Ask for analysis of an uploaded spreadsheet and it can clean the data, run the numbers, and hand back real files: PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, slides, and charts, all cited. It launched on Ultra and qualifying Workspace plans, and Google's product account reported the rollout to all Pro users complete on August 4, 2026. It is not on Plus or the free tier.
• Cross-app syncing. Notebooks connect with the Gemini app, so you can bring notebook sources into Gemini conversations and keep the two in sync.

What has landed since the rename

August 2026 was a busy month. The highlights, all from official Google announcements unless noted:

• Notebook copying (August 17). You can now duplicate an entire notebook, sources and Studio items included, which turns a well-built notebook into a reusable template. Personal chat history and notes stay behind, and copies do not sync with the original.
• Workspace automation (August 6). Workspace accounts with qualifying AI add-ons got an official Workspace Studio step called "Add a source to Gemini Notebook" that adds sources (text, Drive links, YouTube and web URLs) on a recurring schedule. Consumer accounts still have no API or automation.
• Google Classroom access (August). Schools can now grant students Gemini Notebook access, with class materials syncing into notebooks.
• Expert Intelligence (August 27). More than 100,000 purchased Google Play Books titles from six major publishers can now be added as notebook sources, alongside author-curated notebooks. Every collaborator on a notebook must own the book, and US users get one free ebook to start.
• Video Overviews grew up. The official lineup is now three formats (Explainer in 60+ languages, plus Cinematic and Short, both English-only and 18+) and eight visual styles plus a describe-it-yourself Custom option. Interactive mode on Audio Overviews has also dropped its beta label.

One change to plan for: limits are about to work differently

Reports in late August indicate that on September 2, 2026, Google replaces the familiar daily caps (like 50 chats and 3 Audio Overviews per day on the free tier) with compute-based limits that weigh prompt complexity, models, features, and chat length. Quotas would refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly ceiling, with paid plans reported at roughly 2x the free allowance for Plus, 4x for Pro, and 5x to 20x for Ultra. If you see tutorials quoting fixed daily numbers after that date, treat them as historical.

What should you call it?

Gemini Notebook is the current official name. "NotebookLM" is still everywhere in tutorials, videos, and search results, and Google's own URLs still contain it, so nobody will be confused if you use either. Our course keeps NotebookLM in its title for exactly that reason, while teaching the product under its current name. The practical rule: when a tutorial's screenshots or names do not match your screen, check the date and trust the live app.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose my notebooks or need to migrate anything?

No. Existing notebooks, sources, and generated outputs carried over untouched, and shared-notebook links keep working through automatic redirects. There is nothing to export, re-import, or set up again.

Is Gemini Notebook a different product from NotebookLM?

No. It is the same standalone research tool with a new name and closer ties to the Gemini family. Google removed no features in the rename, and the additions since (the cloud computer, copying, new sources) build on the same core: answers grounded in your own documents, with citations.

Is it still free?

Yes. The free tier remains generous (as of late August 2026: 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook, 50 chats and 3 Audio Overviews a day, with the limits system changing to compute-based on September 2). Paid capacity comes through the Google AI plans rather than a separate subscription. For the full breakdown, see Is NotebookLM Free?

Related guides

• How to Use NotebookLM: A Beginner's Guide
• NotebookLM Audio Overviews: Documents Into Podcasts
• Is NotebookLM Free?
• What Course Is Right for Me?