Verdict
Gemini Notebook answers from the material it is given and points to the passage it used, which makes checking it quicker than a general chatbot. The free plan allows 100 notebooks of up to 50 sources each, enough for a full GCSE or degree course. individual reviewers still catch it skipping examinable content and misreading sources, so it works best alongside the reading.
Best for
Students revising from their own notes and course readings
Skip if
Anyone wanting a tutor that holds back answers, or under-13s without a school account
Key facts
- Category
- Study, homework & learning
- Made by
- Google LLC
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2023
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £4.49 a month
- Free plan
- Free Standard plan with a Google account: 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook, daily limits on chats and audio or video overviews
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Plus (400 GB) | £4.49 | month |
| Google AI Plus (2 TB) | £7.99 | month |
| Google AI Pro (5 TB) | £18.99 | month |
What it does
- answers questions about uploaded PDFs, websites, YouTube videos and text with inline citations
- summarises sources and links ideas across them
- turns sources into podcast-style Audio Overviews with two AI hosts
- lets listeners join an Audio Overview to ask questions
- plays Audio Overviews offline in the background on mobile
Ratings
What people say
Students in user reviews like that it sticks to their own sources and can compare them, and parents report good results from the audio summaries. The complaints are about trust. Users say summaries and mind maps miss examinable material, and some think answers got less consistent after the July 2026 rename. Store stars (4.8 on both stores) are warmer than the user threads, which mostly say to double-check it. X results were promotional prompt threads with no usable user opinions.
“In one case, the wording within one of my sources (textbook) seemed to contradict other sources. I asked NotebookLM to compare all sources and it found the same discrepancy.”
Individual user review, 4 October 2026 · source
“We uploaded a PDF of the textbook (and just that) and he listened to the podcasts and regularly got the highest scores in class”
Individual user review, 8 June 2026 · source
“I mostly used the mind map to breakdown the material But turns out some of the examinable content was missing from it”
Individual user review, 9 June 2026 · source
“it used to be best in 2.5 pro era, post this rebranding to gemini notebook inconsistensies have increased”
Individual user review, 4 October 2026 · source
“No matter what major tool I use, claude, chat, notebooklm, it just over informs me or gives me the answer immediately instead of helping me learn.”
Individual user review, 7 October 2026 · source
Press reviews
- TechRadar 2025-10-02
4.5 stars; 'very useful for academic, technical, and general research', though it doesn't replace manual reading and makes occasional inaccuracies.
- Digital Trends 2026-08-05
Works perfectly well on a normal phone, but a week on a Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (where it comes pre-installed) made research sessions with flashcards and overviews much easier.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- No by default. Google says notebook content is not used to train Gemini Notebook unless the user sends feedback; Workspace and Workspace for Education data is never used for training
- Opt-out
- No setting needed; avoid thumbs up/down and problem reports, which let Google staff review the full interaction (queries, uploads and responses). Workspace for Education accounts are excluded from human review even with feedback
- Retention
- Feedback is reviewed by trained teams with the account disconnected and kept up to 3 years. No retention period is stated for uploaded sources; they stay until the user deletes the notebook
- Incidents
- Former NPR 'Morning Edition' host David Greene sued Google (reported 15 Feb 2026), alleging the male Audio Overview voice copies his cadence and intonation; Google says the voice is based on a paid professional actor it hired. No user-data breach or regulator action found in searches of Google help pages, TechCrunch and Hacker News.
- Age limit
- Personal accounts must pass Google age verification and be above the local age of consent for Google services (13 in the UK); under-18s get stricter content filters and some features are 18+. UK App Store rates it 13+. Through a school Workspace for Education account it is available at any age. Academic integrity: DfE guidance (Mar 2026) says AI-generated work submitted as a student's own is malpractice; JCQ guidance (Apr 2025) says AI misuse in GCSE/A-level assessments is malpractice and students must acknowledge any AI tool used, with its name and the date the content was generated
Official videos
- Generate rich, cinematic video explainers directly from your sources in Gemini Notebook. 2026-07-20
- Introducing NotebookLM Video Overviews 2025-07-29
FAQ
Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026. The web address, existing notebooks and Audio Overviews carried over.
Is Gemini Notebook free?
Yes. The free plan allows 100 notebooks with up to 50 sources each, with daily caps on chats and audio or video overviews. Higher limits come with Google AI plans, from £4.49 a month on the UK App Store.
Can a GCSE student use it?
On a personal Google account the user must pass age verification and be 13 or over in the UK, and under-18s get stricter content filters. Schools using Google Workspace for Education can give it to pupils of any age.
Is using it for coursework cheating?
Using it to revise or to understand readings is not. DfE guidance says AI-generated work handed in as a student's own is malpractice, and JCQ guidance for GCSE and A-level requires students to acknowledge any AI tool used, with its name and the date. Universities set their own rules.
Does Google train its AI on uploaded notes?
Google says notebook content is not used for training unless the user sends feedback, in which case staff may review the whole exchange. School and work accounts are never used for training.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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