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How to Use Gemini Notebook as a Connected App in Gemini

Learn how to manage and query Gemini Notebooks directly in the Gemini app using @Gemini Notebook and natural language.

October 24, 2026 Yum News

Google turned Gemini Notebook into a full Connected App inside the Gemini app on October 23, 2026. You can now create notebooks, add sources, and pull answers from existing notebooks without leaving your chat.

Type @Gemini Notebook or just describe what you need. Gemini often detects the right moment and uses the connector on its own. This guide shows the practical steps that work for personal accounts and Workspace users.

Person working at a tidy desk with a laptop

What the Connected App lets you do

The official Workspace update lists four core actions you can trigger from any Gemini chat:

Create, edit, or delete a notebook
Add, update, or delete sources inside a notebook
List your notebooks and the sources they contain
Answer questions that draw on a specific notebook’s context

Gemini can also save a copy of the current chat into a notebook. That turns a long conversation into a reusable source instead of forcing you to copy and paste later.

The feature is on by default for most users worldwide. In the European Economic Area it starts off, so you turn it on yourself in Connected Apps settings.

Turn the connector on or off

Open the Gemini app on your phone or go to gemini.google.com.
Tap your profile picture, then open Settings.
Choose Connected Apps.
Find Gemini Notebook and switch it on (or off).

Workspace admins control the same setting at the organizational level. Both Gemini and Gemini Notebook must be enabled for the user or group before the Connected App appears.

Once it is on, you can start using it immediately in new chats.

Create a notebook from chat

Start a normal Gemini conversation, then type a clear request that includes the mention:

@Gemini Notebook create a notebook called Solar Farm Trends and add the last three articles I discussed.

Gemini asks for confirmation before it writes anything. Approve the name and any sources. The new notebook appears in both the Gemini side panel and the standalone Gemini Notebook app.

You can also skip the @ mention. Try: “Create a notebook about butterfly migration and save this chat as a source.” If the request matches the connector’s capabilities, Gemini uses it automatically.

Add sources without switching apps

Keep the conversation open and give Gemini a source to attach:

@Gemini Notebook add this Drive document to my Bio 101 notebook.

Or paste a link and say: “Add this YouTube video as a source to the National Parks notebook.”

Supported sources match what Gemini Notebook already accepts: PDFs, Google Docs, web pages, YouTube videos with captions, and copied text. The Connected App simply lets you attach them from the chat instead of opening the Notebook app first.

Query an existing notebook

Once sources are inside a notebook, ask questions that reference it:

What do my Gemini Notebooks say about butterfly migration patterns?

Gemini pulls the relevant notebook, cites the sources, and answers. You stay in the same chat thread. If you need flashcards, an Audio Overview, or a slide deck, open the notebook in the Gemini Notebook app or on the web. Those Studio tools still live there.

Practical daily workflow

Start the day in Gemini. Ask it to create or reopen the notebook for your main project.

During research, drop links or files into the chat and tell Gemini to add them as sources. No tab switching required.

When you finish a long discussion, say: “Save a copy of this chat to the project notebook.” The conversation becomes a searchable source.

Later, open the notebook in Gemini Notebook if you want an Audio Overview for a commute or flashcards for review. The Connected App keeps the two products in sync.

If you already use other Connected Apps, the same mental model applies. See How to Connect Apps to Gemini for the general setup pattern.

Desk with open books, notes, and a laptop for research

Tips that keep answers accurate

Name notebooks after the specific project or course. “Calculus midterm” works better than “Notes.”

Add five to fifteen high-quality sources instead of dozens of random links. Quality sources produce clearer citations.

When you want Gemini to act on a notebook, include @Gemini Notebook in the first message of a new thread. Automatic detection works, but the explicit mention is more reliable.

Check citations before you rely on an answer for an exam or a report. The connector grounds responses in your sources, but it still benefits from a quick human review.

When something does not appear

The Connected App is missing. Confirm it is toggled on under Settings → Connected Apps. In the EEA you must turn it on manually.

Gemini ignores the @ mention. Make sure you are signed into the same Google Account in both the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook. Restart the app if the chip still does not show.

Sources do not attach. Check the file type and size limits for your plan. Add the source on the Gemini Notebook website if the mobile picker rejects it, then return to the chat.

Shared notebooks stay invisible in the Gemini sidebar. Ask Gemini for a link instead. The link opens the notebook in the dedicated app.

Conclusion

The Gemini Notebook Connected App removes the extra step of switching between the chat and the notebook. You create, update, and query your research from the same conversation.

Start with one project notebook today. Use @Gemini Notebook to build it, then ask questions that draw on its sources. The habit turns scattered chats into organized, citable knowledge you can reuse.