Manage Gemini Notebooks from Chat in the App

Google made Gemini Notebook a Connected App inside the Gemini app on October 23, 2026. You can now create notebooks, add sources, and ask questions about them without leaving a chat.

This change turns the Gemini app into a single place for research and conversation. You type @Gemini Notebook or let the app detect the right moment, then it handles the notebook work. The feature arrives for personal Google accounts as well as Workspace customers and Workspace Individual subscribers.

What the Connected App Lets You Do

The integration is on by default outside the European Economic Area. Inside the EEA it starts off, so you must enable it yourself.

You can create a new notebook with a single prompt. You can add the current chat or other sources to an existing notebook. You can list notebooks and their sources. You can ask questions that pull context only from your notebooks. Gemini can also decide on its own when a prompt needs notebook access.

The same Connected App works in chat and in task threads. Background checks and larger tasks still count against your plan limits, just as they do for other Gemini features.

Step-by-Step: Create a Notebook from Chat

Open the Gemini app on Android, iOS, or the web at gemini.google.com. Start a new chat or continue an existing one.

Type @Gemini Notebook followed by your request. A clear example is:

“Create a Gemini Notebook about solar farm market trends and add this chat as a source.”

The app confirms the action and creates the notebook. You can open it later from the side panel under Library or Notebooks, or from notebook.google.com. The notebook stays in sync between the app and the standalone site.

If the feature is off in your region or account, go to Settings > Connected Apps and turn Gemini Notebook on. Workspace admins control the setting through Gemini and Gemini Notebook access options. Users need both set to On.

Add Sources and Query Existing Notebooks

After a notebook exists, you can keep adding to it. Try:

“Add a copy of this chat to my notebook about Bio 101 course.”

Or list what is already there:

“Show me a list of all the sources in my notebook about US National Parks.”

Then ask a grounded question:

“What do my Gemini Notebooks say about butterfly migration?”

Answers cite only the sources you added. This keeps responses tied to your material instead of general web knowledge. You can also update or delete sources with natural language.

For related tips on connecting other apps, see our guide on connecting Gemini Notebook to the Gemini app.

How to Enable or Disable the Feature

On mobile, open the Gemini app, tap your profile or the gear icon, then go to Settings. Choose Connected Apps. Find Gemini Notebook and toggle it. The same path exists on the web.

Admins for Workspace domains can manage the feature at the organizational unit or group level. Access requires both Gemini and Gemini Notebook to be enabled for the user. The feature rolled out to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains at the same time.

Tips for Better Results

Give clear notebook names. Short, specific titles make @ mentions and auto-detection more reliable. Avoid generic names like “Research” if you have several notebooks.

Add sources in batches. Upload PDFs, Drive files, or YouTube links in the standalone Gemini Notebook first, then query them from chat. The Connected App can add chat copies, but bulk file uploads are still easier in the full notebook interface.

Check Connected Apps settings if a prompt does not trigger the notebook tool. Confirm the notebook name matches exactly what you typed. Gemini looks for relevant context before deciding to call the tool.

Limit the number of open notebooks you reference in one chat. Too many can slow responses or dilute focus. Keep each notebook tied to one project or topic.

Review citations. When Gemini answers from a notebook, it shows the source. Click through if you need the original page or file.

Limitations to Know

The Connected App does not yet support every Studio output from the standalone site inside chat. Audio Overviews, video generation, and some advanced analysis tools remain in the full Gemini Notebook experience. You can still create those there and return to chat for follow-up questions.

Business notebooks and certain Workspace-only features may have additional restrictions. Personal accounts get the core create, add, list, and query actions.

Usage still draws from your Gemini plan limits. Large source additions or complex multi-notebook questions count as normal model turns.

Practical Workflows

For a student, start a chat about a lecture. Create a notebook, add the chat, then ask follow-up questions while you study. Later, open the same notebook on the web to generate an Audio Overview.

For a researcher, keep one notebook per project. From any Gemini chat, add new papers or notes. Ask comparative questions across sources without re-uploading files.

For a small team, Workspace users can share notebooks. Team members query the shared sources from their own Gemini chats after the admin enables the Connected App.

Watch the Full Platform Overview

The Connected App builds on the existing notebook experience. This video walks through sources, chat, Studio tools, and how notebooks appear inside the Gemini app:

Conclusion

The Connected App removes the need to switch between the Gemini app and the standalone notebook site for everyday tasks. Create, update, and query notebooks with natural language, then continue the conversation in the same thread.

Start with one focused notebook and a single @ mention. You will quickly see how the two surfaces work together. Check your Connected Apps settings today and try a short prompt to create or update a notebook.

Sources

• Google Workspace Updates: Take actions on your notebooks from Gemini Notebook directly in the Gemini app (October 23, 2026)
• 9to5Google: Gemini Notebook now available as Connected App for deeper integration (October 23, 2026)
• Gemini Apps Help: Organize your projects with notebooks in Gemini Apps