How to Use Gemini Notebook as a Connected App
Learn to manage and query Gemini Notebooks directly in the Gemini app with natural language using the new Connected App feature.
Google just made Gemini Notebook a Connected App inside the Gemini app. You can now create notebooks, add sources, save notes, and pull answers from your existing notebooks without leaving the chat.
This update landed on October 23, 2026. It works for Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google accounts. The feature turns on by default for most users. In the European Economic Area it starts off and you enable it yourself.
This guide shows exactly how to use it, what you can do, and how to control the setting.
What the Connected App lets you do
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) is Google’s research tool that grounds answers in the sources you upload. Until now you reached it from the Gemini side panel or the standalone site. The Connected App brings those actions into the main chat.
Type @Gemini Notebook or just describe what you want. Gemini can also detect relevant prompts and use the app automatically. Official examples include:
- Create, edit, or delete a notebook (“Create a Gemini Notebook about solar farm market trends”)
- Add, update, or delete sources (“Add a copy of this chat to my notebook about Bio 101 course”)
- List notebooks and their sources (“Show me a list of all the sources in my notebook about US National Parks”)
- Answer questions from your notebooks (“What do my Gemini Notebooks say about butterfly migration?”)
Notebooks still sync with the full Gemini Notebook experience at notebook.google.com. Changes you make in chat appear there and vice versa.
How to start using it
Open the Gemini app on Android, iOS, or the web. Start a new chat or continue an existing one.
- Type @Gemini Notebook followed by your request, or simply ask in plain language.
- Confirm the action if Gemini shows a prompt. It may create the notebook, add the current chat as a source, or retrieve information.
- Check the result. Gemini usually confirms what it did and links to the notebook.
You do not need a special subscription for the basic Connected App. Higher Gemini Notebook limits still depend on your Google AI plan or Workspace edition, the same as before.
If the feature does not appear, go to Settings > Connected Apps in the Gemini app and look for Gemini Notebook. Toggle it on if it is off.
Control the setting for yourself or your organization
End users control the Connected App under Settings > Connected Apps. It is on by default outside the EEA. Inside the EEA it is off until you turn it on.
Workspace admins manage access through two settings: Gemini access and Gemini Notebook access. Both must be On for users in the group or organizational unit. The Connected App follows those controls. Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains both have the feature available now.
Privacy rules stay the same. Gemini Notebook does not train models on the sources you upload. Data remains private unless you share a notebook.
Practical examples that save time
You are researching a topic in Gemini. After a useful exchange, say “@Gemini Notebook add this chat to my Research notebook.” The conversation becomes a source you can query later.
You already have a notebook full of PDFs and Docs. In a new chat ask “What do my notebooks say about Q3 sales trends?” Gemini pulls from those sources and cites them.
You need a fresh notebook for a project. Prompt “Create a Gemini Notebook called Product Launch and add the sources from this chat.” It appears in the side panel and in the standalone Gemini Notebook app.
These actions keep research inside one conversation instead of switching apps. They pair well with other Gemini features such as agent status in the status bar. See our earlier guide on Android Halo for tracking Gemini agents.
Tips for better results
Name notebooks clearly so Gemini can find them later. “Bio 101 Fall 2026” works better than “Notes.”
Add sources deliberately. You can upload PDFs, Docs, Slides, web URLs, and YouTube links up to the limits of your plan. The Connected App lets you add the current chat, but you still manage other sources in the full Notebook interface when needed.
Review citations. Gemini Notebook answers stay grounded in your sources. Check the inline citations before you rely on them.
Turn the Connected App off if you prefer manual control. Automatic detection is helpful, but you can disable it in Settings > Connected Apps.
Keep the Gemini app updated. New Connected Apps roll out through app updates.
What stays the same
The Connected App does not replace the full Gemini Notebook site or the dedicated mobile app. You still go to notebook.google.com or the Gemini Notebook app for Audio Overviews, Studio tools, mind maps, quizzes, and bulk source management.
Source limits, model access, and sharing options remain tied to your Google account type and plan. Personal accounts, Workspace, and Google AI subscriptions continue to follow the same rules.
The feature is available now on both web and mobile Gemini apps. Rollout is complete for Rapid and Scheduled Release domains.
Conclusion
The Gemini Notebook Connected App removes the need to jump between the chat and your notebooks. You create, update, and query notebooks with ordinary language inside the conversation you already have open.
Turn the setting on if you are in the EEA, try a simple create or add-source prompt, and see how it fits your workflow. Research stays organized without extra clicks.
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