Gemini Notebook: NotebookLM's New Name, and What's Still Free

If you open NotebookLM today, you land on its new name, and search suggestions show how many people are confused: "notebooklm vs gemini notebook", "gemini notebook is free", "notebooklm renamed". The short answer is that it's the same tool with a new name. The longer answer matters if you use it for study or work, because the free limits changed too.

We read Google's announcement and its help pages on 2 November 2026; rupee prices are from Google's India subscriptions page the same day.

Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?

Yes. Google announced on 16 July 2026 that it was renaming NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook, calling it "the same standalone product, now doing more across the Google ecosystem." It now lives at notebook.google.com, and old NotebookLM help pages redirect to the Gemini Notebook help centre.

What it does hasn't changed. You upload your own sources, such as PDFs, Google Docs, web pages or YouTube videos, and it answers from them with citations that open the exact passage. Google's FAQ puts the rule plainly: if the answer isn't in your sources, it won't provide one. Our full Gemini Notebook review covers every feature.

What changed besides the name?

Three things matter for everyday users.

1. Daily caps are gone; compute limits replaced them. Until August, Google's plans page listed fixed free allowances, such as 50 chats and 3 Audio Overviews a day, according to the archived version. The current limits page says usage now depends on prompt complexity, model, chat length and feature, and that the quota "refreshes every 5 hours until you reach your weekly limit."
2. More study tools. Flashcards and quizzes at easy, medium or hard difficulty, a tutor-style chat called Learning Guide, mind maps, infographics and slide decks all sit alongside the Audio Overviews that made NotebookLM famous.
3. Experimental agent features. Google says it can now use "a secure cloud computer" for tasks such as searching the web and running code. The everyday chat still answers from your sources.

Is Gemini Notebook free?

Yes. The free tier needs only a Google account, and Google's plans page allows 100 notebooks with up to 50 sources each; each source can run to 500,000 words or 200 MB. Paid Google AI plans raise the limits:

Plan	Price in India	Limits
Free	₹0	Standard: 100 notebooks, 50 sources each
Google AI Plus	₹399 a month	2x standard; 200 notebooks, 100 sources each
Google AI Pro	₹1,950 a month	4x standard; 500 notebooks, 300 sources each
Google AI Ultra	From ₹6,500 a month	5x or 20x Pro, depending on plan

Prices are from Google's India subscriptions page, read 2 November 2026. Students have a better deal: eligible university students aged 18+ can claim Google AI Plus free for a year until 31 December 2026, which brings the Plus limits.

One catch for Indian users: Google's plans page says generated media carries "a visible watermark" for people in India, South Korea and Vietnam, even on paid plans.

Gemini Notebook vs notebooks in the Gemini app

This is the other source of confusion. The Gemini chat app also has notebooks, and they sync with the standalone app, but they don't behave the same way. Google's help page draws the line: in Gemini Notebook, "responses are grounded exclusively in your notebook sources", while in the Gemini app, responses are grounded in your sources "but may also include web search and other tools."

So use the standalone notebook when you need answers you can check against your own material, such as a syllabus, a contract or research papers, and the Gemini app when you want it to bring in the wider web. If you're choosing between Google's tool and OpenAI's for studying, our ChatGPT vs NotebookLM comparison sets them side by side.

How to log in and use it

• On a computer: go to notebook.google.com in any browser and sign in with your Google account. Windows and Mac users use it in the browser.
• On a phone: use the mobile app, which Google lists as available in India among other countries.
• Age: it is open to anyone old enough to manage their own Google account, which is 13 in India, but some features, including Cinematic Video Overviews and voice chat in the mobile app, are for users aged 18+.

Our step-by-step guide on how to study with NotebookLM shows how to set up a notebook for one subject; every step still applies under the new name.

Does Gemini Notebook work in Hindi?

Yes. Google lists 80+ languages for chat and Audio Overviews, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Odia and Urdu. It answers in the language set in your Google account, so you can upload English notes and get a Hindi Audio Overview. Longer Audio Overviews, the interactive audio mode and Cinematic Video Overviews are English only.

FAQ

Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?

Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026 and calls it the same standalone product. It now lives at notebook.google.com, and old NotebookLM help pages redirect there.

Is Gemini Notebook free?

Yes. A Google account gets 100 notebooks of up to 50 sources each for free. Usage limits refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap; Google AI Plus, ₹399 a month in India, doubles them.

How do I log in?

Go to notebook.google.com and sign in with your Google account, or use the mobile app on Android or iPhone. Your Google account is your login; there's no separate sign-up.

What is the difference between Gemini Notebook and Gemini?

The standalone notebook answers only from the sources you upload and cites them. The Gemini app can also use web search and other tools, even in its notebooks, so its answers can go beyond your material.

Does Gemini Notebook work in Hindi?

Yes. Chat and Audio Overviews work in 80+ languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali. Output follows your Google account language; longer Audio Overviews are English only.

Cover image: a teacher with village children and a laptop. Tapas Kumar Halder, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.