Google is steadily expanding the functionality of its AI-powered research tool, NotebookLM, bringing features previously exclusive to the web app to its iOS and Android mobile versions. The latest update introduces the ability to generate flashcards and quizzes directly within the app, a significant step towards making NotebookLM a more versatile on-the-go study and work companion.
What Makes NotebookLM Different?
NotebookLM stands out from typical AI assistants because it operates solely on user-provided sources. Unlike tools that pull information from the entire internet, NotebookLM focuses exclusively on the documents, notes, and materials you upload. This controlled environment makes it ideal for research, learning, and tasks where accuracy and source accountability are crucial. The tool can produce various outputs, including briefing documents, mind maps, study guides, quizzes, and even audio/video summaries.
New Mobile Capabilities: Study Smarter, Anywhere
The newest update adds two key features to the app’s “Studio” tab:
– Flashcard generation: Quickly create digital flashcards based on your uploaded materials.
– Quiz creation: Generate tailored quizzes to test your understanding of specific topics.
Users can customize the number of cards/questions and adjust the difficulty level. A prompt window allows for focused testing, ensuring the quiz targets areas where you need the most reinforcement. These additions complement the existing “Audio Overviews” feature, solidifying the app’s utility for mobile study sessions.
Improved AI Chat Performance
Beyond the new generative tools, NotebookLM’s chat functionality has also received substantial upgrades. Google increased the context window to 1 million tokens, allowing the AI to process and retain more information during interactions. This, combined with a sixfold improvement in multi-turn conversation capacity, results in more accurate, contextually aware, and natural-sounding responses. The AI can now better understand and maintain continuity throughout longer discussions.
What’s Still Missing?
While this update is a positive step, the mobile app remains less feature-rich than its web counterpart. Many advanced functionalities are still unavailable on mobile. However, the addition of flashcards and quizzes signals Google’s commitment to closing this gap, suggesting further improvements are likely on the horizon.
NotebookLM’s mobile enhancements demonstrate a growing trend towards bringing advanced AI tools to everyday devices, making them accessible for learning, research, and productivity on the go. The focus on user-controlled data sources sets it apart, and continued development will likely make it a key tool for students, professionals, and anyone seeking more efficient information processing.
