Google Rebrands NotebookLM As Gemini Notebook: Here's Why

Google has renamed its popular AI research tool NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook, positioning it more firmly within its broader Gemini ecosystem. The announcement was made by Josh Woodward, Vice President of Google Labs, Gemini app and AI Studio, in a company blog post. While the product retains its core identity as a standalone research tool, the rebrand comes bundled with new capabilities, including native code execution and deeper cross app syncing with the Gemini app and Google Search.

From Project Tailwind to Gemini Notebook

NotebookLM was first introduced at Google I/O 2023 under the codename Project Tailwind, with the stated goal of helping people learn more effectively from their own source material. Since then, the tool has grown significantly, with Google stating that more than 30 million people and over 600,000 organisations now use it, ranging from business owners creating onboarding material to students converting notes into audio and video summaries.

Google said the renaming reflects the product's expanding role across its AI offerings. "Today, we're renaming NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. It remains a standalone product focused on being your premier research tool, but it will now do more across the Google ecosystem, including inside the Gemini app and Google Search," the company said.

Secure cloud computer added to every Notebook

Alongside the rebrand, Google has begun rolling out an upgrade that equips every notebook with what it calls a secure cloud computer. This allows Gemini Notebook to write and execute code natively, enabling more advanced data analysis grounded directly in a user's uploaded sources.

The feature is currently available to Google AI Ultra subscribers and Workspace business customers with AI Ultra Access and AI Expanded Access. Google said the capability will extend to all Pro users on the web over the coming weeks, unlocking new output formats and deeper analytical capabilities within notebooks.

Notebooks to sync across Gemini app and Search

Google is also working to make notebooks accessible across more of its products. Users can already create and access notebooks directly within the Gemini app, with full syncing already functional between the Gemini app and the standalone Gemini Notebook experience.

The company said notebooks will soon be integrated directly into AI Mode within Google Search as well, extending the reach of the research tool beyond its current standalone and Gemini app touchpoints.

Why the rebrand makes sense

The renaming effectively folds NotebookLM into Google's wider Gemini branding strategy, a move consistent with the company's recent pattern of consolidating its AI products under a single, recognisable name. By tying the tool more closely to the Gemini app and Search, Google appears to be aiming for greater product discoverability and a more unified user experience, rather than positioning NotebookLM as a separate, standalone experiment.