NotebookLM just got a new name and a serious upgrade for Google AI Pro subscribers


Google is retiring the NotebookLM name, and the AI research tool is being rebranded to Gemini Notebook, folding one of the company’s most useful products deeper into its main AI brand. Alongside the rebrand, Google is expanding one of the tool’s most powerful features to more users, which was previously limited to those on the Google AI Ultra plan.

The upgrade Pro users have been waiting on

NotebookLM picked up a major update last month, with Google giving every notebook a dedicated cloud computing environment capable of writing and running code against a user’s uploaded material. It also moved the tool onto a new reasoning engine and added support for generating a wider range of outputs, including PDFs, spreadsheets, slide decks, and data visualizations. But the update only reached Google AI Ultra subscribers and select Workspace business accounts.

With the Gemini Notebook rebrand, Google is now expanding that update to more users, with those on the Google AI Pro plan set to receive it on the web version over the coming weeks. Google hasn’t said when these capabilities will reach users on the free tier, if at all.

Gemini Notebook will show up in more places too

The new name isn’t the only way Google is integrating NotebookLM into the Gemini ecosystem. Back in April, the company expanded notebook access to the main Gemini app, letting users easily pull saved research and sources directly into a chat. Now, Google plans to make notebooks accessible through AI Mode in Search, though it hasn’t shared a timeline for when that will ship.

From its debut at I/O 2023 as Project Tailwind, NotebookLM has evolved into something Google now treats as part of its core AI lineup. The Gemini Notebook rebrand is the visible part of that shift. The real change is how deeply Google is now weaving it into the rest of its products, from the Gemini app to Search.



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After months of rumors and two keynote events in May 2026, Google has finally released Android 17, the stable version. It’s rolling out to eligible Pixel devices today, including models in the Pixel 6 lineup, all the way to the latest Pixel 10 series.

The stable build contains plenty of features showcased at The Android Show and Google I/O, but if you were hoping to get your hands on Gemini Intelligence, that will ship later this summer to “select advanced devices.” With that out of the way, here’s what Android 17 offers at launch.

So what’s actually new in Android 17?

The most immediately useful addition is Bubbles, a feature that lets you access a select number of apps in the form of a floating window over another app or a circular app icon on the screen when minimized. 

You can access the feature by long-pressing an app icon and selecting the Bubble option. It’s best suited for your two or three-app workflows, letting you access them one after the other with a single tap on the screen. On foldables and tablets, bubbles dock into a dedicated bar at the bottom of the display. 

Android 17 also gets Screen Reactions, a feature that lets you record your phone’s screen along with your face (via the front-facing camera) simultaneously. It’s primarily for content creators, who can now make reaction videos without opening an editing app. 

What about gaming, security, and everything else?

On the gaming side, foldables get a new 50/50 layout with the game view up top and a dynamic gamepad below. Google has also made memory cleanup more efficient, so that gamers don’t experience frame drops and stutters while playing demanding video games. 

Security gets a meaningful upgrade with features like temporary location permissions and contact-level sharing controls (vs. sharing the entire address book). The Mark as Lost feature in the Find Hub now locks your phone via biometrics so nobody can unlock and reset it with the passcode.

Google also caps PIN guessing, with longer wait times between failed attempts. Rounding out the Android 17 update are hidden app names on the home screen, a dedicated volume slider for your AI assistant (Gemini on Pixel phones), Parental Controls expanding to all Android devices, and app memory limits for preserving system resources.  

Today is the day 👀

— Android Developers (@AndroidDev) June 16, 2026

While Pixel phones are the first to get the update, expect other OEMs to announce their Android 17-based updates in the coming weeks. Samsung, for instance, is expected to roll out One UI 9 at the second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, rumored to take place on July 22, 2026. Other brands like OnePlus should follow soon.



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