Google's AI Tool Gets Its Own App: What's the Big Deal?

Google has a new trick up its sleeve. NotebookLM, its research tool, is stepping into the app world. On May 20, 2025, users can expect to see the app hit both Android and iOS platforms. If you are eager to get your hands on it, you can pre-register now. The app will be downloaded automatically on the launch day, which is also the start of Google I/O 2025. NotebookLM is not new. It began as Project Tailwind back in 2023. Since then, it has evolved from a research project into a full-fledged product. It officially launched as NotebookLM in December 2023 and added Audio Overviews in September 2024. As of April 2025, it supports over 50 languages. The app release is a strong indicator that Google is committed to this service. So, what can this app do? It lets users upload various sources like PDFs, web links, YouTube videos, and text. Then, it processes this information. Users can ask specific questions, generate study guides, or even create audio summaries. These audio summaries are essentially AI-generated podcasts. The app aims to keep all the core features of the web version. One of the standout features of NotebookLM is its reliability. It bases its outputs on the documents and sources you provide. This means the AI is less likely to make up information because it's quoting directly from your sources. It's also easier to verify the answers since you can see the sources within the app. Google I/O 2025 is shaping up to be a big event for AI. Google has already hinted that the event will focus heavily on Gemini, its AI framework. NotebookLM is just one of the AI products that might get some attention. It will be interesting to see if Google has more innovative ideas to showcase. It's clear that Google is pushing hard into the AI space. With NotebookLM getting its own app, it's a sign that the company is serious about making AI tools more accessible. However, the real test will be how well these tools integrate into everyday use and how users respond to them.