Google Gemini Gets Notebooks Feature for Project Organization

Google announced Wednesday that Gemini is receiving a new "notebooks" feature designed to help users organize and maintain context around specific projects and topics. The feature allows users to store files, past conversations, and custom instructions together, which Gemini can then reference during conversations.

Key Details

Notebooks function similarly to OpenAI's Projects feature, which launched in 2024. Google describes notebooks as "personal knowledge bases shared across Google products, starting in Gemini." The distinguishing factor is integration with Google's existing NotebookLM AI research tool—sources added in either application automatically sync between both platforms.

The feature is rolling out this week on the web for subscribers to Gemini's Ultra, Pro, and Plus tiers. Mobile access and availability for free Gemini users will arrive in the "coming weeks," according to Google's announcement.

How It Works

Users can pull multiple elements into a single notebook:

• Files and documents
• Previous conversations and chat history
• Custom instructions for consistent behavior

Gemini draws on this compiled information as context during interactions, enabling more focused and informed conversations about a specific project or topic.

Competitive Context

This move positions Gemini more directly against ChatGPT's existing Projects feature, which allows users to bundle conversations, files, and settings by topic. Google's advantage lies in native integration with NotebookLM, its dedicated research and synthesis tool, creating a cohesive ecosystem for document-based work.

What This Means

Google is addressing a core organizational challenge in AI assistants: keeping context fragmented across multiple conversations and file uploads. By bundling related information into notebooks that persist and sync across Google's AI products, the company reduces friction for users managing complex projects. The phased rollout—prioritizing paid subscribers—follows a typical monetization strategy, though free-tier access is planned. This feature matters less as a technical innovation and more as competitive parity with ChatGPT, signaling Google's commitment to feature velocity in conversational AI.