NotebookLM — iPhone study companion
Google’s NotebookLM is a free, AI-driven note app for iPhone that helps you organize and interact with your learning materials. It combines machine learning features with a simple interface so you can store, search, and review content more efficiently.
What it can do for you
- Ask the built-in AI direct questions about any documents or media you’ve added, getting concise answers based on your files.
- Turn written notes into spoken audio so you can listen on the go or review while multitasking.
- Store a variety of file types—PDFs, web pages, and videos—and keep everything in one personalized notebook.
- Provide source-aware responses with in-line citations to help verify where information came from.
- Work offline so your notes and select features remain available without a network connection.
Who benefits most
Students, researchers, and busy professionals will find NotebookLM useful for study sessions, quick research checks, and preparing summaries or presentations. Its mix of searchable notebooks and interactive AI makes it suitable for anyone who needs to process and retain information more effectively.
Free alternative to consider
Paper (by WeTransfer) is a good no-cost alternative if you want a lighter, more design-focused note tool. It emphasizes sketching and visual note-taking rather than deep AI-driven questioning, so it’s a better fit for creative workflows.
How to get started
- Download NotebookLM from the App Store and sign in with your Google account.
- Create a notebook and upload sample files—try a PDF and a saved web page first.
- Ask the AI a few questions about those uploads to see how summaries and citations are produced.
- Toggle offline settings if you need access without internet connectivity.
Quick tips
- Use audio conversion for commuting review sessions.
- Keep related files together in one notebook to improve the relevance of AI responses.
- Check the provided citations when using answers for research or coursework.
Technical
- Android
- iPhone
- Free