NotebookLM Android app falls short of its AI desktop counterpart

Google’s NotebookLM stands out in the AI landscape by offering users control over their information sources, making it uniquely valuable for research and reference tasks. While the tool has gained a devoted following for its ability to help users parse complex documents like insurance quotes and technical manuals, its newly released Android app falls significantly short of the web version’s capabilities. This disconnect between platforms highlights the challenges tech companies face when translating feature-rich web applications to mobile environments.

The big picture: Google‘s NotebookLM distinguishes itself from general-purpose AI chatbots by allowing users to specify which sources the AI draws information from, creating a more controlled and trustworthy research experience.

• The tool has proven especially useful for analyzing complex documents like insurance quotes, medical plans, and car manuals.
• Despite its utility, NotebookLM lacked an Android app until recently, forcing mobile users to rely on workarounds to access the service.

Why the app disappoints: The new NotebookLM Android app significantly underdelivers compared to its web counterpart, missing critical functionality that defines the tool’s value proposition.

• The app lacks essential features including note-taking capabilities, source discovery functionality, and full language switching options.
• These omissions fundamentally compromise the core experience that makes NotebookLM valuable to its users.

What works well: Despite its limitations, the Android app does incorporate some attractive features.

• The app includes Audio Overviews, allowing users to listen to summaries of their notebooks.
• Its interface features smooth animations and thoughtful design elements that enhance visual appeal.

The bottom line: While the NotebookLM concept remains powerful, the current Android implementation falls short of expectations, leading the author to recommend sticking with the web interface until Google addresses the app’s limitations.

• The significant feature disparity between platforms creates a fragmented user experience that undermines NotebookLM’s utility on mobile.
• The author remains hopeful that Google will improve the app in future updates to match the functionality of the web version.