Gemini “Projects” may get a new name and a powerful NotebookLM tie-in

Source: Android Authority

TL;DR

• Google app v17.8.59 contains code suggesting that the “Projects” feature in Gemini could be renamed “Notebooks.”
• The Notebooks feature appears to sync with NotebookLM, allowing users to share files and chats across both platforms.
• Notebooks will let users group chats by topic, upload multiple sources, and set custom instructions for the AI.

New clues about Gemini “Projects”

Gemini is a powerful tool, but keeping conversations and files organized has been a challenge for frequent users. Other AI assistants let you group and organize files and conversations into “projects,” and we previously spotted that Google was working on a similar feature. Recent code hints suggest that Google may rename “Projects” to Notebooks and integrate it with NotebookLM.

Code snippets

• Introducing Notebooks
• Level up your projects | Powered by NotebookLM
• Notebooks keep your work and ideas organized. You can add context and tell Gemini how to help.
• Add files that Gemini can reference in your notebook

These strings indicate a rename from “Projects” to Notebooks, aligning with NotebookLM’s branding.

• Notebooks are available in both Gemini App and NotebookLM. Like NotebookLM, the files you add to your Notebook as a Source in Gemini App are not used directly for training our foundational models. Chats with your Notebook in Gemini Apps are saved according to your Keep Activity settings and used as described in Gemini Apps Privacy notice. You can still add Source files to your Notebooks, even if your Keep Activity setting is off. Learn more.

Users will be able to add files to their Notebook in both Gemini and NotebookLM. The added files serve as a source for Gemini but are not used to train Gemini’s foundational models.

• Group chats by topic
• Upload up to %1$d sources
• Set custom instructions

With Notebooks, users can group chats by topic and set custom instructions—functionality previously discovered for Projects.

• Add to notebook
• Move to notebook
• Rename notebook
• This will permanently delete all chats and files in this notebook from Gemini and NotebookLM. To save any chats, you can move them first.

Deleting a Notebook will remove all associated chats and files from both Gemini and NotebookLM, confirming cross‑platform availability.

What this means for users

• Unified organization: A Notebook created in Gemini will be accessible in NotebookLM and vice versa.
• Separate use‑cases: NotebookLM focuses strictly on uploaded source material, while Gemini can also reference the broader internet. Notebooks may let users switch between these modes without managing files in two places.
• Potential rename: Strings related to “Projects” still appear in the current app version, suggesting the rename to Notebooks is still in progress.

⚠️ An APK teardown can predict future features based on work‑in‑progress code, but there’s no guarantee that predicted features will reach a public release.