Google rebrands NotebookLM as Gemini Notebook with Gemini 3.5 upgrades coming

Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook, absorbing the beloved research-and-synthesis tool into its flagship AI brand, per 9to5Google and the company's blog. The rebrand comes with a promise of Gemini 3.5 and 'Antigravity' upgrades for AI Pro subscribers, plus tighter integration with Google Search's AI Mode.

NotebookLM built a devoted following — particularly for its Audio Overviews feature — as a standalone product with its own identity, which is exactly why the rename drew mixed reactions on Hacker News (256 points, 129 comments). Some users see brand consolidation as sensible; others worry a distinctive, well-loved tool is being homogenized into Google's sprawling Gemini umbrella and could lose the focus that made it special.

The move is part of a broader Google push to make 'Gemini' the single consumer-facing AI brand across Workspace, Search, and standalone apps — a coherence play after years of fragmented AI product names. The timing is awkward: it lands the same week Google's actual flagship model, Gemini 3.5 Pro, slipped its launch, so tying Gemini Notebook's future upgrades to Gemini 3.5 puts a delayed model on the critical path. Watch whether the promised upgrades ship on schedule or inherit the flagship's delays.