What you need to know
- NotebookLM is now powered by Gemini 3, replacing the Gemini 2.5 Flash model.
- The switch adds Google's "most intelligent model" to the note-taking and studying tool.
- Google says the change "brings significant improvements to NotebookLM's reasoning and multimodal understanding."
Google is rapidly rolling out features for NotebookLM, the company's AI-powered notebook that doubles as an advanced studying and learning tool. Last week, Gemini gained direct NotebookLM integration that allows users to pull their notebooks and sources into a Gemini conversation. Other recent improvements include Data Tables, which are a quick way to visualize information and export it to Google Sheets. Now, Google is officially confirming that NotebookLM runs on the latest and best Gemini models.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the NotebookLM account revealed that "NotebookLM is officially built on Gemini 3." Google calls Gemini 3 its "most intelligent model," adding that the change "brings significant improvements to NotebookLM's reasoning and multimodal understanding."
The switch to Gemini 3 was a highly-requested feature that came up "3x more than anything else," according to Google. Previously, NotebookLM was based on the Gemini 2.5 Flash mode. To use the latest Gemini 3 Flash and Pro models, NotebookLM users needed to switch to the Gemini app. Gemini 3 now powers the AI features within the NotebookLM app, including the chatbot, making it easier to access straight from user projects.
Checking your holiday wishlists, there's one request that's coming up 3x more than anything else... 🥁NotebookLM is OFFICIALLY built on Gemini 3!Google's most intelligent model, this brings significant improvements to NotebookLM's reasoning and multimodal understanding.December 19, 2025
It's not clear whether NotebookLM is using Gemini 3 Pro or Gemini 3 Flash, the quicker and lightweight AI model just announced last week. Historically, NotebookLM has included the Flash versions of new Gemini models, so Gemini 3 Flash is a safe bet.
If the studying and learning app is indeed powered by Gemini 3 Flash, it would be a major upgrade. This model delivers "frontier intelligence built for speed at a fraction of the cost" and outperforms Gemini 2.5 Pro, according to Google. However, Google says NotebookLM now possesses better multimodal reasoning and understanding, which could point to Gemini 3 Pro working behind the scenes.
Either way, a fast and powerful Gemini 3 model is now powering the AI features in your NotebookLM projects. You can try it now in the app, although there isn't a model picker or badge showing the change, as is typical for NotebookLM. The latest model switch continues a busy month for NotebookLM updates, which also included chat history support on mobile and the web.
