Google rolls out Mind Maps in NotebookLM, more

Following last week’s announcement, Google has rolled out the ability to create Mind Maps in NotebookLM. It joins a number of other additions that the research tool has received recently.

Mind Maps will “transform the key concepts from your sources into an interactive visual map.” In the Chat pane, “Mind Map” appears alongside the shortcuts for Add note and Audio Overview.

For example, a biology student working on their thesis about Coral Reef Ecosystem Decline might upload research papers and see a mind map of “Ocean Acidification,” “Rising Sea Temperatures,” “Pollution,” and “Overfishing.”

Mind Maps you create appear in the Notes list. There’s a fullscreen UI (with the ability to download as a static image), while tapping a branch will minimize it to let you interact with the chat. They can help you “explore connections, navigate complex topics with ease, and gain a deeper understanding of your materials.” As of today, Mind Maps are rolled out to all NotebookLM users.

Google also announced Settings (which cannot be tapped on the homepage if you’re on mobile in a layout bug) > Output Language. This picker will let you “select your output language within NotebookLM” for “study guides, briefing documents, and chat responses.” This is not yet widely available.

Meanwhile, earlier in the month, Google shared how citations now appear in notes saved from chat (Q&A) responses.

Another top request lets you uncheck/select sources when generating notes (Study guide, FAQ, Mind Maps, etc.) and Audio Overviews, just like with chats.

When using Q&A, a nice quality-of-life improvement means the chat no longer auto-scrolls to the bottom. This saves you from having to scroll back to the start of longer responses.

NotebookLM is now using a Gemini 2.0 “thinking” model for “smarter answers.” It’s unclear if this is 2.0 Flash Thinking or 2.5 Pro. Google also shipped “Long Context upgrades” for those with larger notebooks.