Gemini Notebook builds quizzes from a linked Google Play ebook
Google said Sept. 17, 2026, that Gemini Notebook can ground answers in Google Play ebooks and turn them into quizzes, audio and infographics.
Gemini Notebook can now pull in an ebook a user has bought from Google Play Books and answer questions grounded in that book’s text, a capability Google calls “Expert Intelligence” that turns a purchased title into research material rather than just something to read, Google said in a post on the Workspace Updates blog.
How it works
Google’s post is dated Sept. 17, 2026. Users add a compatible ebook directly into a notebook and ask Gemini questions grounded in the book’s text, Google said. More than 100,000 books from major publishers are available at launch, according to the post.
What it generates
Users can combine a linked book with their own materials, such as a class syllabus or lecture notes, to generate outputs including audio overviews and practice quizzes, Google said. Gemini Notebook can also generate infographics from a linked book, according to the post.
Rollout and access
The feature is rolling out now to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains, Google said. It is available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers and users with personal Google accounts, provided Gemini Notebook, Google Play and Google Books are enabled for them, according to the post.
Google Workspace for Education Plus and Teaching & Learning add-on customers can use a “Buy for Groups” option to allocate books to students without giving those students full Google Play access, Google said.
A free book at launch
As part of the launch, Google is giving away one free book to eligible U.S. users age 18 and older, while supplies last, according to the post.
Analysis
The feature’s real asset is the catalog, not the model. A notebook that could previously only ground answers in whatever a user uploaded can now cite the text of more than 100,000 commercially published books. That ties Gemini Notebook’s usefulness to a purchase from the Play Books store, not just an upload from a user’s own files.
Buy for Groups is a narrow accommodation. It lets an Education Plus or Teaching & Learning school license a book for a class without handing every student a full Google Play account. Google’s post says nothing about what that licensing costs against buying print copies at the same scale.
The free-book giveaway is limited to eligible U.S. users 18 and older, while supplies last. That limit points to legal caution about giving away licensed content, not an offer meant for every market the feature reaches.