Given how much I love NotebookLM and how often I use the tool, if it got no new features beyond its iconic Audio Overviews and Mind Maps, I’d likely not complain. At the same time, new features are always exciting, especially when they genuinely change the way you use a tool.

NotebookLM recently launched one that not a lot of people are talking about, and honestly, it’s pretty incredible: its new personal learning assistant. I've been playing around with it since I got access to it, and in just a little time, it's managed to completely transform how I use the tool.

What exactly is NotebookLM's Learning Guide feature?

No more one-shot answers

If you use ChatGPT often, you might have noticed it added a Study and Learn mode not too long ago. Instead of ChatGPT simply spitting out the answer when you ask a question, the tool guides you through the reasoning process, asking follow-up questions and nudging you to think critically.

Despite not being a fan of ChatGPT in general, I’ve found myself reaching for the tool a lot more simply because of how helpful the Study mode is. Soon after ChatGPT announced this mode, Gemini followed with its Guided Learning mode, which worked in pretty much the same way. When Gemini launched the mode, my first thought was: “Why isn’t this on NotebookLM yet?” Weeks later, Google announced NotebookLM was getting a Learning Guide mode, alongside new learning tools like Flashcards and Quizzes.

Similar to ChatGPT’s Study mode I just mentioned, NotebookLM’s Learning Guide option acts as a personal tutor and breaks down problems step by step instead of just giving you quick answers. The feature “encourages participation with probing, open-ended questions.” When you ask most AI tools a question, you’re usually served the answer first, followed by maybe a brief explanation.

NotebookLM’s Learning Guide mode flips that approach and prompts you to think critically and engage with your material before revealing the solution. You can find this feature by opening an existing notebook or creating a new one, and then tapping the Configure Notebook setting in the Chat panel. All you need to do then is select Learning Guide under the Define your conversational style header.

While the Learning Guide mode didn’t roll out at the same time as the other features like Flashcards, it finally started rolling out on September 23. Though the rest of the learning features were certainly exciting, I have to admit I was most excited about the Learning Guide mode.

NotebookLM's Learning Guide is the best way to learn new concepts

No better option when you’re starting fresh

While NotebookLM's features like Flashcards are great when you're revising concepts you already know, they aren't particularly helpful when you're learning something new. When I’m learning a concept I’m not too familiar with, I often rely on the Chat panel, where you can ask the AI any questions you may have about the sources.

NotebookLM then gives you source-grounded answers, complete with citations. The problem is, the Chat panel usually gives you a neat answer straight away, which doesn’t always help with long-term understanding. The responses are also often extremely detailed and lengthy, which doesn’t always make them easy to digest when you’re just starting out.

I’ve been testing the Learning Guide mode, and it solves all of these issues. For instance, I decided to use it with the notebook I created to learn Swift. I had originally used the notebook to learn the language back when the Learning Guide option wasn’t available, so I already had experience with how the usual mode worked in that specific context. Though I got the job done with the usual mode as well, I noticed a huge difference in how I absorbed the material with Learning Guide.

Right off the bat, I started with a simple message explaining what my intention was:

In the Default mode, NotebookLM dives right into the basics and begins explaining the content. In Learning Guide mode, though, the first thing it did was ask me about my current familiarity with Swift. Here’s exactly what NotebookLM asked:

This allowed NotebookLM to personalize the learning process right from the start. Since I already know three programming languages, I let NotebookLM know, and I also mentioned that I’d love to build apps. Once it had an idea of my familiarity level, it broke down Swift basics into four main areas, and started with each fundamental.

Each fundamental it highlighted was also broken into further parts, and NotebookLM explained each one. It then wrapped up with a question tied to each part, and I had to answer it to move forward. This turned what would’ve normally been a passive explanation into an interactive learning session.

For example, after walking me through Swift’s basic data types, it asked me:

Only after I attempted an answer did it show me the correct solution and explain why it worked. The back-and-forth meant I was actively engaging with the content, not just passively skimming over a block of text. Since I’ve noticed that NotebookLM’s explanations tend to be briefer than usual in this mode, you might sometimes feel like the responses aren’t enough and still have questions.

Fortunately, you can continue asking follow-up questions just like you would in the Chat panel, and NotebookLM will expand on its explanations (and even throw in a couple of open-ended questions of its own to keep you thinking).

You can make your own custom assistant now too

Make NotebookLM work exactly how you want

With the introduction of the Learning Guide mode, NotebookLM also added the ability to shape the AI into exactly the kind of assistant you need at any time. You can do this using the Custom mode, which essentially lets you describe how you'd like the AI to behave.

I’ve already been experimenting with it in my workflow, and it’s a feature that’s convincing me to ditch all my other productivity apps. For example, I replaced my AI scheduling tool with a custom chat setup inside NotebookLM, and even automated my meeting note-taking process by creating a custom assistant that summarizes and organizes my transcripts for me.

Though the Learning Guide feature is set in stone and you can't customize it much (beyond response length), the Custom mode gives you full rein over how NotebookLM responds. You can define its role, set the level of detail in answers, and even guide the style or tone of responses.

I only wish NotebookLM added the Learning Guide option sooner

I’m not exaggerating when I say this, but I simply can’t remember what it was like studying before I discovered NotebookLM. I’ve been using it since Google was testing it out in Labs as an experimental offering, and it’s since become an essential part of my workflow. I only wish the Learning Guide feature was available sooner — it would’ve saved me a bunch of trial-and-error sessions and countless hours of piecing concepts together on my own.