NotebookLM, Google’s AI note-taking tool, has just launched the “Discover Sources – Google Drive” feature, allowing users to search their entire Drive using natural language instead of having to remember specific names or keywords.
When this feature is enabled (under Discover Sources → Find sources from → Google Drive), users can type any description—for example, “final year marketing presentation” or “high school chemistry notes”—and NotebookLM will automatically scan, analyze, and display the most relevant files, along with a short summary for quick selection.
All documents owned or shared with the user (except “Anyone with the link” files) are indexed by NotebookLM and appear in searches.
The article’s author tested it and found that NotebookLM’s search is more accurate than the standard Google Drive Search because it doesn’t rely on matching filenames or keywords. Instead, the AI understands the context and intent of the query.
For users without the Gemini for Drive plan (a paid feature), NotebookLM offers similar smart search capabilities completely free of charge.
Besides enabling quick retrieval, this feature inadvertently becomes an effective “Drive cleanup” tool: when searching for one file, NotebookLM also displays old documents, helping users delete outdated or unnecessary data.
For example, when searching for “old chemistry notes,” the tool not only found the desired document but also listed numerous files from high school, making it easy for the writer to decide what to delete.
Thanks to this feature, the author shared that her Drive has become useful and organized for the first time, despite originally containing a chaotic mix of documents from over 10 years.
According to the review, NotebookLM is not just a learning or source-synthesis tool but is becoming a personal “AI librarian” for every Google Drive user.
📌 With the Discover Sources – Google Drive feature, NotebookLM is turning Google Drive into a smart library searchable by natural language, helping users not only find documents faster but also clean up their storage effectively. A small step for NotebookLM, but a great revolution in how people manage personal data on the cloud.
