Google has started widely rolling out an audio recorder in Gemini Notebook on Android and iOS today, adding a microphone-based capture option after introducing Connected App integration last week. The recorder, first announced by Google in September, lets users capture lectures and record thoughts on the go, with a 1-hour capture limit.

A new microphone shortcut sits inside the notebook app

The feature appears as a microphone icon between the camera control and the Create New floating action button at the bottom of the screen. Launching the recorder from the homepage creates a new notebook from the audio file. If users tap the microphone from the Sources tab, the recording is saved to an existing Notebook.

That placement matters for the app’s workflow. Voice notes live directly alongside other sources, so users can chat with them, cite them, and build from them while making ongoing edits. The change puts spoken material inside the same notebook context as text, links, and connected sources.

Recording controls stay simple and run in the background

The recorder interface is minimal. It includes a pause button and a checkmark that starts the upload once recording is complete. A Gemini Notebook-themed waveform and live count appear above the controls.

Users can switch to another application or lock the screen while recordings continue in the background. The main boundary is the 1-hour capture limit, which defines the maximum length for a single recording.

If the recorder is not live on a device, the guidance is to force stop the app. The rollout is described as wide, but not necessarily immediate on every install.

Google also changes the Create New button

Google made a small interface tweak this week as well. Tapping the Create New floating action button now immediately starts a new notebook instead of sliding up the Add a source panel.

These updates follow the recent launch of the Live button in the Chat tab. That feature lets users have a real-time conversation with their notebooks, adding another interactive layer to the app.

What readers should watch next

For Gemini Notebook users, the audio recorder turns voice capture into a direct notebook source. The practical value is convenience: a recording can move straight into the same place where notes are cited, edited, and discussed. The next thing to watch is how widely the microphone icon appears on Android and iOS devices, and whether Google expands recording controls beyond the current 1-hour limit.

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