Google published a set of learning features across both Search and Gemini on August 19, 2026, timed to the new school year12. Search gets five additions; on the Gemini side, alongside expanded study tools, there is a move on price: eligible college students get a paid plan free for one year2.
The day before, on August 18, OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens, which routes under-18 users automatically. Two major labs went after learning in the same week, by fairly different means.
On the Search side: quizzes, Lens, and notebooks that move
Google frames this as new ways to level up learning through AI in Search, with education tools it says are built to be safe by design1. Five items are listed.
The first is interactive visuals. Search generates custom tools and simulations that let you see complex topics in action. The example given is searching “ph scale” and getting an interactive visual inside an AI Overview to understand the basics1. Generative UI capabilities have launched globally in English in AI Mode and have started rolling out in AI Overviews as well1.
The second is practice quizzes. Customized quizzes are available directly in Search for any subject, from science and math to humanities and foreign languages. For standardized tests, the supported list is ACT, AP, ENEM, GRE, JEE, LSAT, MCAT, NEET, and SAT1. Google says partnerships with The Princeton Review, Careers360, PhysicsWallah, and Akira Enem let the quizzes draw on content from test-prep experts1. Practice quizzes are globally available in English free of charge, in both AI Overviews and AI Mode1.
The third is Lens. In the coming weeks, snapping a photo of what you are working on returns an AI Overview that explains, pinpoints where you may have made mistakes, and coaches you when you are stumped1. That experience rolls out globally in English over the coming weeks1.
The fourth is bringing Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) notebooks into AI Mode1. You can set up a notebook per class or project and add sources such as class slides, syllabi, and web articles — including previous AI Mode threads on related topics1. Existing notebooks appear automatically in Search, syncing sources and instructions across Google products1. The rollout runs over the coming days across more than 180 countries in English, with local language support to follow1. A footnote states that the European Economic Area (EEA) is excluded1.
The fifth is custom file creation. Based on uploaded files or AI Mode threads, Search can produce ready-to-use study documents — the example is adding a photo of handwritten notes alongside lecture slides and asking for a one-pager of the key concepts1. This has rolled out globally in English in AI Mode and will come to AI Overviews soon1. To start, it covers documents, slide presentations, spreadsheets, and text files1.
On the Gemini side: read the terms of the free year first
The price move is what stands out. Eligible US college students get Google AI Pro free for one year, valued at $19.99 a month2. That unlocks 4x higher usage limits in Gemini, access to Gemini Spark, Gemini in Google apps like Gmail and Google Docs, 5 TB of storage, Google Health Premium, and more2. Outside the US, the offer is Google AI Plus free for one year, covering Gemini Omni, 2x higher usage limits, 400 GB of storage, and more2. A footnote scopes it to eligible students in over 140 markets where Google AI Plus is available, excluding the US, Bolivia, Albania, Canada, Macau, Hong Kong, and Tunisia2. For students who want ad-free music and video streaming, there is a bundle of Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium for up to 70% off2.
The conditions sit in footnotes, and they apply to both offers. Each must be redeemed by December 31, 2026 and requires a valid form of payment at sign-up, and unless cancelled earlier, billing starts automatically after the trial ends — $19.99 a month for Google AI Pro in the US, and $4.99 a month or the local currency equivalent for Google AI Plus outside it2. Cancellation is available at any time, but the free year ends in active billing unless someone acts.
On features, the Gemini app gains a dedicated student hub. From there you can start a study notebook, create flashcards, take a practice quiz, and more, and Google says future learning tools will appear there too2. It lives at gemini.google.com/students2.
Study notebooks themselves launched in June. Upload your own class materials such as lecture notes and Gemini sets up a gameplan that breaks the topics down. A diagnostic quiz identifies knowledge gaps so it can craft custom, bite-sized lessons and quizzes, with a real-time progress dashboard2. In the coming weeks, lessons will include graphs and images, and — with permission — Gemini will schedule key dates such as exams and assignment deadlines from a syllabus into Google Calendar2.
Interactive visualizations return responses containing visual elements such as tables, grids, and simulations built for the specific question; asking to see how DNA works in 3D yields a structure you can rotate and zoom2. Gemini Live also gains Deep Research: launch a multi-step research report, then close the chat or lock your screen, and Gemini works asynchronously in the background and notifies you when the report is ready2. The student hub, study notebooks, interactive visualizations, and Deep Research in Gemini Live are rolling out from that day to all Gemini app users2.
Free distribution, and where materials live
Both companies moved on education the same week, but the approaches contrast. OpenAI sorted users at the entrance by age and turned protections on by default. Google ships features to everyone and takes the price to zero for students.
Free distribution is not unusual, but twelve months of a plan at this level suggests conversion is part of the plan. Having reached the point where the Gemini app crossed one billion monthly users, the next question is how those users move to paid tiers. It follows the same pattern as setting a half-price introductory rate for Gemini 3.7 Flash through the end of the year — price used as the door.
For anyone who is not a student, the notebook change may matter more in practice. Sources and instructions sync between Gemini Notebook, the Gemini app, and AI Mode in Search1. Where you keep materials determines which tools can reach them, and that line just moved. The EEA exclusion for notebooks in AI Mode is a reminder that the available shape differs by region1.
The automatic switch to billing is the kind of term worth stating up front when recommending this at a school or at home. The amount differs by region, but either way signing up sets a date a year out that someone has to decide about.
Sources
- 5 new ways to level up your learning with Search - Google official blog (August 19, 2026)
- Start the semester with one year of Gemini, on us - Google official blog (August 19, 2026)