Google sets Gemini model limits for free and AI Plus users

Google says changes to Gemini model availability for personal-account users will begin in October 2026, and the changes for users without an AI subscription will start taking effect on October 9.[1] Those users will be limited to Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and will lose access to Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.1 Pro.[2] Before the restriction, the free tier offered access to 3.6 Flash and varying access to 3.1 Pro.[4] For anyone relying on those models, the practical step is to check which model their work uses and plan around the stated change date.[1][2]

Google says AI Plus subscribers will retain access to Flash-Lite and Flash, but not Pro.[2] The support page says Plus subscribers should receive an email explaining when the changes will take effect for them.[1] That means the general October timing does not by itself give every Plus subscriber an individual change date; Google directs those users to their email for that detail.[1] AI Pro subscribers are separately described as receiving access to Deep Think, which Google calls an option for maximum parallel reasoning.[1] The stated model access differs by subscription tier, so teams should verify the tier and models relevant to their own accounts before adjusting workflows.[2][1]

Google’s support page offers low, medium and high effort levels for each available Gemini model.[1] Google says higher effort can improve a model’s ability to complete tasks and provide more thorough answers, but it also uses more of a user’s limit.[1] Gemini’s compute-based usage limits refresh every five hours until the user reaches the weekly limit, and paid users have higher limits than users without a Google AI subscription.[3][1] Google describes Flash-Lite as efficient and designed for speed, for everyday tasks such as summarization and brainstorming.[3] Together, these details make model access only one planning factor: users may also need to consider task demands and how their usage fits within their limits.[1][3]