Google will restrict access to its Gemini models for non-subscription users starting October 9, 2026. The free offering will only retain Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, while Gemini Flash and Pro will be reserved for paying subscribers.
Free Gemini loses two AI models
Until now, Gemini users without a subscription could choose from several AI models with usage limits that varied based on the computing power consumed. However, starting October 9, Google will remove access to Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.1 Pro for these accounts, leaving only Flash-Lite. The signature specifies in your documentation that the change affects personal accounts and will begin on this date for users without a paid subscription.
The change also affects Google AI Plus, the offer that is currently billed at 4.99 euros per month. Your subscribers will keep Flash-Lite and Flash, but will lose access to Gemini Pro. Google says they will receive an email specifying when the change will take effect in their account. Subscriptions to Google AI Pro (21.99 euros per month) and Google AI Ultra (99.99 euros per month) will not suffer a drop in model.
The new distribution is therefore especially clear: free accounts remain in Flash-Lite, Google AI Plus maintains Flash-Lite and Flash, while Google AI Pro and AI Ultra maintain the three models. Google is also adding Deep Think to the AI Pro and AI Ultra offerings, a feature designed for maximum parallel reasoning, previously reserved for AI Ultra.
Google also reinforces its limits system
This development comes after the modification of Gemini’s quota system in May. Google is no longer limited to counting requests: usage depends, in particular, on the complexity of the message, the requested functionalities and the duration of the conversation. Limits reset every five hours until the weekly limit is reached, while paid plans benefit from higher installments.
Google also offers three effort levels, “low,” “medium,” and “high,” for available AI models. A higher level of effort should allow the model to produce deeper answers, but will consume more user share.
The timing makes this decision particularly notable: Google announced Gemini 4 Argon a few days ago. This new model intended for complex tasks will be implemented first among testers and Google AI Ultra subscribers, and its final positioning in the Gemini range is yet to be clarified.
For free users, the consequence is immediate: starting October 9, the choice of model will largely disappear in favor of Flash-Lite. Google thus reserves the most powerful models with advanced reasoning functions for payment plans, although the Gemini 4 Argon is already preparing the next stage of its range.
