Google is about to tighten what the Gemini app offers to people who don't pay. Starting October 9, free users will be limited to the Flash-Lite model, losing access to the faster Flash and the more capable Pro models, according to an updated support document reported by 9to5Google.
The change follows the compute-based usage shift Google introduced in May. Paying subscribers are affected too: AI Plus members at $4.99 per month will keep Flash-Lite and Flash but lose Pro, and Google says they will receive an email explaining when the changes take effect. AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers see no reductions.
What each Gemini tier gets
The Gemini app now splits users into clear tiers based on what they pay. Free accounts lose the most ground, while the $19.99 per month AI Pro plan actually gains a feature previously reserved for the most expensive subscriptions.
- Free users: limited to Flash-Lite, with no access to Flash or Pro models from October 9.
- AI Plus ($4.99/month): keeps Flash-Lite and Flash, loses Pro access.
- AI Pro ($19.99/month): no regressions, plus new access to Deep Think for maximum parallel reasoning.
- AI Ultra ($99.99 and $199.99/month): unchanged, and already had Deep Think.
