Google is shrinking the list of Gemini models you can use for free. Starting October 9, Gemini app users without a Google AI subscription are limited to Flash-Lite, and both Flash and Pro are no longer available to them.
The change is listed on Google’s help page with lays out the changes to Gemini model access and limits. The rules apply to personal accounts and follow the compute-based usage limits Google introduced in May.
Free Users Keep Only Flash-Lite While Google AI Plus Loses Pro
People without a plan can still use Flash-Lite after October 9. Google AI Plus subscribers drop to Flash-Lite and Flash, with Pro removed. Google says AI Plus subscribers will get an email explaining when the change reaches them, so that tier has no single date yet.
Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month in the US and is built around family sharing. This Google AI plans comparison covers how it stacks up against ChatGPT and Claude.
| Google AI plan | Flash-Lite | Flash | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without a plan | Yes | No | No |
| Google AI Plus | Yes | Yes | No |
| Google AI Pro | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google AI Ultra | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers lose nothing. The Flash tier is where Google released Gemini 3.7 Flash in August, a model focused on coding and agents. Google also recommends updating to the latest Gemini mobile app on iPhone and Android to get the best experience with the new model options.
Google AI Pro Gets Deep Think Plus Low, Medium and High Effort Levels
Google AI Pro, which costs $19.99 a month, now includes Deep Think, the option Google describes as maximum parallel reasoning. Google AI Ultra subscribers get it too.
Each available model also gets an effort level of low, medium or high. A higher setting improves how well the model completes tasks and how thorough its answers are, but it uses more of your usage limit.
Usage limits in the Gemini app are compute-based. Google works them out from the complexity of your prompt, the features you use and the length of your chat. The limit refreshes every 5 hours until you reach a weekly cap, and Pro, extended thinking and Deep Think all use it up faster than standard prompts.
Google AI Plus gets usage limits 2x higher than the standard limit, and Google AI Pro gets 4x.
Our Take
This is Google pushing free users toward a paid plan. Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month will buy less once the change reaches subscribers, and Google AI Pro picks up Deep Think at $19.99. The people who will notice first are free users in the US who lean on Flash for everyday work. After October 9, they will have Flash-Lite or a subscription.
