Starting October 9, 2026, people using the Gemini app without a paid Google AI subscription will only be able to pick one model: Flash-Lite. The two more capable options, Flash and Pro, disappear from the free model picker entirely. The change comes from an updated Google support page titled “Changes to Gemini model access and limits,” and it does not stop at free accounts — AI Plus subscribers paying $4.99 a month are losing access to Pro too, though on a date Google says it will email to them individually rather than a blanket October 9 cutoff.
TL;DR
From October 9, 2026, free Gemini app users (no subscription) can only select the Flash-Lite model; Flash and Pro are removed from the picker. AI Plus ($4.99/mo) keeps Flash but loses Pro, on a date communicated by email rather than October 9 itself. AI Pro ($19.99/mo) and AI Ultra ($99.99–$199.99/mo) keep every model and gain a new Deep Think option for AI Pro. Google is also adding low/medium/high “effort level” controls this month that affect how fast a single question burns through your usage limit.
What changes, by plan
Google’s support page lays out model availability after the change takes effect as a simple table, without listing prices on the page itself. Cross-checking against Google’s own subscription pages (gemini.google/subscriptions and one.google.com) fills in what each tier actually costs:
| Plan | Monthly price | Models available after Oct 9 | What’s new or removed |
|---|---|---|---|
| No subscription | $0 | Flash-Lite only | Flash and Pro removed from the picker entirely |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | Flash-Lite, Flash | Pro removed; affected users get an individual email with their effective date |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | Flash-Lite, Flash, Pro | Gains the Deep Think option (previously Ultra-only) |
| Google AI Ultra | $99.99 or $199.99 | Flash-Lite, Flash, Pro, Deep Think | Unchanged; 5x or 20x higher usage than AI Pro depending on the tier |
A note on model version numbers: Google’s own support page labels the three models simply “Flash-Lite,” “Flash,” and “Pro,” without version numbers. Some outlets covering this change (9to5Google, among others) have attached version numbers — Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, 3.6 Flash, 3.1 Pro — based on which models currently carry those names in the app. That mapping is reporting, not something Google states directly on the support page itself, so treat the specific version numbers as likely but not officially confirmed by Google for this particular announcement.
Why Google is doing this
This isn’t happening in isolation. Back on May 17, 2026, Google moved Gemini app usage accounting from simple prompt counts to compute-based limits that refresh every five hours until you hit a weekly cap, with the change reaching users under 18 on July 24. Under that system, paid tiers get a usage multiplier over the free baseline: AI Plus runs at 2x, AI Pro at 4x, and AI Ultra at 5x or 20x depending on which Ultra tier you’re on. Google’s own support page explicitly calls out which activities burn through that budget fastest — media generation, Deep Research, the Pro model, and extended-thinking or Deep Think modes.
Letting free and AI Plus users occasionally touch Pro, even in a capped way, still eats into that same compute budget. Removing Pro from the model picker outright, rather than capping it more aggressively, is a cleaner way for Google to guarantee the budget stays where it wants it.
The new “effort level” control
Alongside the model restrictions, Google’s support page describes a new setting: for each model you can still access, you’ll be able to choose an effort level of low, medium, or high. Google says higher effort levels improve the model’s ability to complete tasks and give more thorough answers, but also use up more of your usage limit per question. This mirrors a pattern already visible in Google AI Studio and Antigravity, and in other AI products that have started separating “which model” from “how hard that model tries” as two different dials to charge for.
This restriction applies to personal Google accounts. Google’s documentation does not address work, school, or enterprise Gemini deployments, which are reportedly tiered separately — if you use Gemini through an organization account, check with your admin rather than assuming this cutoff applies to you.
Free or AI Plus, after Oct 9
Free: Flash-Lite only, for quick, straightforward questions.
AI Plus ($4.99/mo): Flash-Lite plus Flash, still no Pro, 2x the usage allowance of free.
Fine for drafting, quick lookups, and casual chat; noticeably more limited for long documents, nuanced reasoning, or multi-step tasks that previously leaned on Pro.
AI Pro ($19.99/mo) or higher
Keeps Flash-Lite, Flash, and Pro, plus the new Deep Think access.
4x the usage allowance of free (20x on the top AI Ultra tier).
The entry point if a recurring task genuinely needs Pro-level reasoning rather than Flash’s faster, lighter responses.
FAQ
Does this affect Gemini inside Gmail, Docs, or Search’s AI Mode too?
Google’s support page specifically addresses model availability inside the Gemini app’s model picker. Gemini features baked into other Google products (Search’s AI Mode, Gmail, Docs) already have their own access rules tied to the same plan names, but this particular notice is about the standalone Gemini app and web experience.
I pay for AI Plus. When exactly do I lose Pro?
Google hasn’t published a fixed date for AI Plus subscribers. Its support page says affected users “should receive an email that explains when these changes will take effect” for their account, so the cutoff is rolling out individually rather than on October 9 for everyone.
Does picking a higher “effort level” cost extra money?
Not in dollars directly, but it uses up more of your existing usage limit per question, which means you’ll hit your five-hour or weekly cap faster if you leave effort set to high for routine questions.
Is this the same thing as the usage-limit change from earlier this year?
No. The May 2026 change was about how usage is measured — compute-based limits instead of a simple prompt count. This October change is a separate restriction on which models each plan can even select, on top of that existing usage-limit system.
Which plan is the cheapest way to keep Pro?
Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month is the lowest-priced tier that keeps Pro model access after October 9, and it’s also the first tier to add the Deep Think option, which was previously limited to the pricier AI Ultra plans.
Sources: Google’s own support page, “Changes to Gemini model access and limits“; Google’s official subscription pages at gemini.google/subscriptions and one.google.com; reporting from 9to5Google (Oct 3, 2026) on model version mapping and specific plan pricing context.
Researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources linked above, and published by MeasuredRun. How we use AI.