Google is cutting back what free users can do with its Gemini artificial intelligence tools, and the change will hit anyone who relies on the free version.
The tech giant quietly refreshed its support page to spell out new rules for reaching its top-tier models. Under the new setup, anyone without a paid Google AI subscription will be stuck with Gemini 3.5-Flash-Lite only. That means people who do not pay will lose the ability to use Gemini 3.6 Flash and any later editions of the model, which they can still reach right now.
The change comes as Google keeps pumping out updates to its smaller Gemini models on a near-monthly basis. Gemini 3.8 Flash showed up in September. So far, there is no word on a Gemini 3.9 Flash. Even so, Google has already kicked off private testing of Gemini 4, known internally as Argon, before handing it to the broader public. That launch could also bring the first advanced reasoning model since Gemini 3.1 Pro.
| Google AI Plan | Flash-Lite | Flash | Pro |
| FREE | ✓ | X | X |
| AI Plus | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| AI Pro | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI Ultra | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
But ahead of those arrivals, Google is pulling back on how much each subscription tier can use. The revised support page, spotted first by 9to5Google, makes the new boundaries clear.
| Plan | Limit | Price per month |
| FREE | Standard limits | Php0 |
| AI Plus | 2x higher than standard limits | Php285 |
| AI Pro | 4x higher than standard limits | Php1,100 |
| AI Ultra | 5x or 20x higher than AI Pro depending on your subscription | Php5,999 to Php11,900 |
For the moment, the bottom line is straightforward. If you use Gemini without a Google AI subscription, you will be shifted down to Gemini 3.5-Flash-Lite. Those who pay will hold on to the newer and more powerful models.
Google has not given a specific date for when these caps kick in, though the support page update points to the change arriving this October. More news about Gemini 4 Argon and other upcoming models is expected from the company in the coming months.