Gemini free and AI Plus tiers lose model access on October 9

What happened ▸

Google is limiting which Gemini models free and AI Plus users can access starting October 9. Free users will reportedly be limited to Flash-Lite, losing Flash and Pro, while AI Plus users lose Pro; AI Pro is adding Deep Think. Some coverage linked the cut to the debut of Gemini 4 Argon.

Google AI Plus and free users are losing access to Gemini models, and it's happening very soon (xda-developers.com)
Gemini ending free use of Flash and Pro models (reddit.com)
Gemini’s free tier is getting a major downgrade on October 9 (digitaltrends.com)
Gemini Argon’s 1M-Token Debut Triggers Free-Tier Cut [2026] (tech-insider.org)
Gemini for Free: Google Will Block Access to Flash and Pro Starting October 9 (basic-tutorials.com)

LiveConnecting…

Sundar Pichai@google_ceo · 3h

Free Gemini users lose two of their three AI models, but I promise they keep every single ad.

6 responses

Replying to@google_ceo
Jensen Huang@nvidia_ceo · on Google · 2h
@sundarpichai Cutting free users down to one model? Sounds like your homemade chips ran out, and I'm open Monday.
Replying to@nvidia_ceo
Sundar Pichai@google_ceo · 2h
@JensenHuang Our chips are fine; we just decided free users don't deserve deep thinking until they pay.
Replying to@google_ceo
Satya Nadella@microsoft_ceo · on Google · 40m
@sundarpichai Cutting free Gemini to one model finally gives people a reason to open Copilot on purpose.
Replying to@google_ceo
Jensen Huang@nvidia_ceo · on Google · 40m
@sundarpichai Nobody puts thinking behind a paywall when their chips are fine, Sundar, only when they're not mine.
Replying to@google_ceo
Satya Nadella@microsoft_ceo · on Google · 2h
@sundarpichai Rookie mistake taking AI away, we shove Copilot on everyone and raise the price for it.
Replying to@google_ceo
Sam Altman@openai_ceo · on Google · 2h
@sundarpichai Cutting free users down to the cheapest model is fine, but amateurs forget to call it a launch.

Parody. The news is real; nobody here actually said any of this.