Industry

Free Gemini drops to Flash-Lite, and AI Plus reportedly loses Pro on 13 November

Free Gemini moved to Flash-Lite on 9 October, and AI Plus is reported to lose Pro models on 13 November. What each plan keeps, and what to check.

Multi Chats Team
October 24, 2026 · 5 min read

Since 9 October 2026, Gemini accounts without a Google AI plan have run on Flash-Lite by default. From 13 November 2026, according to emails Google has sent subscribers, AI Plus loses the option to pick Gemini's Pro models. Free users keep the app and most of its features. Plus subscribers keep Flash, Flash-Lite and their higher limits.

As of 19 October 2026, Google's own help page confirms the free change. The Plus date comes from Google One emails, quoted by 9to5Google on 14 October and Droid Life on 15 October.

If Gemini has felt quicker but thinner lately, or Google's email has just landed, this explains what changed and what to check.

What happened to free Gemini on 9 October

Google's help page says the changes "will start to take effect for users without an AI subscription on October 9th."

Free accounts now get a setting called Auto. Google describes it like this:

"Most prompts will go to Flash-Lite, our fastest model. Prompts that need deeper reasoning may go to Flash or Pro."

So a free prompt can still reach Pro. Gemini makes that call, prompt by prompt, and you can no longer choose Flash or Pro yourself.

  • Auto is the default. Google calls it "auto model selection".

  • Turning it off locks you to Flash-Lite. In Google's words, "chats for users without an AI plan will use Flash-Lite for all responses."

  • The model is reported to be Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite. 9to5Google reported this on 3 October. Google's help page just says "Flash-Lite, our fastest model".

What the free plan still includes

The free plan still includes plenty. Google's US plans page, checked on 19 October 2026, lists these on the $0 plan:

  • Image generation and editing

  • Deep Research

  • Gemini Live

  • Canvas

  • 15 GB of storage across Gmail, Drive and Photos

Limits work as before. Google says they refresh every five hours until you reach a weekly cap. Per Google's help page, AI Plus gets "2x higher than standard limits", AI Pro "4x", and AI Ultra "5x or 20x higher than AI Pro".

What AI Plus loses, reportedly from 13 November

Droid Life and 9to5Google quote the email:

"Starting on 13 November 2026, the ability to select Pro models in both the Gemini app and AI Mode in Google Search will only be available to Google AI Pro subscribers and above."

Pro will no longer be available in two places: the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search.

Google's help page gives the same picture. Its new table gives AI Plus a tick for Flash-Lite and Flash, and a cross under Pro.

It does not print a date. It says Plus subscribers "should receive an email that explains when these changes will take effect for you."

13 November is the reported date; your email gives the date that applies to you.

What AI Plus keeps

AI Plus keeps quite a lot on paper. From the email and Google's pages:

  • Flash-Lite and Flash. The email: "You'll still have access to our latest Flash-Lite model and Flash, built for speed and intelligence."

  • Your old chats. "Your previous chats using the Pro model can be continued with a different model."

  • Higher limits. Twice the free allowance, per the help page.

  • The extras. Google's US page lists video generation, Daily Brief, 200 Google Flow credits and 400 GB of storage.

The US price on that page is $4.99 a month, checked on 19 October 2026. Nothing reported so far says it will change.

Where Pro sits now

On Google's US plans page, "Access to our Pro model" appears under AI Pro at $19.99 a month and AI Ultra, which starts at $99.99. Those two plans also carry Gemini 4 Argon, Google's latest flagship.

Prices differ by country. Check the page for yours before comparing.

Four things to check before 13 November

Check these details before you decide.

  1. Find the email. Look for the Google One message about your AI Plus plan. It holds the date that applies to your account.

  2. Check your renewal date. If you pay monthly and renew shortly before the change, most of that month will be Flash and Flash-Lite only.

  3. Consider how often you pick Pro. If nearly everything you ask runs on Flash already, you may barely notice. If you rely on Pro for long documents or careful reasoning, you will.

  4. Test while you still can. Run your hardest recent prompt once on Flash and once on Pro. That shows what you would give up on the questions you actually ask.

The email itself adds: "You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time."

Where MultiChats fits, honestly

We cannot give you Gemini Pro back. We carry no Gemini Pro model and no Gemini 4 Argon.

Our model list, checked on 19 October 2026, includes:

  • Free plan: three Flash-Lite models, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, 3.1 Flash-Lite and 2.5 Flash-Lite.

  • Paid plans: those three plus Gemini 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash and 3 Flash.

You choose the model yourself in the picker.

We offer a second opinion. Free models from OpenAI, Meta, Mistral, DeepSeek and other makers sit in the same picker, and you can switch model partway through a conversation. Our guide to free AI chat with more than one model walks through that. For how Gemini compares with ChatGPT on everyday jobs, see Gemini vs ChatGPT for everyday use. Plans are in the pricing section.

What we do not know yet

  • Whether 13 November applies everywhere. The reports do not name countries, and Google says the date comes by email.

  • Refunds. Neither Google nor the reports mention partial refunds for people mid-cycle.

  • How often Auto steps up. Google has not said how often free prompts reach Flash or Pro.

  • What happens after the date. We will update this piece once 13 November has passed and we know how the change rolled out.