Published on October 7, 2026 · The mitza.es team
From 9 October 2026, Google changes which Gemini models each type of personal account can use in the app. Free accounts will be left with only Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and lose access to Flash (3.6) and Pro (3.1). AI Plus subscribers will keep Flash-Lite and Flash but will also lose Pro, as reported by El Español and Infobae.
If someone in your company uses free Gemini to write emails, summarise documents or prepare proposals, from that date they will be doing it with a lighter model, and nobody may tell them so explicitly.
What changes, plan by plan
- No subscription: Flash-Lite only. Loses Flash and Pro.
- AI Plus: Flash-Lite and Flash. Loses Pro. According to several outlets, Google will email subscribers the exact date the change will apply to their account.
- AI Pro and AI Ultra: keep Flash-Lite, Flash and Pro.
In addition, usage limits are measured in compute resources and renew every five hours; heavier features such as image generation or Deep Research use up more of your quota, according to MadBoxPC. El Español adds that Google is introducing the option to choose the effort level (low, medium or high) on each model, although a higher effort uses more quota.
What it means for a small business
Flash-Lite is the lightweight variant of the family: enough for simple tasks, such as rephrasing a short text or summarising an email, but not designed for the most demanding work, such as analysing long documents or reasoning over a lot of data. The risk isn't that Gemini stops working, but that the results get worse without anyone noticing: a weaker summary, a less precise explanation.
A simple check: from 9 October, repeat three or four tasks you do often and compare the result with what you used to get. If the difference matters in your work, you have a decision to make.
This change brings up another point: a free personal account is governed by consumer terms, not by a business contract. Before putting customer data into any AI tool, check which terms apply. The GDPR doesn't distinguish between a free tool and a paid one, and the AEPD keeps issuing fines, as we saw in the 2026 fines on Vodafone, Amadeus and Aena.
Workspace and work accounts: what we know and what we don't
The sources we've reviewed describe the change for personal Gemini app accounts, and none announces equivalent restrictions for managed Google Workspace accounts. They don't explicitly rule it out either, so if your company uses Workspace, don't assume anything: check with your administrator or provider which models your users have available.
Three paths to decide
- Stay on the free version and adjust expectations. Fine if your use is occasional and simple.
- Pay for the plan you need. AI Plus no longer includes Pro; if you need it, the step up is AI Pro. Work out the cost per person against the hours you save, and try it with one person before buying for the whole team.
- Don't depend on a single provider. Other free tools also have limits that change, and AI services go down, as we saw in the ChatGPT outages in August. Document your processes so you can switch tools without stopping the business.
If you're thinking of investing in AI, also check whether there is funding that fits your case: what it covers and when it will be available is explained in our article on Kit Digital AI and in the one on Plan IA360. And to go over no-cost options, see our guide to free AI tools for small businesses.
How we can help
If you want to use AI in a way that doesn't depend on an employee's free account, for example to handle customers on WhatsApp, we help you set it up with the right tools: the details are in our WhatsApp Business AI automation service. And if what you want is to free up hours in your day-to-day, start with the automations that really save a small business time.