Google Gemini

Google Gemini is Google’s AI assistant for writing, research, coding, image and video creation, and background tasks across Gmail, Docs, Drive and other Google apps. As of September 2026 it runs on Gemini 3.8 Flash and Gemini 3.1 Pro, adds the Gemini Spark agent on paid plans, and starts free, with Google AI Plus at $4.99 and AI Pro at $19.99 per month.

Last updated: September 2026

What is Google Gemini?

Gemini is both Google’s family of AI models and the consumer assistant app built on them. The app runs on the web at gemini.google.com, on Android and iOS, and as a desktop app for macOS (April 2026) and Windows 10 and 11 (September 10, 2026), where Alt + Space opens it over any window.

Its main advantage is its reach into Google’s own products: connect Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Maps and YouTube, and Gemini can work with your own data.

Which Gemini models does the app use?

In 2026 the Flash line has moved fast while the Pro line has not changed since February. In the app, the model menu shows three options from the Gemini 3 family (Flash-Lite, Flash and Pro), plus thinking levels.

Thinking levels let you trade speed for depth: Standard (the default), Extended for harder problems, and Deep Think, which Google reserves for AI Ultra. A Gemini 3.5 Pro model was promised at Google I/O in May 2026 but had not shipped as of late September, so Gemini 3.1 Pro is still the top Pro model.

Key features of Google Gemini

Gemini Spark, a 24/7 personal agent

Gemini Spark, introduced at I/O 2026, is an agent that works in the background on tasks you assign. According to Google, it works natively with Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, YouTube and Google Maps.

• Tasks, Skills and Schedules: run a job once, save it as a reusable Skill, or trigger it on a schedule, such as a weekly newsletter digest.
• Email handling: drafts replies, sorts messages by priority and pulls out action items.
• Research and bookings: gathers information across several sites, compares options and can help complete bookings.
• Availability: AI Pro and Ultra subscribers aged 18+ in select countries. Coverage in July 2026 excluded the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland and Nigeria.

Deep Research

Deep Research turns a question into a multi-point research plan, browses up to hundreds of websites, reasons over what it finds and writes a detailed report in minutes. It can also draw on your Gmail, Drive, Google Chat and uploaded files. In Canvas, reports can be turned into web pages, apps, infographics or quizzes, and you can generate an Audio Overview, and since August 2026 you can request one by voice in Gemini Live. Google says it works in 150 countries and 45+ languages.

Canvas

Canvas is Gemini’s workspace for building rather than chatting: draft and edit documents, generate working web apps and games from a description, and create infographics and quizzes.

Gems (custom assistants)

Gems are saved assistants with your own instructions and reference files, such as a brand-voice writer. Google also offers premade Gems, and Gems are available on every plan, including Free.

Image generation with Nano Banana

Image generation and editing run on Nano Banana 2, which Google describes as its latest state-of-the-art image model. Paid subscribers (Plus, Pro and Ultra) can pick Redo with Pro to regenerate an image with Nano Banana Pro. Every image carries an invisible SynthID watermark and a visible AI watermark, and you can upload any image and ask Gemini whether Google AI created it.

Video generation with Gemini Omni (Veo replaced)

If you knew Gemini for Veo, note the change: video in the Gemini app now runs on Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, which Google says will replace Veo there. It creates 10-second clips with native audio, animates up to five photos, extends scenes in 10-second steps up to 40 seconds, edits existing video, and supports multi-turn edits in conversation. Video generation requires a paid plan, starting with AI Plus.

Gemini Live voice mode

Gemini Live is the voice mode, and you can move between talking and typing in the same conversation. You can interrupt, change topic, point your camera at something, and ask it to act in Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Tasks, Keep, Maps and YouTube. Google says Live supports more than 45 languages, including Arabic.

Gemini in Google Workspace

Google AI Plus and Pro put Gemini inside Gmail, Docs, Vids and other Google apps for personal accounts. For businesses, Google Workspace Standard, Plus and Enterprise include Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Chat, Drive and Vids, while Business Starter gets only limited Gemini access. Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM, renamed July 16, 2026) now syncs with the Gemini app. On AI Ultra and Workspace business plans it can also write and run code for data analysis grounded in your sources, with AI Pro access announced as coming next.

Benefits of using Google Gemini

• Low entry price: at $4.99 a month, AI Plus is a low-cost paid tier that also bundles 400 GB of Google storage.
• One subscription, many products: paid plans include cloud storage, Google Flow credits, Gemini Notebook limits and, on Pro and Ultra, YouTube Premium Lite or YouTube Premium.

Google Gemini use cases by role

• Marketers: draft campaign copy with a brand-voice Gem, produce product visuals with Nano Banana, and create short social clips with Gemini Omni.
• Founders and managers: let Spark summarize newsletters, triage email and turn meeting notes into formatted reports on a schedule.
• Researchers and analysts: run Deep Research across the web and your Drive, then convert the report into an infographic or Audio Overview.
• Developers: use Gemini 3.8 Flash or 3.1 Pro for code, build app prototypes in Canvas, and move bigger jobs to Jules or Google Antigravity, both included with AI Pro and Ultra.
• Students: build study notebooks and quizzes. Eligible US college students get a free year of AI Pro, and students in 140+ other countries get a free year of AI Plus.
• Arabic-speaking users: Gemini Live supports Arabic voice conversations, and Google’s 3.8 Live models detect and switch between 97 languages mid-conversation.

How much does Google Gemini cost?

Prices below are US prices from Google’s plans page as of September 2026; Google charges a local equivalent in other countries. In May 2026 Google added a $99.99 Ultra tier and cut the top Ultra plan from $249.99 to $199.99, and in June it lowered AI Plus from $7.99 to $4.99.

Google does not publish fixed prompt counts. All Google AI plans are for users aged 18 and over. Businesses get Gemini through Google Workspace plans, priced per user.

Pros and cons of Google Gemini

Pros

• Generous free tier that includes Deep Research, Canvas, Gems and image generation.
• AI Plus at $4.99 is a low-cost way to get video generation and 128K context.
• Native integration with Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Maps and YouTube, no third-party connectors needed.
• Gemini Spark can run scheduled background tasks across Google apps.

Cons

• The Pro model has not been updated since February 2026, and Gemini 3.5 Pro is overdue.
• Free users are capped at a 32K token context window, small for long documents.
• Personal Intelligence (the opt-in personalization beta) is unavailable in the EEA, the UK, Switzerland and Nigeria, and Spark launched with the same exclusions.
• Limits are multiples, not fixed numbers, so heavy use is hard to plan.
• Keep Activity is on by default, so chats may be reviewed by humans and used to improve Google’s models unless you turn it off.

How to use Google Gemini

1. Go to gemini.google.com, or install the Gemini app on Android, iOS, macOS or Windows, and sign in with your Google account.
2. Pick a model and thinking level from the model menu. Flash suits everyday work; switch to Pro or Extended thinking for hard coding or math.
3. Open the tools menu to start Deep Research, Canvas, image creation or video creation.
4. Connect Google apps (Gmail, Drive, Calendar, YouTube) in settings if you want Gemini to use your own data.
5. Create a Gem for any task you repeat, with detailed instructions and reference files.
6. On AI Pro or Ultra, set up Gemini Spark tasks and schedules, and review its actions before anything is sent.
7. Review your privacy settings: turn off Keep Activity or use Temporary chats if you do not want conversations saved or used for training.

Google Gemini alternatives

• ChatGPT: pick it if you prefer OpenAI’s models and its own ecosystem of apps and integrations.
• Claude: pick it for long-form writing, careful analysis and agentic coding with Claude Code.
• Microsoft Copilot: pick it if your work runs on Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams rather than Google apps.
• Perplexity: pick it for quick, cited web answers when you do not need Google app integration.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Gemini free?

Yes. The free plan includes Gemini 3.6 Flash, varying access to Gemini 3.1 Pro, Deep Research, Canvas, Gems, Gemini Live and Nano Banana 2 image generation, with 15 GB of storage. It has lower usage limits, a 32K token context window, and no video generation.

What is the latest Gemini model in September 2026?

Gemini 3.8 Flash, released on September 2, 2026, is the newest text model in the app and is available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. The top Pro model is still Gemini 3.1 Pro from February 2026. Google also launched Gemini 3.8 Live models for voice on September 15.

How much is Google AI Pro?

Google AI Pro costs $19.99 per month in the US. It includes four times the Free usage limits, a 1 million token context window, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Gemini Spark in select countries, Jules, 1,000 Google Flow credits, Gemini in Gmail and Docs, YouTube Premium Lite and 5 TB of storage.

Does Gemini still use Veo for video?

Not for new video. The Gemini app now uses Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, and Google says it will replace Veo there. It creates 10-second videos with native audio, animates photos, extends scenes and edits video through conversation. Video generation requires a paid Google AI plan, starting with AI Plus at $4.99 per month.

What is the difference between Google AI Plus and AI Pro?

AI Plus ($4.99) doubles Free limits, raises context to 128K tokens and adds video generation, Daily Brief and 400 GB of storage. AI Pro ($19.99) doubles that again, adds a 1 million token context window, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Gemini Spark, Jules and 5 TB of storage.

Does Google train on my Gemini chats?

By default Keep Activity is on, chats are kept for 18 months, and a subset is reviewed by human reviewers to improve Google services. If you turn Keep Activity off and do not submit feedback, future chats are not used to improve Google’s models and are kept for 72 hours. Temporary chats are not used for training.

Verdict: is Google Gemini worth it?

Gemini is the strongest choice for anyone who already lives in Gmail, Drive and Calendar. The free tier is generous, AI Plus at $4.99 is a low-cost upgrade for light users who want video and more context, and AI Pro at $19.99 adds real value through Gemini Spark, a 1 million token context window and 5 TB of storage.

The weak spots are a Pro model that has not moved since February, limits expressed as multiples rather than numbers, and agent features missing in Europe and the UK. If tight Google integration matters more, AI Pro is strong value in September 2026.

Sources

• Google AI Plans and Pricing, Google
• Gemini Apps limits and upgrades for Google AI subscribers, Gemini Apps Help
• Gemini Apps release updates and improvements, Google
• Introducing Gemini 3.8 Flash and 3.8 Flash Cyber, Google Blog
• Gemini 3.7 Flash: our most intelligent workhorse model, Google Blog
• Introducing Gemini 3.8 Live and 3.8 Live Extended Thinking, Google Blog
• Everything new in our Google AI subscriptions, fresh from I/O 2026, Google Blog
• Gemini Spark, Google
• Gemini Deep Research, Google
• Gemini Canvas, Google
• Gemini Gems, Google
• Gemini image generation, Google
• Gemini Omni video generation, Google
• Gemini Live, Google
• Personal Intelligence in Gemini, Google
• Gemini Apps Privacy Hub, Gemini Apps Help
• NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, Google Blog
• Google Workspace plans and pricing, Google
• Google AI Plus gets price drop to $4.99 and storage bump, 9to5Google
• Google brings Gemini for desktop app to Windows, 9to5Google
• Gemini Live adds Deep Research as Notebooks come to AI Mode, 9to5Google
• Gemini Spark comes to the AI Pro tier, Chrome Unboxed
• Gemini 3.5 Pro release date status, OrcaRouter
• Google Gemini, Wikipedia
• Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash lets you build with more control, Google Blog
• Gemini API release notes, Google AI for Developers
• Use Google AI Ultra benefits, Google One Help
• Ways to use Gemini Live with camera and screen sharing in Arabic, Google MENA Blog