Google does not specify what the usage limits are in the free tier; describes them only as “standard”. You’ll then get double these “standard” limits on the AI ​​Plus plan and quadruple those on the AI ​​Pro plan. AI Ultra limits are 5 or 20 times higher than AI Pro, depending on what payment tier you’re on.

All users have access to all Gemini AI models, including Flash-Lite, Flash, and Pro. As you progress through those models, they will become smarter and count more for your use. Each model also has different levels of “thinking”:Standard, Extendedand deep thought—which also affect response quality, speed, and usage limits.

The last difference between these models is the size of the context window. This basically tells you how much information you can fit into a single conversation thread. For free users, the context window has 32,000 tokens (small pieces of text), approximately 24,000 words. For AI Plus users, it goes up to 128,000 tokens (about 96,000 words), and for AI Pro and Ultra users, the limit is one million tokens (about 750,000 words).

Check your AI usage

You can see how close you are to your plan limits.

Photography: Courtesy of David Nield

While the new rules on the use of AI may lack details, at least it’s pretty easy to check their status. In the Gemini app on the web, click the gear icon (bottom left) and then Use limits; In the mobile app for Android or iOS, tap the menu button (top left), then the gear, then Use limits.

You will see two bars. The top bar shows your current usage, which resets every five hours. If you go through this, you will have to wait before returning; The Gemini app tells you the time of the next reboot.

The second bar is your weekly limit, which as expected resets each week. (Again, this will be displayed on the screen). If you reach these limits and are on a paid plan, you will be downgraded to the most basic AI model, which you can continue to use until the next reset.

Inevitably, you’ll see offers to upgrade your AI plan on the usage limits screen. It’s also worth keeping in mind that Google’s support documents say that limits may change without notice due to capacity limitations, and that free users may be affected first if Google needs to manage its AI resources.