Free Gemini app users now get an Auto model picker
Google's Gemini app now picks the model for free users, and subscribers get Low, Medium and High thinking levels.
The free Gemini app now chooses which AI brain answers each question for you. Paying users can also say how hard the AI should think: low, medium or high.
Hype check
Quieter than it deserves. This one matters more than the coverage suggests.
Our editorial opinion, based on the sources below. How we score
Your call: hype or real?
Real = it will matter in daily use. Hype = louder than it is. One vote, and it can’t be changed.
Our view and readers’ views are opinions, not statements of fact about a product.
Why it matters
Free users no longer choose a model by hand. The app decides how much effort each question needs.
Worth a look if you use Gemini a lot.
The details
- Free users without a plan can no longer pick a model manually; their option is Auto with Gemini 3 models.
- 9to5Google says most prompts go to Flash-Lite, and harder ones may go to Flash or Pro.
- If smart model selection is off, free users get Flash-Lite for every answer.
- Thinking levels Low, Medium and High replace the old Extended option for subscribers.
- The change was rolling out to most free accounts on the evening of October 9 (Pacific time); subscriber levels were still rolling out.
Receipts
One trusted outlet reports it. Not confirmed yet. Open the sources and check us.
Written with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources above. How we work
See a mistake? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
