Free Gemini in Pakistan Now Gets Only Flash-Lite, Pro Moves to AI Plus

Free Gemini in Pakistan now comes with one model: Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite. Google's own plans page, which we read on 10 October 2026, lists only "Access to 3.5 Flash-Lite" for the free plan. Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.1 Pro now sit with Google AI Plus, which cost Rs 1,400 a month in Pakistan when we last checked.

The change was reported to start on 9 October 2026. Google has not posted a dated announcement for it on its Gemini release notes page. But the plans page itself has changed. When we read the same page on 28 September, the free plan listed Gemini 3.6 Flash plus "varying access" to 3.1 Pro.

Students are less affected. The free year of Google AI Plus for students still gives Flash and Pro, because AI Plus keeps both models.

Free Gemini users now get Flash-Lite only

On the free plan, Gemini now lists one model, 3.5 Flash-Lite. Flash and Pro are not on the free column of Google's plans page any more. Image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems still appear as free features, with 15 GB of storage.

Flash-Lite is Google's smallest chat model. Google's help centre calls it "an efficient workhorse model designed for speed", good for everyday tasks like summaries and brainstorming. That is fine for a quick email or a recipe. It is weaker for long documents, maths and code, which is where Pro helped most.

The rupee prices come from our check of Google's Pakistan pages on 23 September 2026. Google sets them per country and can change them, so confirm the figure on the checkout screen before you pay.

Google's two pages do not yet agree

Google's plans page and its help centre say different things today. The plans page lists Flash-Lite only for free users. The "Gemini Apps limits and upgrades" help page still shows a table where users without a plan get Flash-Lite, Flash and Pro.

We read both pages on 10 October 2026. The plans page is the one Google uses to sell its subscriptions, and it is the one that changed. The help page also says "model names, versions, and availability may change". Our reading is that the help table has not been updated yet. If you still see Flash or Pro in your free model picker, that may be a slow rollout rather than an exception.

So check your own app. That is the only answer that matters for your account.

How to check which Gemini model you have

Open Gemini and look at the model menu above the text box. It shows every model your account can pick. A free account that has the change will show only Flash-Lite there.

1. Open the Gemini app or go to gemini.google.com and sign in.
2. Tap the model name near the text box, at the top on mobile.
3. Read the list. Flash-Lite alone means your account has the new free limits.
4. If Flash or Pro still appears, your account has not switched yet.
5. To compare plans, open gemini.google/subscriptions from the same account.

Usage limits and file size also differ by plan

Gemini limits now depend on computing power, not a fixed number of messages. Google's help page says the limit refreshes every 5 hours until you reach a weekly cap. Harder prompts, bigger models and long chats use more of it.

The plans also differ in how much text Gemini can read at once. Google calls this the context window, which is the amount of text the model can hold in mind in one chat. A free account gets 32,000 tokens. AI Plus gets 128,000. AI Pro and Ultra get 1 million, which Google says is about 1,500 pages.

For a student pasting one chapter, 32,000 tokens is enough. For a freelancer uploading a 200 page contract or a big codebase, it is not.

What Pakistani users can do now

Most casual users can stay on free. Flash-Lite still answers questions, drafts messages and summarises short texts. If you used Pro for coding, long PDFs or exam maths, you have three real options.

• Students: claim the free AI Plus year. It restores Flash and Pro at no cost for 12 months.
• Light paid use: AI Plus gives Flash and Pro with twice the free usage and 400 GB of storage.
• Stay free, switch tool: compare the free ChatGPT and Gemini plans. GPT-6 reached free ChatGPT accounts on 8 October.

Paying from Pakistan works through Google Play or a card. Some banks block international card payments by default, so turn that on in your banking app first.

Common questions

Is Gemini still free in Pakistan?

Yes. Gemini is still free with any Google account. The free plan now lists only the 3.5 Flash-Lite model, plus image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems.

When did the change start?

It was reported to start on 9 October 2026. Google has not posted a dated notice, but its plans page showed the new free plan when we read it on 10 October.

Does Google AI Plus still include Gemini Pro?

Yes. Google's plans page lists 3.6 Flash and 3.1 Pro for AI Plus. Some reports said Plus would lose Pro, but Google's own page does not show that.

Do students with the free AI Plus year lose Pro?

No. The student offer gives AI Plus, and AI Plus keeps Flash and Pro on Google's plans page.

Do work and school Google accounts change too?

Google's limits page covers personal accounts only. Work and school accounts follow separate rules set by the organisation's plan, so ask your administrator.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We last checked this on 10 October 2026. We read Google's Gemini plans page and the Gemini Apps limits and upgrades help page, and compared them with our own reading of the plans page on 28 September 2026. Rupee prices are from our check of Google's Pakistan pages on 23 September 2026.