# Google removes manual model selection for free Gemini users

_Published Friday, October 9, 2026 at 11:08 PM EDT · AI · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

Google is rolling out automatic model selection for free Gemini users, removing their ability to choose models manually, 9to5Google reports. The outlet observed the change on the vast majority of its free accounts on Friday evening.

Google says most prompts will go to Flash-Lite, while requests needing deeper reasoning may go to Flash or Pro. Turning off smart model selection makes all responses use Flash-Lite. Google is also rolling out Low, Medium and High effort settings for subscribers, replacing the previous Extended option.

## Sources

- [9to5Google](https://9to5google.com/2026/10/09/gemini-auto-free-users/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/FuM1OwcKqL9Ii6aze-03BI
Published: 2026-10-10T03:08:02.261Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-10T01:24:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-10T06:27:36.951Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)