Google quietly announced at Google I/O 2026 a fundamental change to how Gemini usage limits work. This new plan significantly impacts certain tasks while leaving others largely unaffected.
Under the old model, every prompt counted equally toward a daily limit. However, the updated system refreshes limits every five hours and accounts for task complexity. Heavy tasks like image/video generation, Deep Research, Pro Model use, and extended thinking features now consume more usage points.
Google confirmed that users under 18 are exempt from these changes. Standard users will see little impact, while AI Plus subscribers enjoy twice the standard limit. AI Pro users have four times the standard allocation, with AI Ultra subscribers receiving either five or twenty times the AI Pro limit, depending on their specific subscription plan.