Google is changing how Gemini usage limits work

Unlike ChatGPT, Claude, and most other AI services, Gemini has so far used a daily prompt limit. This was far more generous than what competing AI services offered. But at I/O 2026, Google announced it's switching away from the daily prompt limit to a "compute-used" model.

Until now, Gemini calculated its daily usage limit based on the number of prompts. This differed from ChatGPT and Claude, which calculated daily usage limits based on token consumption.

Going forward, Google says Gemini prompt limits will use a "compute-used" model. This means that instead of prompts, your usage limit will be calculated based on the prompt's complexity, the features used, and the chat length. For example, a video generation prompt will use more tokens and compute than a simple text prompt.

If you use Gemini for basic tasks, the new usage limit should not affect your workflow. But if you use it heavily for complex tasks, including video generation or coding, you might hit the limit sooner than you think.

Similar to ChatGPT and Claude, Gemini will now feature both five-hour and weekly usage limits. If you use too much compute, you'll first hit a five-hour limit. The weekly limit will kick in after that.

Google's support page has more details on the new usage limits. Without a plan, it says "standard limits" will apply. The AI Plus plan bumps that to 2x, while the AI Pro offers 4x higher limits. The AI Ultra plan offers 20x higher usage than the AI Pro plan.

It also notes that the following activities and actions will eat into your usage limit.

Premium models and features require more usage and may cause you to reach your limit faster. This would include things like:

• Media generation

  • Images, videos and music
• Deep Research
• Pro Model
• Extended thinking and Deep Think

You can view your Gemini usage limits through the Gemini app or from the web.

Buy credits to continue working

Once you hit the limit, Google will switch you to a smaller model, so you can continue working. AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can purchase PAYG AI credits to bypass the limit and continue working. These credits will work in Google Antigravity, Google Flow, and the Gemini app in the near future.

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The changes to Google's Gemini usage limits come as the company launched a new $100 AI Ultra plan while dropping the price of the top-tier by $50 to $200 per month.