Gemini is free with a personal Google account and runs in your browser, on Android, and on iPhone. Here is how to start, what the free version covers, what Google AI Plus and Pro add, and how college students get Pro free for a year.
Gemini is Google's AI assistant, and a personal Google account is all you need to start. It answers questions, writes, makes images, and on most Android phones it has replaced Google Assistant. It works fully in English.
Start with the free version. Pay only if you keep hitting the limits or want video generation, stronger models, or Gemini in Gmail and Docs.
What do you need to start using Gemini?
- On a computer. Open gemini.google.com in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, or Opera and sign in. Some features work without signing in.
- On Android. Install the Gemini app from Google Play if it isn't there already. It needs Android 9 or later and at least 2 GB of RAM. It doesn't run on Android Go phones or in a work profile.
- On iPhone. Download the Google Gemini app from the App Store. On iPhone, Gemini runs as a separate app and doesn't replace Siri.
- Your account. A personal Google account works from age 13. Work and school accounts need the administrator to turn Gemini on.
Gemini Live, where you talk out loud and it answers by voice, works in the mobile apps and, for adults, in Gemini in Chrome. It isn't available on gemini.google.com.
What does the free version of Gemini give you?
Without a plan you get the chat plus these tools:
- Deep Research for longer reports that pull together many web sources. At peak times free users may lose it temporarily.
- Image generation with Nano Banana, Google's image model. Downloads are 1K.
- Canvas for editing a longer document or code next to the chat.
- Quizzes, flashcards, and audio overviews for studying, plus slide and music generation.
The catch is the model and the limits. With automatic selection, most free prompts go to Flash-Lite, the lightest model, and only harder ones get Flash or Pro. Limits depend on how demanding your prompts are, refresh every five hours, and stop at a weekly cap. Settings > Usage limits shows where you stand.
What do Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra add?
Google AI plans bundle Gemini with Google storage. US monthly prices start at:
- Google AI Plus, from $4.99. Twice the free limits, room for longer chats and documents, video generation, 400 GB of storage, and Gemini in Gmail.
- Google AI Pro, from $19.99. Four times the free limits, Gemini in Gmail and Docs, 5 TB of storage, and access to Argon, Google's top model.
- Google AI Ultra, from $99.99. Five or twenty times the Pro limits, depending on the tier, and at least 20 TB of storage.
Prices can change, so check before you subscribe. Google's plans page lists them for ages 18 and up. If you're comparing budgets, here's what ChatGPT costs.
Can college students get Google AI Pro free for a year?
Yes. US college students 18 and older can get Google AI Pro free for 12 months. Redeem it by December 31, 2026 with the Claim Free Student Plan button on Google's Gemini for students page. After the year it renews at $19.99 a month unless you cancel.
- Verification. Google checks your student status through SheerID, and you have to verify again each year.
- Account and payment method. You need a personal Google account and a valid payment method, even though the first year is free.
- Who can claim it. Students whose 2025 trial has ended qualify again. Google family group members can't (unless they leave), nor can people who get Google One through Pixel Pass, Google Fi, or another third party.
- Don't upgrade early. Switching to a paid plan during the free year ends the free year.
How do you use Gemini in Chrome?
In the US, Gemini in Chrome works on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook Plus in an up-to-date Chrome you're signed in to, with the device set to a supported language. Click Ask Gemini at the top of the browser, opt in the first time, and ask about the page you're reading, like summarizing a long article. Adults can click Live at the bottom of the panel to talk. It doesn't work in Incognito.
To hide the button, go to Chrome Settings > AI innovations > Gemini in Chrome and turn off "Show Gemini at the top of the browser", or right-click the top of the browser and choose Unpin Gemini.
Which prompts can you copy to get started?
Give Gemini a clear task and a little context:
Explain how an HSA differs from an FSA. Keep it short, with one example for each.
Rewrite this email so it sounds friendly but firm. Keep it under 100 words: [paste email]
Turn these lecture notes into 10 flashcards and then quiz me on them one at a time: [paste notes]
Create a realistic photo of a cozy reading nook with a window seat, rainy afternoon light, and a stack of books.
Gemini can get facts wrong, so check anything about money, health, or law. If an answer misses the mark, ask for changes like "make it shorter" instead of starting over.
Is Gemini better than ChatGPT?
Neither one wins everywhere. Here are the main practical differences:
- Google integration. Gemini lives in your Google account and, on paid plans, inside Gmail and Docs.
- Storage included. Every Google AI plan includes storage shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos.
- Phones. On supported Android phones, Gemini can be the default assistant, and the shortcuts depend on the phone and its settings. On iPhone it's an app like ChatGPT.
- Answers. Both write, summarize, and make images well, so give both the same real task and compare.
Also weighing Claude? See our Claude vs ChatGPT comparison.
What happens to your chats, and what shouldn't you paste?
On a personal account 18 and older, Keep Activity is on by default: chats are saved to your account and can be used to train Google's AI models. They're deleted after 18 months unless you pick 3 or 36 months or no auto-delete. To change it, open gemini.google.com > Activity and click On > Turn off. On work and school accounts, the administrator controls these settings.
With Keep Activity off, new chats stay out of your activity and out of training unless you send feedback, but Google keeps them for up to 72 hours. Chats a human reviewer has already looked at are kept for up to three years, even if you delete your activity. So don't paste:
- Social Security numbers, passwords, and bank or card details,
- medical records or anything about someone else's health,
- work documents your employer hasn't approved for AI tools,
- other people's personal information.
Our guide on what not to share with AI chatbots shows how to anonymize text first.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to NotebookLM?
Google renamed it Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It's still a free, separate tool for questions about your own sources, and your notebooks also show up in the Gemini app.
Can people tell that an image was made with Gemini?
Sometimes. Gemini adds an invisible SynthID watermark and Content Credentials to images it creates or edits, and you can upload an image to Gemini and ask "Is this AI-generated?" The check can be inconclusive, for example after a very small edit.
Can teenagers make and edit images with Gemini?
Teens 13 and older can generate images, but editing photos requires 18+. Parents using Family Link can turn Gemini off for a supervised account.
Summary
Gemini is free with a personal Google account on the web, Android, and iPhone, including Deep Research and image generation. Pay for higher limits, video, stronger models, or Gemini in Gmail and Docs, and if you're a US college student, claim free Pro before December 31, 2026. Keep personal data out of the chat, and turn off Keep Activity to keep future chats out of your history and out of training.
