What you need to know
- Google AI Pro now uses a new credit-based quota system instead of fixed Gemini message limits.
- Complex Gemini prompts and AI tools can now consume a large portion of your available usage quota.
- The new restrictions apply to Gemini features within apps like Google Photos and other Google services.
Twins was Front and center at Google I/O 2026the company introduces a number of new features and tools powered by artificial intelligence. However, along with all these announcements, Google also quietly made changes to its $20/month Google AI Pro plan, and not everyone is happy about it.
At I/O 2026, Google has introduced a new $100 per month Google AI Ultra plan while also dropping the price of its higher-end $250 plan to $200 per month. Along with this, the company has also quietly changed how usage limits work on the standard Google AI Pro plan.
Previously, Google used a simpler fixed message counting system for Gemini usage limits. The company is now moving to a credit-based system where token usage depends on things like operational complexity, features used, and even the length of conversations.
Google says that paid users will now see a five-hour usage window, along with weekly quotas based on how intense their requests are. However, many users feel that the limits are much lower than before.
Some users on Reddit already have calls the new system a scamreports on a single request consuming about 13% of their quota. Others say that certain features of the Gemini AI Plus may flash about 30% at a time.
The system is very similar to the usage-based quota approach used by Claude, where more demanding tasks consume more credits. The five-hour quota is automatically renewed, but there is also a stricter weekly limit that users can hit.
Adoption of Android Central
I can see why Google is doing this – saving AI isn’t cheap. But right after showing off all these brilliant features of Gemini at I/O, the change limits it aggressively. I personally haven’t seen Gemini burn credits as aggressively as some users have reported, but I totally understand why people are frustrated.
And most importantly, these restrictions apply to Google’s entire Gemini ecosystem, not just the Gemini app itself. So if you’re using Gemini features within apps like Google Photos or other AI-powered Google services, all of which contribute to the same quota.
You can check these limits directly in the Gemini app under Settings > Usage limits.
To be fair, Google has added some value elsewhere. The company recently increased cloud storage for subscribers from 2 TB to 5 TBwhich softens the blow somewhat. But for heavier Gemini users, it certainly feels more restrictive than before, which may push many power users toward the new $100-a-month Ultra plan.
