Google launches Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite for free users

Good news for users of Gemini’s free version: Google has just introduced the Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite models. The company also says it is already testing Gemini 3.5 Pro, a highly anticipated AI expected to compete with Claude Fable 5.

While waiting for Gemini 3.5 Pro, which is set to take on Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s most capable models, Google has released two smaller models designed for everyday efficiency. Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite are both available free of charge to everyone using the Gemini app.

Gemini 3.6 Flash succeeds Gemini 3.5 Flash, which Google had offered for free since May. According to the company, the updated model delivers stronger results for coding, administrative work and multimodal tasks involving several file types. It is also more efficient, meaning it should use fewer resources to achieve the same outcome. For more demanding work, the new AI can save users time. Google says Gemini 3.6 Flash requires “fewer reasoning steps and tool calls to complete multi-step workflows.” Artificial Analysis likewise notes that “Gemini 3.6 Flash records an average time per task of 1.3 minutes, a reduction of more than 50% compared with Gemini 3.5 Flash (2.7)”.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, meanwhile, is Google’s new AI for use cases requiring affordable, responsive artificial intelligence with low latency. Google states: “Early customers of the 3.5 version of Flash-Lite highlight its unique combination of speed, intelligence and cost-effectiveness for scaling agent workflows and data-processing tasks.”

Gemini 3.5 Pro: Google’s ultra-powerful AI is being tested

Although the arrival of Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite is welcome news for people using Gemini’s free tier, as well as those whose needs suit these models, the model everyone is awaiting is Gemini 3.5 Pro. Google’s new ultra-powerful AI is expected to rival models such as Claude Fable 5, GPT-5.6 Sol and Kimi K3.

In its announcement, the Mountain View company says Gemini 3.5 Pro is currently being trialled by partners and will be released as soon as it is ready. Google is also working on the next generation: “We have begun our most ambitious pre-training campaign to date for Gemini 4, and we are excited by the progress made,” the company says.

Google has also recently launched Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, an AI model that, like Claude Mythos, specialises in finding and fixing security vulnerabilities. This specialised model will be offered to governments and “trusted partners” through a pilot programme.