---
type: "post"
id: "understanding-auto-in-the-gemini-model-picker-a323f8"
slug: "understanding-auto-in-the-gemini-model-picker-a323f8"
title: "Understanding \"Auto\" in the Gemini Model Picker"
description: "Google said on October 13, 2026 that Gemini Apps users without a Google AI subscription will now see Auto as the default option in the model picker."
retrieval_nugget: "Google said on October 13, 2026 that Gemini Apps users without a Google AI subscription will now see Auto as the default option in the model picker."
published_at: "2026-10-23"
updated_at: "2026-10-23"
record_date: "2026-10-23"
date_kind: "published_at"
topics: ["google","gemini"]
entities: ["Google","Gemini Apps","Google AI","Flash-Lite"]
related_patterns: ["model-answers-become-task-interfaces"]
novelty_label: "new_fact"
what_changed: "Adds that Auto is now the default for unsubscribed users, can be disabled via Smart model selection (leaving Flash-Lite only), and manual model choice requires a subscription."
prior_refs: ["memory:9f11f544-0c1c-8258-acdf-3b36b3e1c776","memory:e01d0e34-e080-86ff-a83d-8c83a0a92649"]
source_url: "https://support.google.com/gemini/thread/472706487/understanding-auto-in-the-gemini-model-picker?hl=en"
source_urls: ["https://support.google.com/gemini/thread/472706487/understanding-auto-in-the-gemini-model-picker?hl=en"]
schema_version: "newruntime-agent-readable-v0.2"
stable_id: "post:understanding-auto-in-the-gemini-model-picker-a323f8"
status: "published"
visuals: []
editor: {"role":"editor","name":"Andrey Reshetnikov","profile":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md","profile_json":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json","same_as":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/reshetnikov1/","https://t.me/lapetuse"]}
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---

# Understanding "Auto" in the Gemini Model Picker

## Retrieval answer

Google said on October 13, 2026 that Gemini Apps users without a Google AI subscription will now see Auto as the default option in the model picker.

Google said on October 13, 2026 that Gemini Apps users without a Google AI subscription will now see Auto as the default option in the model picker.

Auto selects a Gemini model for each prompt. Google describes it as sending everyday questions to models intended for fast responses and using more advanced models when a task requires deeper reasoning. Users can inspect the model used beneath a response through More: “Show thinking steps” on the web or “See response details” on mobile.

Unsubscribed users can turn off Smart model selection in Settings > Usage limits. Google says doing so leaves Flash-Lite as their only chat model. Direct selection of a specific model in the picker is now part of Google AI subscription plans.

The announcement does not specify which models Auto can select, request limits, country availability, subscription prices, or the criteria used to route a prompt.

Editor: [Andrey Reshetnikov](https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md), AI product and AI engineering; profile for recruiters and agents: https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json

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