Geminis Free Version Just Removed a Major Limitation

As one of the most powerful text-to-image AI models, Google's Imagen 3 is available on Gemini apps , but only to a certain extent. Human-generated images have been a luxury only available to paying users — until now.

Users can now create images of people using Gemini's free app

If you use the Gemini app on the web, desktop, or mobile, you may have already experimented with its image-generating capabilities, powered by Google's Imagen 3 model. Google released the tool to all users in August 2024, with options ranging from "realistic landscapes" to "eerie clay scenes," according to an announcement in Google's The Keyword.

Creating images of people, however, is a different story. Google is limiting the rollout of this particular feature to paid subscribers, including Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users. If you have a free account, asking Gemini to create an image of people will result in the following message:

"Available only in early access with Gemini Advanced. Get early access to new Gemini features when you sign up for Advanced here."

As of February 2025, most free Gemini users can successfully create images with people on Gemini. However, if you are still getting an error message, it may be because the feature is still being rolled out. It appears that the feature will be rolled out gradually, starting with US users using Gemini in English.

Note : According to Gemini's instructions, you still cannot create realistic images of recognizable people or children.

How does Imagen 3 work on Gemini Flash 2.0?

Also in February 2025, Google released its fastest Gemini model to the general public for free. Google describes the model, called Gemini 2.0 Flash, as “a highly efficient machine,” which can only bode well for image generation. Traditionally more energy- and time-consuming than regular text generation, AI images can theoretically achieve higher quality with a more powerful model at their disposal.

Quality seems to be especially important when it comes to depicting people. We’ve all seen the first AI-generated images of people, from crooked hands with lots of extra detail to dark, sunken eyes. So you can understand the hesitation many people have about trusting Google’s AI-powered image generator, as a free user.

Contrary to the above fears, many people were impressed with Gemini's ability to handle image generation prompts including humans. The first few image tests produced high-end, realistic results that matched the provided prompts, which is impressive for a free tool.

Tip : You can ask Gemini to continue editing the image without having to start from scratch every time.

Being able to access Imagen 3 via Gemini for free is certainly a nice touch, but having to avoid everyone is a significant limitation. Google's latest update opens up the playing field, making Gemini's free service a worthy competitor to paid services like Midjourney .

While the paid services will have more advanced options, like custom image sizes, Gemini’s approach is easy and straightforward. With so much for free, one has to wonder if early access is enough to get people to pay for Gemini Advanced.