TestingCatalog : Google is working on a credit-based system for Gemini app with usage limits and a new dedicated images section.

Google appears to be preparing a major shift in how consumers interact with the Gemini app, with new strings referencing usage limits surfacing in the latest build. The signals point toward a credit-based system coming to the core chat surface, where users would receive a monthly allowance to spend across models and features, with the option to top up when they run out. Currently, Gemini relies on fixed prompt quotas and time-bound caps tied to each subscription tier, while Google’s credit mechanics have been confined to Flow, Whisk, and Antigravity, plus top-ups available to AI Pro and AI Ultra members.

Extending credits into the main Gemini app would bring Google closer to the flexible consumption model already in place at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Notion, and xAI is expected to follow suit with the Grok Build rollout. For power users, the change would mean more predictable budgeting for heavy workloads, particularly those involving agentic tasks, Deep Research, Deep Think, or long multimodal sessions. It would also give Google a cleaner lever to introduce premium features without forcing users to make a steep jump from AI Pro at $19.99 to AI Ultra at $249.99.