Gemini 2.5 Flash disables file upload for free users
What's the story
Gemini 2.5 Flash, the latest iteration of Google Gemini, has hit a glitch, preventing free users from uploading files. The issue, which was first reported yesterday, is impacting both Android and iOS platforms. When you access the 'plus' menu in the app, options for Files and Drive are grayed out, indicating their unavailability to free users.
Web impact
Website version also affected
The web-based version of Gemini 2.5 Flash is also affected by this bug, with only the image upload button visible. This limitation severely restricts users' ability to do a number of tasks like document analysis, real-time conversations (Talk Live), and generating audio summaries in over 45 languages. The expansion to 45+ languages was introduced earlier this week, but is now inaccessible due to the file upload issue.
Alternative solutions
Workarounds available for paid users
Despite the glitch in Gemini 2.5 Flash, users still have alternatives to continue their use of the app. The previous version, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and the preview version of Gemini 2.5 Pro, both allow file uploads. However, these options come with certain restrictions for free users. For those who have subscribed to the paid Advanced plan, file uploads are still functional in Gemini 2.5 Flash. In the free version, it's hopefully just a bug that will be fixed soon.