Gemini 4 Carbon is now generally available — but the free tier still does not have it. From 10 November 2026, it went from being open only to cyber defenders to being open to paying users; free-tier API users cannot use it, and the AI Pro subscription continues to use Gemini 4 Argon. First work out which group you belong to, then pick your entry point — that saves a lot of detours.
Three entry points — match yourself to the right one first
- Via API development: use the paid Gemini API and call it in Google AI Studio or Android Studio.
- Via a business subscription: use Gemini for business and enable it under the business plan.
- Via a personal premium subscription: subscribe to Google AI Ultra and use it in the Gemini app, Search AI Mode, or Antigravity.
The cyber-defence edition, Carbon for cyber, does not go through any of these three routes — it only goes through the Fairwind Program, so ordinary users need not worry about it. When Carbon launched on 28 October 2026, it was open only to cyber defenders; after general availability on 10 November, the three routes above are the entry points for ordinary paying users.
Three things to check before you start
First, the price is time-limited: the promotional API price is $2 per million tokens for input and $10 for output, rising to $4 and $20 after 30 November, so heavy users should work out their volume first. Second, do not buy the wrong subscription: the AI Pro subscription gives you Gemini 4 Argon, not Carbon — Argon was already opened to Pro on 13 October; if you want Carbon, look at Ultra, the paid API, or the business edition. Third, do not wait for the free tier: the free API tier cannot currently use Carbon, so if you see a claim that it is available free, check the official page first.
