Gemini October Shutdown Dates and API Migration

“Gemini October shutdown” only answers after you say Gemini API or Cloud. Dating every 2.5 model to 16 October stacks two tables into one.

What actually shuts down in October: Gemini API and Cloud are not the same day

Today is 24 September 2026. If you searched Gemini October shutdown, do not start in the editor. First name the rail. Gemini API (AI Studio / generativelanguage.googleapis.com / default google-genai key) uses the ai.google.dev deprecations table. Vertex / Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform uses the Cloud lifecycle table. Both say listed dates are the earliest possible retirement; the exact shutdown is communicated separately.

On Gemini API, the October window that pins a model ID is the image line gemini-2.5-flash-image (released 2025-10-02, earliest shutdown 2026-10-02). Nearby, managed agent antigravity-preview-05-2026 is earliest 5 October, replacement antigravity-preview-09-2026. gemini-omni-flash-preview is earliest 30 September → gemini-omni-1.1-flash — that is this week, not next month. 2.0 Flash / Flash-Lite already shut down on 2026-06-01; leave them off the October list.

The same row gemini-2.5-flash-image is earliest 2 October on the API and 15 March 2027 on Cloud. The 2.5 text trio has no API shutdown date and a 20 October Cloud date. Treating “Gemini October shutdown” as one site-wide countdown migrates the wrong repo. Catalog: Gemini models.

Where 16 October came from, and what 2.5 text models do now

Around July 2026 the Gemini API table once listed 16 October 2026 for 2.5 Pro / Flash / Flash-Lite. In early August those rows became “No shutdown date announced”; 16 October is not on the live page. Cloud moved from “not before 16 October” to the dated 20 October row. Secondary posts still show old screenshots, so search results mix 16, 20, and “unannounced.” This piece uses the 22–23 September official tables and does not treat the withdrawn 16th as a current deadline.

Above the 2.5 Pro / Flash tables, the API page says that for capacity, 2.5 text models stay up for people who already used them, are not marked deprecated, and “will continue to be served until further notice.” New projects are pointed at 3.5 Flash-Lite or 3.8 Flash. So: an old Gemini API project is not “every 2.5 404s at the 16 October alarm”; a new project should not create a 2.5 text line. Forum threads have shown some keys getting 404 / no longer available on gemini-2.5-flash — that is capacity and eligibility, not proof the official table still says 16 October. Exact shutdowns still land in the release notes / changelog.

Which replacement to use: follow the chain, do not copy a dead preview

The official table has a Recommended replacement column. For the image line that column is a trap: gemini-2.5-flash-image → gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview (shut down 2026-06-25) → gemini-3.1-flash-image. Production should call the end of the chain. Cloud’s image replacement is gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image — a different GA name. Read the table you are actually on before you paste.

Price is not the primary keyword, but a generation swap changes the bill. 3.x Flash has an intro-price window; thinking tokens count as output. Unit prices and free tier: Gemini API pricing. 3.5 capability bounds: What is Gemini 3.5 Pro. Live list: Gemini API pricing. For coding vs Claude / GPT: GPT-5.6 vs Claude and Gemini.

How to migrate the Gemini API: inventory, then IDs, then critical paths

Goal: before the earliest shutdown date, production no longer calls a dying ID, and image, function calling, and structured output still pass. Cloud’s rush path is three steps — point at the recommended upgrade, test mission-critical features, deploy as usual. The API side adds one: confirm you are not still on the retired SDK.

1. Inventory call sites: grep the repo and key configs for gemini-2.5-flash-image, gemini-2.5-pro, gemini-2.5-flash, gemini-omni-flash-preview, antigravity-preview-05-2026, google-generativeai.
2. Label the platform: mark each call Gemini API or Cloud / Vertex. The same string has different dates on the two tables. Do not share one ticket.
3. Resolve the replacement chain: if the listed replacement is already down, walk until you hit a live GA ID. The image-line end is gemini-3.1-flash-image, not the preview.
4. Change the model string and pin the SDK: new code uses the google-genai Client, not GenerativeModel('…'). Migrate to the Google GenAI SDK.
5. Test critical paths: image generation, function calling / MCP, JSON schema, long context, streaming. How agents bind models: 2026 AI Agent stack.
6. Ship behind a shadow cut: compare output and unit cost, then flip production. Keep a fallback for 404 / no longer available. Do not rely on “the table still has no date.”

# pip install -U google-genai
from google import genai

client = genai.Client()  # GEMINI_API_KEY

# Do not: gemini-2.5-flash-image (API earliest 2026-10-02)
# Do not: gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview (shut down 2026-06-25)
resp = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3.1-flash-image",
    contents="Generate a 16:9 product hero still",
)

If 2.5 text still runs on Agent Platform, move to 3.5 Flash / 3.5 Flash-Lite / 3.1 Flash-Lite and finish critical paths before 20 October. Cloud says retirement can slip later, not earlier. The rush three steps still apply: recommended upgrade → mission-critical test → normal deploy.

Migration is config and regression, not a new laptop. Comparing two official tables, running image regressions, and watching thinking-token bills still needs a machine that does not sleep when the lid closes. A daily cloud Mac mini keeps old and new model IDs in separate trees. Checklist: rent-a-Mac onboarding.

FAQ

Does Gemini 2.5 Pro shut down on 16 October 2026?

On Gemini API: the live table says no shutdown date announced, and prior users keep access. On Cloud Agent Platform: retirement is listed as 2026-10-20. 16 October was once on the API page and was later removed. Do not treat it as the current all-platform deadline.

Will gemini-2.5-flash-image 404 on 2 October?

The docs call it the earliest possible shutdown; the exact date is sent separately. Do not bet on a slip. Cut over to gemini-3.1-flash-image before 2 October. On Cloud that image model is listed through 2027-03-15 — do not mix the two rails.

Can a new project still pick Gemini 2.5?

The API page tells new projects to use 3.5 Flash-Lite or 3.8 Flash. 2.5 text still serves prior users; it is not the default for new work. On Cloud the 2.5 text line also has a 20 October retirement, so do not create it.

Is changing the model string enough?

Often no. The preview may already be dead; the old GenerativeModel entry point is not the Client; image, function calling, and thought / thinking tokens all need regression. Split the platform, then land on the end of the chain.

What does a shutdown request return?

After shutdown the endpoint is unavailable. Field reports include 404 and “This model … is no longer available.” Production needs a fallback model and an alert. Do not wait for the first user ticket.

What to watch next

Gemini October shutdown is not one countdown. API: 2 October for gemini-2.5-flash-image, 5 October for the old Antigravity preview. Cloud: 20 October for the 2.5 text trio. 2.5 Pro / Flash have no current API shutdown date, and they are not “all dead on the 16th.”

This week, grep the repo, split tickets by platform, and point the image line at gemini-3.1-flash-image. Dates follow the official tables, and the tables move. Recheck deprecations and lifecycle after you ship.