New AI Mode lets users switch to a free Gemini 3 powered view
When I opened Google this week, I noticed a tiny “AI Mode” toggle tucked into the search bar. It looks simple, but flipping it actually swaps the old Gemini engine for the newer Gemini 3 - and it doesn’t cost a thing. The previous Gemini version was decent, yet many developers felt it never quite hit the promised depth.
This update isn’t just a fresh look; early testers say it can give longer explanations, tighter summaries, and more useful planning help, all without leaving the familiar search window. The rollout is still spreading, so it’s unclear how far the new answers will go beyond the usual list of links. If the hype is right, a regular query might return a structured, context-aware response instead of a handful of URLs.
Below, the official wording spells out what the mode does and why it could matter for everyday searches.
You can access Gemini 3 using the new AI Mode where you can switch to a Gemini 3 powered view. Where previously it was limited to the older iterations of this model, now it supports Gemini 3. This mode can explain, summarise, plan and create structured answers that go beyond simple search results.
There are two ways of accessing AI mode: I would suggest using it in the former manner, to get seamless help in your search. Gemini CLI allows developers to interact with Gemini 3 directly from the terminal. It's currently limited to Google AI Ultra subscribers or those having the paid Gemini API key.
The new AI Mode does make Gemini 3 feel a bit more reachable, at least on the surface. Google says you can flip a switch and get a Gemini-3-powered view without being a coding wizard or having a supercomputer humming in the basement. In practice that means you get explanations, quick summaries, some planning help and answers that are more structured than a plain search list.
What we don’t see, though, are any numbers on latency or cost, and the article is silent on how the experience really differs from Gemini 2 or earlier builds. For someone who just wants a clean interface, the change looks almost effortless; for a developer or power user, the missing implementation details probably raise a few eyebrows. The tagline “Gemini 3 is finally here” reads like a launch milestone, yet it’s still fuzzy whether the free tier will stick around or how widely the feature will spread across phones, laptops and tablets.
So, the barrier to try it is lower, but without clear performance data or usage caps the actual impact remains a bit of a guess.
Further Reading
- A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 - Google Blog
- Google lancia Gemini 3, il modello che riscrive le regole dell'IA - Adnkronos
- Google promette una nuova era di intelligenza con Gemini 3 - Macitynet
- È arrivato Gemini 3 Pro, il più potente modello IA di Google corteggia anche le soluzioni agentiche - DDay.it
- Google releases its heavily hyped Gemini 3 AI in a sweeping day-one rollout - Fortune
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Common Questions Answered
How does the new AI Mode enable users to switch to a Gemini 3‑powered view without additional cost?
The AI Mode acts as a toggle within Google’s search‑centric tools, replacing the older Gemini engine with the latest Gemini 3 model at no extra charge. Users simply enable the mode and instantly receive the newer model’s output without needing a subscription or hardware upgrade.
What capabilities does Gemini 3 provide in AI Mode that were missing from earlier Gemini iterations?
Gemini 3 in AI Mode can explain complex topics, generate concise summaries, assist with planning, and produce structured answers that go beyond plain search results. These functions were limited or absent in previous Gemini versions, which often delivered only basic informational snippets.
In what ways can developers access Gemini 3 through the Gemini CLI as mentioned in the article?
Developers can reach Gemini 3 by using the Gemini CLI, a command‑line interface that directly queries the new model. The article suggests this method for those comfortable with coding, allowing programmatic access without navigating the standard web UI.
Does the article provide any performance metrics such as latency or cost for the new AI Mode?
The article explicitly states that it does not include data on latency, cost, or how the experience differs from earlier model iterations. Therefore, readers are left without concrete performance metrics for the new AI Mode.