# Gemini’s recommended image preview is past its announced shutdown date.

Google · Gemini API · image generation
AI-Buzz documentation reading: 2026-09-09

## Affected dependencies
- gemini-2.5-flash-image
- gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview

Earliest shutdown: 2026-10-02
Announcement date: unknown

## Vendor documentation
Google lists October 2, 2026 as the earliest shutdown for gemini-2.5-flash-image and recommends gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview. Its May 28 release note schedules that preview’s shutdown for June 25, 2026.

## Suggested checks
- [ ] Confirm whether your application uses the Gemini API or a different Google surface such as Vertex AI.
- [ ] Check the linked deprecation table and release note together. The table also points from the preview to gemini-3.1-flash-image; treat that as a candidate to verify.
- [ ] Confirm availability and compatibility for your account and workload before committing to a migration target.

## Limits
Google labels these dates as earliest possible shutdowns, not guaranteed exact deadlines. We have not tested endpoint availability. Replacement guidance remains unresolved in this reading.

This is a dated documentation reading, not a live availability check. Recheck the sources before acting.

## Sources
- [Gemini API deprecations](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations) — Earliest-date qualification; gemini-2.5-flash-image and gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview rows
- [Gemini API release notes](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/changelog) — May 28, 2026 preview shutdown announcement

Brief: https://ai-buzz.com/briefs/gemini-flash-image-replacement-conflict/