How to Use Gemini: Sign In, Upload Files and Know Your Limits

Signing in: the account type decides what you get

Go to gemini.google.com, select Sign in at the top right and choose your Google Account. Google says you can use some features without signing in, and that an account unlocks more and saves your activity. Supported web browsers are Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera and Edgium.

Three account types work. A personal account is blocked only if a Family Link manager blocks a user under 13 (or the local age). A work account needs a qualifying Workspace edition and a user aged 18 or older. A school account works only after the administrator enables the service.

When you see "Can't access this service"

Google ties this message to age and account type. Personal and school accounts must be 13 or older, and work accounts 18 or older. Family Link-managed accounts cannot use the web app at all. A Workspace administrator can enable access for a work account.

The message "Something went wrong" can come from location, age or account type, and Google's advice is to try again later. If you use a work account that is refused, ask the administrator before changing anything else.

The phone app has its own hardware rules

On Android, the Gemini app needs a phone or tablet with at least 2 GB of RAM running Android 9 or later. Android Go devices are not supported, and the app cannot be reached from an Android Work Profile. Google lists more than 150 countries, and users must be 13 or older.

In countries not on the list, Gemini may reach you through Google Assistant on Android after an invitation. Google's help centre also covers Mac and Windows apps, which this guide does not detail.

What you can attach to a prompt

A prompt takes up to 10 files, including files inside an uploaded folder. Most file types are accepted: documents, spreadsheets, notebooks, photos and videos. Most files can be up to 100 MB each, and video up to 2 GB each.

Time limits apply to media. Total video length is 5 minutes, or 1 hour with Google AI Pro or Ultra. Total audio is 10 minutes, or 3 hours with Pro or Ultra. A ZIP file can hold up to 10 files and 100 MB, with no video or audio inside. One code folder or GitHub repository per chat is allowed, up to 5,000 files and 100 MB.

A worked example: a 45-minute meeting recording

You have a 45-minute audio recording and want a list of decisions. Without a Pro or Ultra plan, audio is capped at 10 minutes, so the file will not fit. With Google AI Pro, the 3-hour audio limit covers 45 minutes with room to spare.

Upload the file, then write: "List every decision with the person who made it, as a table with 3 columns." Google rates Deep Research and video generation as the heaviest uses and large file analysis as a medium one, so this counts for more than a short chat message but less than a research task.

The plan costs EUR 21.99 a month on the Estonian page, and it also includes 5 TB of storage and Gemini in Gmail and Docs.

Limits and context depend on your plan

Without a plan you get the standard limits. AI Plus gives 2x, AI Pro 4x, and AI Ultra 5x or 20x the AI Pro limits. Google gives no daily prompt count, only these multiples. Your limit "refreshes every 5 hours until you reach your weekly limit".

Context, the amount Gemini can hold in one chat, is 32k tokens with no plan, 128k on AI Plus and 1 million on AI Pro and Ultra. Google equates 1 million tokens with about 1,500 pages of text or 30,000 lines of code. Deep Think has a 192,000-token window.

At the limit, subscribers can keep chatting with Flash-Lite. Others upgrade or wait. Google warns that limits can change at any time and that unpaid users may be restricted first when demand is high.

Plans at a glance (euro prices from the Estonian page)

AI Plus costs EUR 4.99 a month with 400 GB of storage. AI Pro costs EUR 21.99 with 5 TB. AI Ultra starts at EUR 99.99 with 20 TB. Plans are for users 18 and older, and availability is 160+ countries for Plus and 150+ for Pro and Ultra.

Buying AI credits is a way to raise your limits without changing plan. Prices differ by country, so check your own checkout.

Common mistakes and who it suits

A frequent mistake is reading the 1 million token window as a promise for the free tier; the limits page gives 32k tokens without a plan. Another is uploading an 11th file and wondering why it is refused. Google's help page also does not describe Gems in the text I read, so this guide makes no claim about them.

Gemini suits people who already use a Google Account for Gmail and Docs, and who want audio or video analysed. If you are stuck on a screen and want a quick explanation, Crade can read it directly; use Gemini for longer files and research.