gemini-3.6-flash — Available — shutdown No retirement date announced
For gemini-3.6-flash, provider is Google (Vertex AI); lifecycle status is Available; shutdown / retirement date is No retirement date announced, recorded from its source on 2026-09-16.
- Provider
- Google (Vertex AI) our reading
- Model ID / API name
- gemini-3.6-flash verified
- Lifecycle status
- Available
- Release date
- July 21, 2026 verified
- Shutdown / retirement date
- No retirement date announced verified
- Platform / deployment scope
- Gemini Developer API (ai.google.dev) per ai.google.dev
- Recommended replacement
- Gemini 3.8 Flash per github.blog
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
gemini-3.6-flash | July 21, 2026 | No retirement date announced | |
— cloud.google.com, retrieved 2026-09-16
Where each value comes from
The value above is stated away from the sentence quoted with the answer, so the passage that states it is shown here too.
Release date
Model ID | Release date | Retirement date | Replacement model | gemini-3.8-flash | September 2, 2026 | No retirement date announced | | gemini-3.7-flash | August 13, 2026 | No retirement date announced | | gemini-3.6-flash | July 21, 2026 | No retirement date announced | |
— all from cloud.google.com, retrieved 2026-09-16
Sources disagree
More than one authority states this, and they do not state the same thing. Both are reproduced with the source each came from — deciding between them is yours, not ours.
Provider
cloud.google.com says provider is Google (Vertex AI), as of 2026-09-16.
gemini-3.6-flash | July 21, 2026 | No retirement date announced | |
https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/learn/model-versioning
ai.google.dev says provider is Google (Gemini Developer API), as of 2026-09-16.
gemini-3.6-flash | July 21, 2026 | No shutdown date announced | |
https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations
github.blog says provider is GitHub Copilot, as of 2026-09-09.
Gemini 3.6 Flash | 2026-10-02 | Gemini 3.8 Flash |
https://github.blog/changelog/2026-09-03-upcoming-deprecation-of-selected-github-copilot-models
Shutdown / retirement date
cloud.google.com says shutdown / retirement date is No retirement date announced, as of 2026-09-16.
gemini-3.6-flash | July 21, 2026 | No retirement date announced | |
https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/learn/model-versioning
ai.google.dev says shutdown / retirement date is No shutdown date announced, as of 2026-09-16.
gemini-3.6-flash | July 21, 2026 | No shutdown date announced | |
https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations
github.blog says shutdown / retirement date is 2026-10-02, as of 2026-09-09.
Gemini 3.6 Flash | 2026-10-02 | Gemini 3.8 Flash |
https://github.blog/changelog/2026-09-03-upcoming-deprecation-of-selected-github-copilot-models
Sources
- cloud.google.comhttps://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/learn/model-versioning
- ai.google.devhttps://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations
- github.bloghttps://github.blog/changelog/2026-09-03-upcoming-deprecation-of-selected-github-copilot-models