Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon on October 28, 2026, but most people can't use it yet. Here is the rollout Google described, what we know about the timing, and what Argon's launch tells us about what comes next.
Short answer: there is no public release date yet. Selected cyber defenders get Carbon first, starting the week of October 28. Google says developers, businesses and consumers come next "as soon as possible".
The Gemini 4 Carbon timeline so far
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Sept 30, 2026 | Google announces Gemini 4 Argon, the first Gemini 4 model. |
| Early Oct 2026 | Reports say Google staff are testing an internal model called "Carbon". |
| Oct 13, 2026 | Argon opens to developers in the Gemini API and to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. |
| Oct 28, 2026 | Google announces Gemini 4 Carbon, its strongest model. Cyber defenders start getting access that week. |
| Next | More trusted partners through the Fairwind Program, gradually. |
| Later | Developers, businesses and consumers, "as soon as possible". No date given. |
Who can use Gemini 4 Carbon today?
- A subset of cyber defenders. Security teams Google works with get Carbon first, starting the week of the announcement.
- Trusted partners in the Fairwind Program. Google's program for vetted defenders: governments, critical infrastructure such as hospitals, telecoms, energy and banks, and major tech platforms. Access widens gradually.
- Everyone else, later. Developers, businesses and consumers once Google has gathered feedback and refined its safeguards.
Google is also taking part in the US government's voluntary testing of AI models before release, which is part of why the wider rollout has no fixed date.
Why the slow rollout?
Carbon is better at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities than any model Google compared it with. That is great news for defenders and a real risk if attackers got it first. So Google is handing it to defenders early, letting them patch systems before the model is widely available, and tightening its misuse protections in the meantime. Google says Carbon uses the same layered safety system as Argon: safety training, real-time misuse detection, prompt-injection defenses and monitoring of the model's reasoning.
When will everyone get Gemini 4 Carbon?
Google hasn't said. The best guide is Argon, which followed the same path: announced to cyber defenders first on September 30, then opened to developers and paying Gemini app subscribers 13 days later, on October 13. Carbon could move at a similar pace, but Google describes this rollout as "deliberate", so it may take longer. We'll update this page the day anything changes.
Want to be ready on day one? Build on Gemini 4 Argon now. It costs the same as Carbon, and switching is a one-line change. Our API guide has the code.
Where will Gemini 4 Carbon be available?
Google only says "our product surfaces". Argon landed on the same day in the Gemini API, Google AI Studio, Vertex AI (now Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform), the Gemini app for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, and AI Mode in Search. A similar spread for Carbon would make sense, but none of it is confirmed.
Will Gemini 4 Carbon be free?
There is no sign of a free version yet. Argon needs a paid API account or a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan, and Carbon is priced exactly like Argon. If Google adds Carbon to the free Gemini app, we'll say so here.
Don't want to wait?
Google's video and image models, Veo 3.1, Gemini Omni and Nano Banana 2, are ready today on Lumeta, with Seedance, Kling and more in the same account.
Release date questions
What is the Gemini 4 Carbon release date?
Google announced it on October 28, 2026, and cyber defenders started getting it that week. There is no public release date for developers or consumers yet.
Can I use Gemini 4 Carbon in the Gemini app?
Not yet. Google says consumers will get it after defenders and trusted partners, with no date. Gemini 4 Argon is in the Gemini app for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
How do I get early access to Gemini 4 Carbon?
Only through Google's Fairwind Program, which is for vetted security teams at governments, critical infrastructure and major platforms. There is an interest form at deepmind.google/fairwind-program.
How long did Gemini 4 Argon take to release?
13 days: announced on September 30, 2026, and opened to developers and paying Gemini app users on October 13.
Sources: Google's Carbon announcement, Google's Argon availability post, Fairwind Program, 9to5Google.