Want to summarize a PDF? Ask AI about something in an image. Draw key insights from a PowerPoint presentation. You can now upload files to Google Gemini and ask related questions. While previously, this upload feature was limited to Gemini Advanced subscribers, now you can upload files in the free plan. So let’s walk through how to upload files, what file types are supported, and the differences between the free and paid versions.
Uploading Files to Google Gemini: Step-by-Step
Uploading files to Gemini is quite simple and the process is similar on both the web and mobile app versions. Just follow the below steps:
- Open gemini.google.com in your browser or open the Gemini app and log into your Google account.
- Look for the ‘+’ button near the chat box and click/tap on it.
- Choose the ‘Files’ option, then select a document from your device. Alternatively, you can select the “Drive” option to upload a document from your Google Drive. You can also upload a code folder if needed.
- Once the file is uploaded, start asking Gemini questions about it. You can ask for a summary, insights, or any specific details you need.
Whether you are on the free version or the paid Advanced version, you can upload up to 10 files with each file under 100MB. Simple, right? Now let’s see which files Gemini supports.
Note: Google uses the conversations and files you have uploaded to improve their AI. Also, human reviewers can access your files too. However, both your files and conversations are disconnected from your account. Make sure that you are not providing sensitive data like passwords or API Keys in your code directly to Google. In case if you have uploaded any files, Google provides the option to delete them from your account.
What Types of Files Can You Upload?
Gemini supports a huge list of files from images to code documents. However, not all file types work with Gemini, especially if you’re on the free plan. Here’s what you can upload to Gemini:
Supported in Free Plan:
- Image formats like JPG, PNG, and WEBP
- PDF (Great for reports, eBooks, and scanned documents)
- DOC/DOCX (Word documents, research papers, resumes, Google Docs)
- PPT/PPTX (Presentations, slideshows, Google Slides)
- TXT (Simple text files, notes)
Additional File Types Supported in Gemini Advanced (Paid Plan):
- XLS/XLSX (Excel and Google Sheets)
- CSV (Data files)
- RTF, DOT, DOTX, TSV, and more
- Code files including C, CPP, PY, JAVA, PHP, SQL, and HTML
- One code folder upload, with up to 1,000 code files inside
Other Differences Between Free and Pro Plans
First and foremost, as you can see if you are a programmer, the free version will not be able to cut it. You cannot upload any code files or even CSV or Excel data sheets. You still have to rely on copying and pasting code one file after another. But if your work mostly depends on PDFs, images, and text files, the free version will be able to compensate.
However, with the free version, you will only be able to access Flash models—Gemini 2.0 Flash currently, which is a lite variant. Whereas with Gemini Advanced, you will get the 2.0 Pro. Even though both the Flash and Pro versions get the same context window to take the same amount of data as input, the analyzing and reasoning capabilities will be better when you are using the Pro with Gemini Advanced.
Also Read:
- Gemini Now Runs on 2.0 Flash: What That Means for You
- Perplexity Gets Deep Research, but Is It Really Good Compared to ChatGPT and Gemini
- Google’s Gemini Now Remembers Your Past Chats Just Like ChatGPT
If you just want to summarize a PDF, you will not see any massive difference between the Flash and Pro versions. But if you want to analyze details or compare two reports, then having the Pro version can be very helpful.
To keep it simple, there are two differences between the free and Advanced versions in uploading files. First, you will be able to upload more types of files with Advanced, and second, the model will be able to analyze the files better.
