GitHub Copilot: Gemini 3.5 Flash Now Generally Available
GitHub CopilotGoogle's Gemini 3.5 Flash is now generally available in GitHub Copilot, offering near-Pro coding quality at Flash-tier speed and cost. GitHub positions the model as especially well-suited for fast, iterative agentic coding workflows — thanks to strong tool use, fast response times, and efficient caching. The model is accessible to Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise subscribers across all major IDEs and GitHub Mobile, launching with a 14x premium request multiplier (pricing tentative and subject to change). Enterprise and Business administrators must enable the Gemini 3.5 Flash policy in Copilot settings before it appears for their teams.
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Sources & Mentions
5 external resources covering this update
Gemini 3.5 & Gemini 3.2 Flash + Omni Model, Codex Over Claude Code, Co-Authored-by Copilot
Youtube
GitHub Changelog: Gemini 3.5 Flash is now available in GitHub Copilot
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A New Flash-Tier Model Joins GitHub Copilot
GitHub has added Gemini 3.5 Flash, Google's latest Flash-tier language model, to the GitHub Copilot model roster as a generally available option. The announcement, made on May 19, 2026, expands the range of models developers can choose from when using Copilot Chat, agent mode, and inline coding workflows.
Google unveiled Gemini 3.5 Flash at I/O 2026, positioning it as a step-change improvement over the earlier Gemini 3 Flash — delivering near-Pro coding quality while maintaining the speed and lower cost profile characteristic of the Flash tier. According to GitHub's early testing, the model is particularly well-suited for iterative agentic coding workflows where speed and cache efficiency matter more than maximum reasoning depth.
Capabilities and Positioning
Gemini 3.5 Flash distinguishes itself in three key areas within Copilot:
Strong tool use. The model performs well at tool-calling — a core requirement for agent mode tasks that involve browsing files, running commands, and chaining multi-step operations. This makes it a solid choice for lightweight to medium-complexity agentic sessions.
Fast response times. Flash models are optimized for latency, making Gemini 3.5 Flash a natural fit for interactive workflows like inline edits, ask mode conversations, and real-time code completions where response delay is noticeable.
Efficient caching. For iterative workflows where the model is repeatedly called with similar context — such as long agent sessions that re-read the same files — Gemini 3.5 Flash's cache efficiency helps reduce both cost and latency over the course of a session.
Availability and Pricing
Gemini 3.5 Flash is available to Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise subscribers. The model can be selected through the model picker in the following environments:
- Visual Studio Code (v1.115.0 or later)
- Visual Studio (v17.14.22 or v18.1.0 and later)
- JetBrains IDEs
- Xcode
- Eclipse
The model launches with a 14x premium request multiplier — though GitHub notes this is tentative and subject to change. Rollout is gradual, so users who do not immediately see the model in their picker should check back shortly.
For Business and Enterprise administrators, the Gemini 3.5 Flash policy must be explicitly enabled in Copilot settings before the model appears in the model picker for team members.