AI EngineerGuide

Imagen 4.0 Generate Preview 06 06 retirement date: February 17, 2026

Retired on February 17, 2026; requests to imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06 now fail.

Retired on Feb 17, 2026retired
Provider
Google (Gemini API)
Model IDs affected
imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06
Shutdown date
February 17, 2026
Replacement
gemini-nano-banana-2.1
Platforms
Dates apply to the Gemini API and are the earliest possible shutdown dates Google publishes. If you use Gemini through another platform, check that platform's own schedule.
Source
Official Google (Gemini API) deprecations page (data last changed 2026-11-02, re-checked daily)
Subscribe to all shutdowns (.ics)

Migrating from Imagen 4.0 Generate Preview 06 06

Not yet reviewed. We haven't written model-specific migration notes for Imagen 4.0 Generate Preview 06 06 yet. Start with the provider's official guidance and the replacement's model page, and use this general checklist:

  • Search your code, config and environment variables for imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06.
  • Re-run your evaluation set against gemini-nano-banana-2.1 before switching traffic.
  • Recount tokens with the new model's tokenizer and re-check max_tokens, context fit and cost.
  • Check tool calling, structured output and stop sequences on your real prompts.
  • Dates apply to the Gemini API and are the earliest possible shutdown dates Google publishes. If you use Gemini through another platform, check that platform's own schedule.

Check your code before Feb 17

Lint a requestPaste an API request and see every field that will return a 400 on the new model, with a fixed request. Find every imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06 in your codePaste code, config or an n8n workflow to list each retiring model ID by line.

Also shutting down on February 17, 2026

All model retirements · All Google (Gemini API) deprecations

FAQ

When was Imagen 4.0 Generate Preview 06 06 retired?

Imagen 4.0 Generate Preview 06 06 (imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06) was retired on the Gemini API on February 17, 2026, according to the official Gemini API deprecations page. Requests to it now fail.

What should I use instead of imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06?

The recommended replacement is gemini-nano-banana-2.1.

What happens to imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06 requests after the shutdown date?

After a model is retired, API requests to it return an error. Move traffic to the replacement and test it on your own prompts before the date.

Does this date apply to Amazon Bedrock, Vertex AI or Azure?

Dates apply to the Gemini API and are the earliest possible shutdown dates Google publishes. If you use Gemini through another platform, check that platform’s own schedule.

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