Gemini Not Available in Your Region? Root Causes and Complete Fix Guide (2026)

Google Gemini displays "not available in your region" because your IP geolocation and Google account region are outside the officially supported list. Mainland China is not among the 200+ countries and regions where Gemini is available. Regular users can resolve this by adjusting their network environment and Google account region settings, while developers can use an API relay service to access all of Gemini's capabilities directly.

TL;DR

If you are dealing with Gemini's region restriction, here is what matters most. Google enforces a multi-layer region detection mechanism for Gemini, combining IP geolocation, Google account registration region, and browser environment signals. You need to choose a different solution path depending on your use case: regular users should focus on fixing their network environment and account region, while developers should consider an API relay service to bypass the restriction entirely. Every approach has its own trade-offs, and this guide walks through each one in detail.

Why Gemini Shows "Not Available in Your Region"

When you open the Gemini web interface or try to call the Gemini API and see "not available in your region," the root cause is that Google enforces strict regional access controls on its Gemini product line. According to Google's official documentation (ai.google.dev/available-regions, updated 2026-01-26), the Gemini Web App covers 230+ countries and regions, and the Gemini API covers 200+ countries and regions, but mainland China and Hong Kong are not on the supported list. This means that whether you are using Gemini's web chat or calling the API through Google AI Studio, you will encounter this restriction without some form of workaround.

Many users assume this is a simple "IP block" that can be solved by switching to a different server. In reality, Google's detection mechanism is far more sophisticated, employing a three-layer verification system to determine whether a user is in a supported region. The first layer is IP geolocation detection -- the most straightforward check. Google examines your outgoing IP address to determine your geographic location, and requests from IPs in mainland China are rejected outright. The second layer is Google account region detection. Even if you use a proxy tool to change your IP, Google still checks the country/region setting in your Google account profile. If your account is registered to China, certain features may remain restricted even when your IP points to Singapore. The third layer is behavioral environment analysis, which includes browser language settings, system timezone, and DNS resolution paths. When these signals contradict the region indicated by your IP, additional verification or restrictions may be triggered.

Understanding these three detection layers is essential because it directly determines what steps you need to take. Addressing only one layer is often insufficient -- this is why many users report that "switching nodes still doesn't work." They may have solved the IP-level issue while overlooking the impact of their account region and browser environment.

It is worth noting that Gemini currently comes in three product forms, each with different region restrictions and solution paths. Gemini Web App (gemini.google.com) is the consumer-facing conversational AI experience. Gemini API (accessed via API keys from Google AI Studio) provides a programmatic interface for developers. Google AI Studio itself is the visual debugging platform for the API. While all three have region restrictions, the solutions differ significantly. Regular users need to address Web App access, while developers can bypass the restriction entirely through API relay without dealing with network environment issues. For a deeper look at Google AI Studio's specific region restrictions, see Google AI Studio Region Restriction Solutions.

Solutions for Regular Users: Accessing the Gemini Web Interface

For users who simply want to use Gemini through a browser for conversations and content generation, the core challenge is simultaneously addressing all three detection layers mentioned above. The good news is that with the right approach, most users can get access working within 10 minutes.

Adjusting your network environment is the first and most critical step. You need to route your internet traffic through an IP in a Gemini-supported region. Based on real-world testing and community feedback, Singapore and Japan nodes have the highest success rates -- both are on Gemini's official supported list and offer relatively low latency. In practice, you need to select a Singapore or Japan node in your proxy tool and make sure to enable global proxy mode (sometimes called TUN mode). The reason global mode matters is that Gemini's pages load resources from multiple domains. If you use split-tunneling mode, some requests may bypass the proxy, causing Google to detect inconsistent geolocation signals. In tools like v2rayN, set the routing mode to "Global" rather than "Rule." In Clash, switch to Global mode instead of Rule mode.

The second step is checking and modifying your Google account's region setting. After logging into your Google account, go to the "Personal info" page at myaccount.google.com and check the "Country/Region" setting. If it shows China, consider changing it to the United States or another supported region. Changing the account region itself is straightforward, but note that Google may require you to provide a payment method from that region to complete verification. If you do not have a foreign credit card, you can register a new Google account and select a US region during the signup process. For a detailed registration walkthrough, refer to US Google Account Registration Guide.

The third step is cleaning up your browser environment. This step is easy to overlook but matters a great deal. Clear all Google-related cookies and cached data from your browser, then reopen the Gemini page. Using your browser's incognito mode for the first visit is recommended, as this avoids old region markers interfering with access. If your browser language is set to Chinese, temporarily switching it to English can also improve your success rate.

After completing these three steps, navigate to gemini.google.com. Under normal circumstances, the Gemini interface should load successfully. If you still see the region restriction prompt, troubleshoot in this order: verify your proxy node is actually active (visit ip.sb to confirm your current IP region), confirm global mode is enabled, check that your account region has been updated, and make sure browser cache has been fully cleared. For a more comprehensive access guide and common troubleshooting tips, Gemini China Access Complete Guide provides more detailed instructions.

Developer Solutions: Using the Gemini API

For developers who need to integrate Gemini capabilities into their applications, the approach to solving the region restriction is fundamentally different from what regular users need. Developers do not need to access the Gemini web interface through a browser -- instead, they call model capabilities directly through the API. This means the solution can be implemented entirely on the server side, without dealing with browser environments or personal network configurations.

API relay is currently the simplest and most efficient developer solution. An API relay service works by deploying proxy servers in Gemini-supported regions. These servers receive API requests from restricted regions, forward them to Google's Gemini API endpoints, and return the responses. The entire process is transparent to the developer -- the only change required is replacing the API base_url from Google's official address to the relay service address. An API relay service like laozhang.ai enables direct Gemini API calls from restricted network environments without any proxy tools. Here is a Python example showing how simple the integration is:

hljs pythonCopy
import openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key="your-api-key",
    base_url="https://api.laozhang.ai/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gemini-2.0-flash",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, please introduce yourself"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

The advantages of this approach are clear: direct connection without a proxy, low latency, and high stability; compatibility with the OpenAI SDK format, meaning existing code requires almost no modification; and pay-per-use pricing with no monthly fees. For developers already using the OpenAI API, the migration cost is essentially zero.

Vertex AI is the official alternative path provided by Google. If your project requires enterprise-grade SLA guarantees and compliance requirements, Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform offers another way to access Gemini models. Vertex AI is not subject to Google AI Studio's region restrictions, but it requires creating a Google Cloud project and enabling a billing account. Integration uses the Google Cloud SDK:

hljs pythonCopy
import vertexai
from vertexai.generative_models import GenerativeModel

vertexai.init(project="your-project-id", location="us-central1")
model = GenerativeModel("gemini-2.0-flash")
response = model.generate_content("Hello, please introduce yourself")
print(response.text)

Vertex AI offers official support, enterprise-grade stability, and full data privacy guarantees. However, the barrier to entry is higher: you need a Google Cloud account and credit card, must understand GCP's project and permission management system, and billing follows Google Cloud's standard pricing. For individual developers and small teams, API relay services are usually the more practical choice.

The third option is self-hosting an overseas proxy server. If you have a cloud server in a Gemini-supported region (such as a VPS in Singapore or Japan), you can build your own API proxy that forwards domestic API requests through the overseas server to Google. This approach offers maximum flexibility but requires server administration skills and the ongoing costs and maintenance that come with it. To learn more about Gemini API availability by region, check out Gemini API Supported Regions List.

Cost and Stability Comparison Across Solutions

With multiple solutions available, the question most users ask is: which one should I choose? To help you decide, here is a transparent comparison across four dimensions -- cost, stability, technical difficulty, and risk.

From a cost perspective, VPN/proxy nodes are the most economical option for regular users, and many people may already have such tools available. Residential IP services offer better stability but typically cost $8-30 per month -- whether the investment makes sense depends on your usage frequency. For developers, API relay services use a pay-per-use model where costs are incurred only when actual calls are made, resulting in extremely low expenses for individual developers with modest call volumes. Vertex AI follows Google Cloud's standard pricing and is suited for enterprise users with a budget.

In terms of stability, API relay and Vertex AI rank highest because they resolve the region restriction at the server level, unaffected by fluctuations in personal network environments. VPN/proxy node stability depends on node quality and the provider -- speed variations and node outages can occur. Residential IP services are more stable but come at a higher price. Changing your account region alone does not solve network issues and must be used in combination with a proxy.

From a risk perspective, API relay and Vertex AI carry virtually no account risk because API calls do not involve browser environments or cookies. Using a VPN to access the Gemini Web interface carries some level of account risk -- while there have been no reports of widespread account suspensions, Google's terms of service do reserve the right to restrict "abnormal access behavior." It is advisable to maintain consistency in your access region (do not switch between Singapore today, Japan tomorrow, and the US the day after) and avoid using heavily flagged low-quality IPs.

Recommendation for regular users: If you already have a working proxy tool, try the VPN/proxy node approach first (lowest cost). If you want a more stable long-term experience, consider a residential IP service. Regardless of which option you choose, also modifying your Google account region will improve your success rate.

Recommendation for developers: API relay services offer the best overall value. If your project has enterprise compliance requirements or needs Google's official SLA guarantees, go with Vertex AI.

Important Notes and Common Misconceptions

There are several key considerations and common misconceptions worth understanding before you begin, so you can avoid wasted effort or unnecessary risk.

Misconception 1: Any proxy node will work. This is not the case. Gemini is highly sensitive to datacenter IPs, and many budget VPNs use IPs that have already been flagged. Even if the geolocation shows a supported region, Google may still deny access. Prioritize higher-quality proxy services and confirm that their nodes are not on Google's blocklist. Testing is straightforward: connect to a node and visit google.com. If you can search normally without captcha prompts, the IP quality is acceptable. If captchas appear frequently or you cannot access Google at all, the IP has been flagged and you should switch.

Misconception 2: Changing your account region solves everything. Modifying your Google account region only addresses one of the three detection layers. Without a matching network environment, even a US-based account region will not help if your requests originate from a mainland China IP. Account region changes should be treated as a supplementary measure that must be paired with network environment adjustments to be effective. Also note that changing your account region too frequently may trigger Google's security review process -- once changed, keep it consistent.

Misconception 3: You always need to use global proxy mode. This advice applies primarily to the Gemini Web App scenario. Global mode does improve success rates, but it also means all network traffic goes through the proxy, which can slow down access to domestic websites. A middle-ground approach is to use rule-based mode, but you must ensure all Google-related domains (including gemini.google.com, accounts.google.com, apis.google.com, and others) are routed through the proxy. If your proxy tool supports custom rules, adding all google.com and googleapis.com domains to the proxy list is a reliable approach. For developers using API relay services, proxy mode settings are not a concern at all.

On the security front, there are two critical points. First, do not use unknown "free Gemini mirror sites." These websites may log your conversations or even steal your Google account credentials. The only safe options are accessing Google's official domain directly or using a reputable API relay service. Second, if you encounter certificate errors or security warnings in your proxy tool, do not ignore them. Certificate errors may indicate a man-in-the-middle attack, which could expose your information (including your Google password). If this happens, disconnect immediately and switch nodes.

Regarding the possibility of Gemini becoming available in China in the future, there is currently no official indication that Google plans to expand Gemini services to mainland China in the near term. Given China's internet regulatory environment and Google's complex relationship with the Chinese market, short-term availability is unlikely. The solutions outlined above will therefore remain necessary for the foreseeable future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which regions does Gemini support? Does it work in Hong Kong and Taiwan?

According to Google's official supported regions list (ai.google.dev/available-regions, updated 2026-01-26), the Gemini Web App covers 230+ countries and regions, and the Gemini API covers 200+ countries and regions. Taiwan is on the supported list and works without issues. Hong Kong is currently not on the supported list and requires the same workarounds as mainland China. Singapore, Japan, the United States, and many other regions are fully supported. The complete region list is available in Google's official documentation.

Will using a VPN to access Gemini get my Google account banned?

There have been no widespread reports of Google account bans resulting from proxy-based Gemini access. However, Google's terms of service do reserve the right to restrict activity that "violates usage policies." To minimize risk, maintain consistency in your access region (do not switch between Singapore, Japan, and the US from day to day), avoid frequent node changes, and do not use heavily flagged low-quality IPs. If your account is your primary work account, consider using a separate Google account for Gemini access.

Gemini suddenly stopped working even though it was fine before -- what should I do?

This usually happens because your proxy node's IP has been newly added to Google's blocklist, or your proxy tool's configuration changed after an update. Troubleshooting steps: first confirm your proxy tool is functioning (test by visiting google.com); then try switching to a different node; clear all Google-related cookies in your browser; if none of that works, try accessing Gemini in incognito mode with a fresh login. This is precisely why VPN solutions are rated as having "moderate" stability -- node quality varies over time.

What is different about Gemini 3 compared to earlier versions? Have the region restrictions changed?

According to Google's official documentation (ai.google.dev), the latest models are the Gemini 3 series, including Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview and other variants. Compared to the previous Gemini 2.5 series, the new versions offer significant improvements in reasoning capabilities and multimodal processing. However, Google has not made any substantive changes to its region restriction policy -- the list of unsupported regions remains essentially the same. This means that regardless of which version Gemini updates to, users in mainland China will still need the solutions described in this guide.

Should developers choose API relay or Vertex AI?

If you are an individual developer or small team looking for fast onboarding and low cost, API relay services are the better choice. They are compatible with the OpenAI SDK format, have near-zero integration costs, and use pay-per-use pricing with no fixed monthly fees. If you work at a large enterprise with compliance audit requirements and need Google's official SLA and technical support, Vertex AI is the more appropriate option, despite its higher integration barrier and operational complexity.

Summary and Recommended Solutions

The right solution for Gemini's region restriction depends on who you are and what you need. This guide's core approach is to provide the most suitable solution for each user type, rather than listing every possible method and leaving you to figure it out.

If you are a regular user who wants to use Gemini through a browser for conversations and content generation, the recommended approach is: switch your proxy tool to a Singapore or Japan node + enable global mode + change your Google account region + clear browser cache. The entire process takes about 10 minutes, and the success rate is high. If you want a more stable long-term experience, consider using a quality residential IP service.

If you are a developer who needs to call the Gemini API in a project, the recommended approach is to use an API relay service. This is the lowest-cost, easiest-to-integrate, and most stable developer solution. You only need to change the API base_url -- your existing code requires almost no modification. For scenarios with enterprise compliance requirements, Vertex AI is the officially recommended alternative path.

Regardless of which solution you choose, the key is understanding Google's three-layer detection mechanism (IP geolocation, account region, browser environment) and addressing each layer systematically. Do not trust promises of "one-click solutions," and do not use unknown third-party mirror sites. Security, stability, and sustainability should be your guiding criteria.