Gemini API
imagen-4.0-generate-001 model retirement
Stopped workingSubscribe to Gemini APIShare
Calls to the model imagen-4.0-generate-001 on Gemini API stopped working on August 17, 2026.
The error you get
What Gemini API answers a call to imagen-4.0-generate-001 once the model is gone, as recorded from real responses:
{"error":{"code":404,"message":"This model models/imagen-4.0-generate-001 is no longer available to new users. Please update your code to use a newer model for the latest features and improvements.","status":"NOT_FOUND"}}{"error":{"code":404,"message":"models/imagen-4.0-generate-001 is not found for API version v1beta, or is not supported for generateContent. Call ModelService.ListModels to see the list of available models and their supported methods.","status":"NOT_FOUND"}}What to use instead of imagen-4.0-generate-001
Move to gemini-nano-banana-2.1, recommended by Google.
Nano Banana is called with generate_content (generateContent), not generate_images, and returns the image as a content part holding the image data instead of Imagen's generated-images response object.
In Gemini API's words
Model: imagen-4.0-generate-001; Release date: June 24, 2025; Shutdown date: August 17, 2026; Recommended replacement: gemini-nano-banana-2.1
Facts
- API
- Gemini API
generativelanguage.googleapis.com - Model
imagen-4.0-generate-001- Kind
- Model retirement
- Takes effect
- August 17, 2026
- Calls after that day
- Fail
- Source
- Deprecations page
- Last updated
- Verified
- , against Gemini API's own pages
Questions
When does imagen-4.0-generate-001 shut down?
Calls to the model imagen-4.0-generate-001 on Gemini API stopped working on August 17, 2026.
What happens to calls after August 17, 2026?
They have failed since August 17, 2026.
What error does imagen-4.0-generate-001 return once it is shut down?
Gemini API answers HTTP 404: "This model models/imagen-4.0-generate-001 is no longer available to new users. Please update your code to use a newer model for the latest features and improvements.". Send another model to fix it.
How do I find the calls this hits in my code?
Okapi reads your repository, finds the calls this change hits and opens a pull request with the fix. It never commits to your branches: every change comes as a pull request you review.
imagen-4.0-generate-001 on other APIs 1
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Vertex AI
imagen-4.0-generate-001Model retirement Stopped working
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You fixed this one by hand.
Okapi opens the pull request with the fix before the next breaking change reaches your code.