The direct way to use Veo 3.1 is Google Flow, Google's video app, where every account gets free credits each day. Below are the Flow steps, the free routes, what changed in the Gemini app, and the Gemini API for developers. The last section covers Toybox AI's Video Creator, which charges Toybox credits per clip on a Toybox Pro plan rather than a Google plan. Prices and credit costs are as of September 2026.
5 ways to use Veo 3.1
Veo 3.1 is Google DeepMind's video model. It makes 4, 6 or 8 second clips with sound from a text description, a starting image or reference images. These are the places you can run it:
| Method | Works on | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Flow | Web browser and the Flow mobile app, ages 18 and up, in over 150 countries and territories | 50 free credits a day; Veo 3.1 Lite costs 10 credits, Veo 3.1 Quality 100 | Trying Veo 3.1 at no cost, and building longer scenes |
| Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra with Flow | Same as Flow | $4.99, $19.99, or $99.99 to $199.99 a month, adding 200 to 25,000 Flow credits a month | Regular use and more Quality clips |
| Gemini API | Your own code, or Google AI Studio | Billed per second of video, no free tier | Developers and apps that make clips automatically |
| Gemini app | Web and mobile with a Google AI plan, ages 18 and up | Included in paid plans, within usage limits | Quick clips in chat, now made with Gemini Omni rather than Veo |
| Toybox Video Creator | Any phone or computer browser, Pro plan or higher | Currently 350 credits per clip | Paying per clip in Toybox credits, alongside image and flyer tools |
Google DeepMind's Veo page also lists Google Vids and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform among the places to use Veo.
How to use Veo 3.1 in Flow
Flow is the Google app where you choose a specific Veo 3.1 model, such as Veo 3.1 Lite or Veo 3.1 Quality. You sign in with a Google account, and Google says Flow is for users 18 and older.
- Open Google Flow and start a new project, or open one you already have.
- Type the scene into the prompt box. Google's help page asks you to be specific about the subject, the action, the environment, the lighting and the style.
- Click the model name. Flow starts on an image model, so select Video and pick a Veo 3.1 model.
- To start from a picture, choose Frames and drag an image onto + Add start frame, and optionally + Add end frame. To keep a character or product consistent, choose Ingredients and add reference images instead.
- Set the Aspect ratio, the Number of outputs and the Generation length.
- Press Generate. The finished clip appears in your project, and an 8-second clip can be extended from there.
Flow charges credits per video made, not per request, and one request can make more than one video. Setting Number of outputs to 1 is the simplest way to stretch free credits.
Which Veo 3.1 model to pick in Flow
The model you pick decides both the credit cost and which features work.
| Flow model | Credits per video (without Ultra) | Lengths | Works with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite | 10 | 4, 6 or 8 seconds | Text, start and end frames, Ingredients (8 seconds only), Extend |
| Veo 3.1 Quality | 100 | 4, 6 or 8 seconds | Text, start and end frames |
| Gemini Omni Flash (not Veo) | 7 to 15 at 720p, 4 to 7 at 360p | 4, 6, 8 or 10 seconds | Text, frames, Ingredients, editing uploaded videos |
Any 8-second Veo 3.1 clip can be extended in Flow, but the extension always runs on Veo 3.1 Lite. A Quality clip still gets extended with Lite, and each extension continues from the final second of the clip before it.
How to use Veo 3.1 for free
Flow's daily allowance is the main free way to use Veo 3.1. Google's help page says every account gets 50 Flow credits per day, with or without a subscription. At 10 credits per Veo 3.1 Lite video, that's up to five Lite clips a day, and it can't pay for a single 100-credit Quality clip.
Three limits apply to the free route:
- Daily credits don't roll over. The daily refresh starts with your first generation, and whatever you don't spend is gone the next day.
- Peak hours. Between roughly 2 PM and 5 PM UTC, accounts without a subscription may not be able to make videos, though images and the Flow Agent keep working.
- No free API use. The Gemini API charges for every Veo clip, so building Veo into your own app always costs money.
Students get more room. US college students aged 18 or older can claim a free year of Google AI Pro until December 31, 2026, and Google AI Pro adds 1,000 Flow credits a month on top of the daily 50. A valid payment method is required, eligibility is checked every year, and the plan renews at $19.99 a month unless you cancel.
YouTube Shorts is a third free route, with a caveat. In September 2025, YouTube announced free clips with sound in YouTube Shorts, made with a custom version of Veo 3 at 480p and rolling out first in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Google DeepMind's Gemini Omni page now lists YouTube Shorts among the places to try Gemini Omni, so check which model the Shorts tool names before you count on Veo.
How to use Veo 3.1 in Gemini
The Gemini app now makes videos with Gemini Omni, not Veo 3.1. Google's Gemini Omni page says Gemini Omni "will replace Veo in the Gemini app", and the Gemini video help page now names only Gemini Omni. To use Veo 3.1 specifically, go through Flow or the API.
Making a video in the Gemini app still works much the same way:
- Sign in to Gemini on the web or in the app. Personal accounts need a Google AI plan, and you must be 18 or older.
- Open the sidebar and select Create video. You can pick a template first.
- Describe the video. To animate your own pictures, click Add image (up to 5 images) or Add video (one video).
- Click Submit. Google says a video may take a few minutes, and the chat stays locked until it's done.
- Under the finished video, click Share, then Download video.
Google describes Gemini Omni as making 10-second videos with native audio, and you can keep editing a clip in the same chat by asking for changes. Video uploads for editing aren't offered in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or some US states.
How to use Veo 3.1 through the Gemini API
Developers call Veo 3.1 through the Gemini API, and Google DeepMind also lists Google AI Studio as a place to try it. There's no free tier, so you need a billing account. Google bills per second of generated video, with 4K costing more than 720p, and says you're charged only when a video is generated successfully. Current rates are on the Gemini API pricing page.
The API documents these limits for Veo 3.1:
- Length: 4, 6 or 8 seconds. 1080p, 4K, reference images and extension all require 8 seconds.
- Resolution: 720p by default, with 1080p and 4K on Veo 3.1. Veo 3.1 Lite stops at 1080p.
- Shape: 16:9 (the default) or 9:16, at 24 frames per second.
- Sound: generated natively and always on.
- References: up to 3 reference images that steer the content of the clip.
- Frames: a first frame, plus an optional last frame that only works together with a first frame.
- Extension: 7 seconds per extension, as many as 20 times, to a maximum of 148 seconds. It works on 720p clips and isn't available on Lite.
- Storage: Google keeps generated videos on its servers for 2 days, then removes them.
Google marks its older Veo 3 models as deprecated in the same documentation, so new projects should start on Veo 3.1.
Tips for a clean Veo 3.1 result
These habits save credits whichever route you use:
- One output per request. In Flow, a request that makes 2 videos costs twice as much, so set Number of outputs to 1 while you test.
- Draft in Lite, finish in Quality. Test an idea in Veo 3.1 Lite at 10 credits, then run the version you like in Quality at 100.
- Match the start frame to the shape. Use a 9:16 image for a vertical clip and a 16:9 image for a wide one, so nothing needs reframing.
- Write prompts in English. Flow is available in 37 languages, but Google recommends English prompts, and the API documentation says only English is fully supported.
- Plan Ingredients around Lite. In Flow, Ingredients works with Veo 3.1 Lite at 8 seconds, not with Quality, so use Lite for shots that must keep the same character or product.
- Download API clips right away. The API deletes videos after 2 days.
For wording to copy, the Veo 3 prompt library has scene-by-scene examples with dialogue and sound cues, and the Veo 3 prompting guide explains how each part of a prompt works.
Troubleshooting Veo 3.1
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No video option in Flow | The model picker is on an image model | Click the model name, select Video, then a Veo 3.1 model |
| Video won't start on a free account | Google's busy window, about 2 PM to 5 PM UTC | Try again outside those hours, or use a paid plan |
| Credits ran out after a few prompts | Each request made 2 videos | Set Number of outputs to 1 |
| Can't extend a Quality clip | Flow extends Veo 3.1 clips only with Veo 3.1 Lite | Switch the model to Veo 3.1 Lite for the extension |
| Flow won't run Ingredients on Quality | Veo 3.1 Quality doesn't support Ingredients | Switch to Veo 3.1 Lite at 8 seconds |
| Gemini made the video, but not with Veo | The Gemini app now uses Gemini Omni | Use Flow or the API for Veo 3.1 |
| The API rejects a 1080p, 6-second request | 1080p and 4K need 8 seconds | Set the duration to 8 |
| An API video link stopped working | Google removes generated videos after 2 days | Download each clip as soon as it's ready |
Use Veo 3.1 in Toybox Video Creator
Video Creator is powered by Google Veo 3.1, and Video Creator Lite uses Veo 3.1 Lite, so you can make Veo clips in Toybox without a Google plan. Both need a Toybox Pro plan or higher.
- Open Video Creator and type the scene into "Describe your video" (up to 2,000 characters), including any dialogue or sounds you want to hear.
- To start from a picture, tap "Start from a photo". After adding it, you can add an end frame to control where the clip lands, which makes the clip 8 seconds.
- Under "Format", choose Wide (16:9) or Vertical (9:16), and under "Length", choose 4, 6 or 8 sec.
- Tap "Create video". Videos take a few minutes.
- Watch the clip, then download it as an MP4. Unsaved results stay available for 24 hours, so save the ones you want to keep.
Video Creator currently costs 350 credits per clip at any length and makes 720p video. Video Creator Lite costs 180 credits at 720p or 220 at 1080p, and 1080p clips are always 8 seconds. If a clip fails, the credits go back automatically. Plans currently start at $9.99 a month for 1,000 credits (see Toybox pricing), and the Veo 3.1 pricing breakdown compares that with Google's plans. Clips come with sound, as Veo 3.1 clips do elsewhere. Toybox has no separate sound setting, so the dialogue, effects and music come from your description. Spoken lines may not come out word for word, so listen before you post. For background on the model itself, read what Veo 3 is.