Services

VPN for Gemini: how to choose a server that works

Why Gemini says it is not available where you are, how Colitu checks Gemini on every server every 6 hours and which Google account rules still apply.

Written by: Colitu Engineering TeamReviewed by: Colitu Network TeamPublished: 5 min read

Gemini is Google's AI assistant, and like most AI services it is not available everywhere. Google decides in which countries and territories the Gemini web app can be used, publishes that list in its help centre and says it expands it in line with local regulations. If you open Gemini from a place that is not on the list, you see a message that it is not available. Some networks, such as offices, universities and hotels, also block AI services themselves.

When a VPN really helps

  • The network blocks the service. You are in a supported country, but the Wi-Fi at work, at university or in a hotel does not let you reach Gemini.
  • Travel. You are temporarily somewhere Gemini does not work, but you already use it with your account.
  • A poor route. Your provider routes traffic to Google badly, so answers load slowly or break off.

Google's rules come first

A VPN changes the address that sites see. It does not change who you are to Google:

  • Google's terms apply. If you are in a country where Gemini is not offered, using it through a VPN may go against Google's terms, and Google may restrict the account. Read the current terms before you use it: it is your account and your responsibility.
  • Your account keeps its country. Google associates every account with a country. Colitu cannot change your account's country, and neither can any other VPN.
  • Work and school accounts. If you sign in with an account managed by an organisation, the administrator decides whether Gemini is available to it. A VPN does not change that.
  • Paid plans. Paying for a Gemini subscription depends on your payment method's country and Google's rules. A VPN does not change the country of your bank card.

How Colitu checks Gemini

Every Colitu server runs an automatic check every 6 hours from its own exit address: does Gemini open from this server's network? The same check covers ChatGPT, Claude, Netflix and YouTube Premium. The results appear on the servers page as ✓ tags, together with the time of the last test.

One detail matters for Gemini: the AI filter shows servers that pass at least one AI service. A server can be in the AI filter because ChatGPT or Claude works there, while Gemini does not. For Gemini, look for the Gemini ✓ tag itself.

Because the check runs from the server and not from our office, it reflects what Google returns to that address. It is still a snapshot: a result can change between two checks.

Step by step

  1. Open the servers page and find locations marked Gemini ✓. Note the time of the last test.
  2. In the Colitu app, choose one of those locations. Prefer the one with the lowest latency.
  3. Connect and open What is my IP to confirm that sites see the server's country.
  4. Open Gemini in a private browser window, or sign out of your Google account and sign in again.
  5. If Gemini still says it is not available, switch to another location with Gemini ✓.

If Gemini still does not open

  • Cookies and sessions. Google may remember where you signed in before. Signing out and in, or clearing cookies for Google sites, often helps.
  • Browser DNS. If Secure DNS in the browser uses its own provider, lookups can come from another country than the server. Set it to automatic or off; see DNS leak explained.
  • WebRTC. If your browser reveals your real address through WebRTC, a service can see two different locations. Check with the WebRTC leak test.
  • Windows apps. In system proxy mode some desktop programs bypass the VPN. Turn on TUN mode so all traffic goes through the tunnel.
  • Time zone and language. Services may notice when your device's time zone or language does not match the server's country. This alone usually does not block access, but it can add to other signals.

More fixes are in the help centre article on AI services.

Phone, tablet or computer

  • Android. Colitu runs as a whole-device VPN, so both the Gemini app and the browser go through the tunnel. Make sure no other VPN is active.
  • iPhone and iPad. The iOS app (iOS 15 and later, currently through TestFlight) also tunnels the whole device.
  • Windows. Browsers use the system proxy that Colitu sets by default; for other programs, turn on TUN mode.
  • Linux (beta). Use TUN mode so the whole system goes through the tunnel; it asks for sudo.
  • Mac. Colitu has no macOS app at the moment.

Do not hop between countries

Switching the server's country several times in one session can look unusual to Google and may trigger extra sign-in checks. Pick one working location with Gemini ✓ and stay with it. When you choose a location, the panel keeps the same server for your device for 24 hours, which also helps keep your address stable.

The same approach works for other AI assistants. See VPN for ChatGPT and VPN for Claude for the details of those services.

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