Gemini 2.5 Pro: Complete Capabilities Cheatsheet
April 2025 Edition
Best Features to Master
Massive Context Window
Processes extraordinary amounts of information in a single conversation.
- Handles up to 1 million tokens (approximately 750,000 words)
- Planned expansion to 2 million tokens
- Processes entire research papers, codebases, or multiple documents at once
- Eliminates need for chunking or complex RAG pipelines
Best for: Comprehensive document analysis, large-scale code review, research synthesis
Advanced Reasoning
Uses "thinking model" to process complex problems step-by-step.
- Shows work before providing answers
- Methodical reasoning across multiple domains
- Top performer on academic and scientific benchmarks
- Strong performance in mathematics, logic, and scientific reasoning
Best for: Academic problems, scientific analysis, multi-step reasoning tasks
Multimodal Understanding
Processes and comprehends multiple types of input simultaneously.
- Analyzes text, images, audio, and video in a unified way
- Extracts insights from technical diagrams and charts
- Processes visual data with detailed understanding
- Connects concepts across different input formats
Best for: Multi-format analysis, visual data interpretation, complex document processing
Superior Coding
Creates and analyzes code with remarkable accuracy and creativity.
- Builds complete, working applications from single prompts
- Analyzes entire codebases to implement features across multiple files
- Creates visually compelling web applications
- Strong performance on software development benchmarks
Best for: Application development, codebase analysis, technical problem-solving
Interactive Content Creation
Generates dynamic, interactive applications and visualizations.
- Creates playable games from simple descriptions
- Builds interactive data visualizations
- Designs simulations to illustrate concepts
- Produces animations and visual explanations
Best for: Educational content, data presentation, interactive prototypes
Gemini 2.5 Pro's most distinguishing feature is its ability to handle extraordinarily large amounts of content while maintaining understanding across all inputs. This allows for comprehensive analysis of multiple documents that previously required complex processing pipelines.
Advanced Reasoning Approaches
Step-by-Step Problem Solving
Methodically works through complex problems with detailed explanations.
How to use it:
- Request explicit reasoning steps for complex problems
- Ask for mathematical derivations or proofs
- Request multiple approaches to a problem
Best for: Academic questions, logic puzzles, complex calculations
Show-Your-Work Methodology
Reveals the reasoning process to increase transparency and verify results.
How to use it:
- Ask for explanations of each stage in the reasoning process
- Request clear variable labeling and definitions
- Ask for confidence levels on conclusions
Best for: Verifying results, learning processes, understanding concepts
When asking Gemini to solve complex problems, try phrases like "please think through this step by step" or "walk me through your reasoning process" to activate its advanced reasoning capabilities.
Multimodal Processing
Visual Analysis
Extracts detailed information from images and visual content.
How to use it:
- Upload images with specific questions about content
- Request extraction of data from charts or diagrams
- Ask for comparison between visual elements
Best for: Technical diagram analysis, chart interpretation, image understanding
Audio & Video Processing
Extracts and analyzes content from audio and video files.
How to use it:
- Request timestamp-accurate analysis of audio content
- Ask for key points from video lectures or presentations
- Request transcription with speaker identification
Best for: Meeting analysis, lecture summarization, content extraction
Gemini 2.5 Pro excels at connecting information across multiple input formats. For example, it can analyze a technical diagram in an image, then relate that to written context from a document, and even incorporate details from video explanations.
Coding Excellence
Application Development
Creates comprehensive applications based on requirements.
How to use it:
- Describe desired functionality clearly
- Request specific technologies or frameworks
- Ask for complete implementations
Best for: Web applications, data processing tools, games, utilities
Codebase Analysis
Reviews and modifies code across multiple files.
How to use it:
- Share multiple files for comprehensive review
- Request implementation of features across multiple files
- Ask for architectural improvements
Best for: Code refactoring, feature implementation, debugging
Visual Programming
Creates visually engaging interfaces and interactive elements.
How to use it:
- Request visually compelling web interfaces
- Ask for interactive elements and animations
- Request data visualizations
Best for: Frontend development, data presentation, interactive applications
When asking Gemini to create code, include specific details about your requirements, preferred technologies, and intended functionality. The more specific your request, the more tailored the solution will be.
Content Creation
Interactive Applications
Creates engaging interactive content for learning and exploration.
How to use it:
- Request simulations to illustrate concepts
- Ask for interactive data visualizations
- Request playable games or educational tools
Best for: Educational content, concept demonstrations, prototyping
Visualization Generation
Creates clear visual representations of complex information.
How to use it:
- Request flowcharts for processes
- Ask for diagrams to illustrate systems
- Request data visualizations from complex datasets
Best for: Technical documentation, data presentation, process illustration
Tool Integration
Leverages external tools and APIs for enhanced capabilities.
How to use it:
- Request structured output formats (like JSON)
- Ask for code execution to test solutions
- Request external search when needed
Best for: Data processing, API integration, complex workflows
Gemini 2.5 Pro excels at creating content that combines multiple formats—like generating an interactive visualization that responds to user input while also providing contextual explanations.
Access Options & Pricing
Gemini Advanced
$20/month
- Full access to all capabilities
- Maximum context window
- No usage restrictions
- Priority access to new features
Free Access
$0
- Available through Google AI Studio
- Rate-limited usage
- Reduced context window size
- Limited to text-only outputs in some cases
Developer Access
API
- API access through Google AI
- Model ID: "gemini-2.5-pro-exp-03-25"
- Coming soon to Vertex AI
- Usage-based pricing
API Pricing
| Context Size | Input Cost | Output Cost |
|---|---|---|
| ≤200K tokens | $1.25/million | $10/million |
| >200K tokens | $2.50/million | $10/million |
Tips for Best Results
For Complex Reasoning
- Request step-by-step explanations
- Ask for multiple approaches to difficult problems
- Request confidence levels on answers
- Break problems into smaller components
For Coding Projects
- Provide clear specifications
- Request code with extensive comments
- Ask for test cases and error handling
- Specify target platforms or frameworks
For Multimodal Tasks
- Combine different input types for comprehensive analysis
- Ask specific questions about visual elements
- Request connections between different data formats
- Provide context for visual inputs
For Working with Large Context
- Take advantage of the 1M token window for comprehensive analysis
- Submit entire documents or codebases for holistic review
- Ask for comparisons between different sections
- Maintain conversation thread for complex, multi-step tasks
For the best results, be specific about what you're looking for. A prompt like "Analyze this data" will yield generic insights, while "Identify trends in monthly revenue by product category and suggest potential causes for the Q3 decline" will produce much more useful and targeted information.