A Gemini API key authorises requests against a Google project. In Spreek, your phone uses that key to contact Google directly. If you need the setup steps first, open Create a key.
The app price and the AI bill are separate
Spreek has no subscription or speaking credits. Google determines whether your project’s requests fit free quota or incur charges. A project without paid billing cannot create paid Gemini usage, but features can fail when a model has no free allowance or quota runs out.
Session cost varies with the models used, conversation length, audio and retries. A short typed chat and a long spoken session are different workloads. Check actual project usage after your first session instead of assuming a fixed price for every conversation.
Spend caps and alerts do different jobs
In AI Studio, open the project’s Spend page and look for Monthly spend cap. Google describes this control as experimental and warns that billing delays of around ten minutes can allow overages. It is useful protection, but not an exact ceiling. Availability and permissions depend on the account.
A Google Cloud budget alert is a notification, not an automatic shutoff. Request quotas limit volume rather than guaranteeing a dollar amount. Review prepaid auto-reload settings too if your billing account uses them. Usage from multiple keys can share the same project’s limits.
Protect and revoke the key
Use a project you recognise, keep its key private and monitor its usage. Spreek stores the key in Keychain. If it is exposed, replace it and revoke the compromised credential in Google’s controls. Removing it from one app is not enough to stop someone else using it.
Know what goes to the model
Photo reading sends the selected page. Conversations send speech or typed turns, context and relevant vocabulary; generated speech and write-ups also involve Google. These requests require in-app consent. The privacy policy also explains optional iCloud sync and progress exports.
Google’s content-use rules vary by billing status and region. Read the current Gemini terms (opens in a new tab) before sending private material. An API key does not make cloud processing local or confidential by itself.
FAQ
Does Flash models only guarantee a spending limit?
No. It prevents fallback to the more expensive Pro voice in Spreek’s voice model chain. It does not set a dollar cap on your Google project.
Will deleting Spreek cancel Google billing?
No. Manage billing and revoke keys with Google. App deletion does not change the project’s billing configuration.
