feat(cli): merge Auto modes into a single Auto mode

docs/reference/configuration.md

@@ -882,9 +882,10 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
         }
       },
       "auto": {
+        "displayName": "Auto",
         "tier": "auto",
         "isPreview": true,
-        "isVisible": false,
+        "isVisible": true,
         "features": {
           "thinking": true,
           "multimodalToolUse": false
@@ -918,26 +919,16 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
         }
       },
       "auto-gemini-3": {
-        "displayName": "Auto (Gemini 3)",
         "tier": "auto",
+        "family": "gemini-3",
         "isPreview": true,
-        "isVisible": true,
-        "dialogDescription": "Let Gemini CLI decide the best model for the task: gemini-3-pro, gemini-3-flash",
-        "features": {
-          "thinking": true,
-          "multimodalToolUse": false
-        }
+        "isVisible": false
       },
       "auto-gemini-2.5": {
-        "displayName": "Auto (Gemini 2.5)",
         "tier": "auto",
+        "family": "gemini-2.5",
         "isPreview": false,
-        "isVisible": true,
-        "dialogDescription": "Let Gemini CLI decide the best model for the task: gemini-2.5-pro, gemini-2.5-flash",
-        "features": {
-          "thinking": false,
-          "multimodalToolUse": false
-        }
+        "isVisible": false
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -1020,33 +1011,15 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
           }
         ]
       },
-      "auto-gemini-3": {
+      "auto": {
         "default": "gemini-3-pro-preview",
         "contexts": [
           {
             "condition": {
-              "hasAccessToPreview": false
+              "releaseChannel": "stable"
             },
             "target": "gemini-2.5-pro"
           },
-          {
-            "condition": {
-              "useGemini3_1": true,
-              "useCustomTools": true
-            },
-            "target": "gemini-3.1-pro-preview-customtools"
-          },
-          {
-            "condition": {
-              "useGemini3_1": true
-            },
-            "target": "gemini-3.1-pro-preview"
-          }
-        ]
-      },
-      "auto": {
-        "default": "gemini-3-pro-preview",
-        "contexts": [
           {
             "condition": {
               "hasAccessToPreview": false
@@ -1092,9 +1065,6 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
           }
         ]
       },
-      "auto-gemini-2.5": {
-        "default": "gemini-2.5-pro"
-      },
       "gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview": {
         "default": "gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview",
         "contexts": [
@@ -1127,6 +1097,33 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
             "target": "gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview"
           }
         ]
+      },
+      "auto-gemini-3": {
+        "default": "gemini-3-pro-preview",
+        "contexts": [
+          {
+            "condition": {
+              "hasAccessToPreview": false
+            },
+            "target": "gemini-2.5-pro"
+          },
+          {
+            "condition": {
+              "useGemini3_1": true,
+              "useCustomTools": true
+            },
+            "target": "gemini-3.1-pro-preview-customtools"
+          },
+          {
+            "condition": {
+              "useGemini3_1": true
+            },
+            "target": "gemini-3.1-pro-preview"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "auto-gemini-2.5": {
+        "default": "gemini-2.5-pro"
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -1145,15 +1142,15 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
         "contexts": [
           {
             "condition": {
-              "requestedModels": ["auto-gemini-2.5", "gemini-2.5-pro"]
+              "hasAccessToPreview": false
             },
             "target": "gemini-2.5-flash"
           },
           {
             "condition": {
-              "requestedModels": ["auto-gemini-3", "gemini-3-pro-preview"]
+              "requestedModels": ["gemini-2.5-pro", "auto-gemini-2.5"]
             },
-            "target": "gemini-3-flash-preview"
+            "target": "gemini-2.5-flash"
           }
         ]
       },
@@ -1162,7 +1159,20 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
         "contexts": [
           {
             "condition": {
-              "requestedModels": ["auto-gemini-2.5", "gemini-2.5-pro"]
+              "hasAccessToPreview": false
+            },
+            "target": "gemini-2.5-pro"
+          },
+          {
+            "condition": {
+              "releaseChannel": "stable",
+              "requestedModels": ["auto"]
+            },
+            "target": "gemini-2.5-pro"
+          },
+          {
+            "condition": {
+              "requestedModels": ["gemini-2.5-pro", "auto-gemini-2.5"]
             },
             "target": "gemini-2.5-pro"
           },

packages/cli/src/acp/acpSessionManager.test.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import type * as acp from '@agentclientprotocol/sdk';
 import {
   AuthType,
   type Config,
+  GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
   type MessageBus,
   type Storage,
 } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ describe('AcpSessionManager', () => {
     expect(response.models?.availableModels).toEqual(
       expect.arrayContaining([
         expect.objectContaining({
-          modelId: 'auto-gemini-3',
+          modelId: GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
           name: expect.stringContaining('Auto'),
         }),
       ]),

packages/cli/src/acp/acpUtils.ts

@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ import {
   type ToolCallConfirmationDetails,
   Kind,
   ApprovalMode,
-  DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
-  PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
+  GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
   DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL,
   DEFAULT_GEMINI_FLASH_MODEL,
   DEFAULT_GEMINI_FLASH_LITE_MODEL,
@@ -23,6 +22,8 @@ import {
   getDisplayString,
   AuthType,
   ToolConfirmationOutcome,
+  getChannelFromVersion,
+  getAutoModelDescription,
 } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import type * as acp from '@agentclientprotocol/sdk';
 import { z } from 'zod';
@@ -262,7 +263,7 @@ export function buildAvailableModels(
   }>;
   currentModelId: string;
 } {
-  const preferredModel = config.getModel() || DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO;
+  const preferredModel = config.getModel() || GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO;
   const shouldShowPreviewModels = config.getHasAccessToPreviewModel();
   const useGemini31 = config.getGemini31LaunchedSync?.() ?? false;
   const useGemini31FlashLite =
@@ -271,6 +272,8 @@ export function buildAvailableModels(
   const useCustomToolModel =
     useGemini31 && selectedAuthType === AuthType.USE_GEMINI;
 
+  const releaseChannel = getChannelFromVersion(config.clientVersion);
+
   // --- DYNAMIC PATH ---
   if (
     config.getExperimentalDynamicModelConfiguration?.() === true &&
@@ -281,6 +284,7 @@ export function buildAvailableModels(
       useGemini3_1FlashLite: useGemini31FlashLite,
       useCustomTools: useCustomToolModel,
       hasAccessToPreview: shouldShowPreviewModels,
+      releaseChannel,
     });
 
     return {
@@ -292,23 +296,12 @@ export function buildAvailableModels(
   // --- LEGACY PATH ---
   const mainOptions = [
     {
-      value: DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
-      title: getDisplayString(DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO),
-      description:
-        'Let Gemini CLI decide the best model for the task: gemini-2.5-pro, gemini-2.5-flash',
+      value: GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
+      title: getDisplayString(GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO),
+      description: getAutoModelDescription(releaseChannel, useGemini31),
     },
   ];
 
-  if (shouldShowPreviewModels) {
-    mainOptions.unshift({
-      value: PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
-      title: getDisplayString(PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO),
-      description: useGemini31
-        ? 'Let Gemini CLI decide the best model for the task: gemini-3.1-pro, gemini-3-flash'
-        : 'Let Gemini CLI decide the best model for the task: gemini-3-pro, gemini-3-flash',
-    });
-  }
-
   const manualOptions = [
     {
       value: DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL,

packages/cli/src/config/config.test.ts

@@ -2058,7 +2058,7 @@ describe('loadCliConfig model selection', () => {
       argv,
     );
 
-    expect(config.getModel()).toBe('auto-gemini-3');
+    expect(config.getModel()).toBe('auto');
   });
 
   it('always prefers model from argv', async () => {
@@ -2102,7 +2102,7 @@ describe('loadCliConfig model selection', () => {
       argv,
     );
 
-    expect(config.getModel()).toBe('auto-gemini-3');
+    expect(config.getModel()).toBe('auto');
   });
 });
 

packages/cli/src/config/config.ts

@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import {
   loadServerHierarchicalMemory,
   ASK_USER_TOOL_NAME,
   getVersion,
-  PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
   type HierarchicalMemory,
   coreEvents,
   GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
@@ -866,7 +865,7 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
     interactive,
   );
 
-  const defaultModel = PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO;
+  const defaultModel = GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO;
   const rawModel =
     argv.model || process.env['GEMINI_MODEL'] || settings.model?.name;
 

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -3471,7 +3471,11 @@ export const SETTINGS_SCHEMA_DEFINITIONS: Record<
       family: { type: 'string' },
       isPreview: { type: 'boolean' },
       isVisible: { type: 'boolean' },
-      dialogDescription: { type: 'string' },
+      dialogDescription: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description:
+          "A description of the model to display in the model selection dialog. For the 'auto' alias, this value is dynamically generated and any value provided here will be ignored.",
+      },
       features: {
         type: 'object',
         properties: {

packages/cli/src/ui/components/ModelDialog.test.tsx

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { waitFor } from '../../test-utils/async.js';
 import { createMockSettings } from '../../test-utils/settings.js';
 import {
   DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL,
-  DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
+  GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
   DEFAULT_GEMINI_FLASH_MODEL,
   DEFAULT_GEMINI_FLASH_LITE_MODEL,
   PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL,
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ describe('<ModelDialog />', () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.resetAllMocks();
-    mockGetModel.mockReturnValue(DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO);
+    mockGetModel.mockReturnValue(GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO);
     mockGetHasAccessToPreviewModel.mockReturnValue(false);
     mockGetGemini31LaunchedSync.mockReturnValue(false);
     mockGetGemini31FlashLiteLaunchedSync.mockReturnValue(false);
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ describe('<ModelDialog />', () => {
 
     // Default implementation for getDisplayString
     mockGetDisplayString.mockImplementation((val: string) => {
-      if (val === 'auto-gemini-2.5') return 'Auto (Gemini 2.5)';
-      if (val === 'auto-gemini-3') return 'Auto (Preview)';
+      if (val === 'auto') return 'Auto';
       return val;
     });
   });
@@ -234,7 +233,7 @@ describe('<ModelDialog />', () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(mockSetModel).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
+        GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
         true, // Session only by default
       );
       expect(mockOnClose).toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -292,7 +291,7 @@ describe('<ModelDialog />', () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(mockSetModel).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO,
+        GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO,
         false, // Persist enabled
       );
       expect(mockOnClose).toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -355,7 +354,7 @@ describe('<ModelDialog />', () => {
     mockGetModel.mockReturnValue(DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL);
     mockGetDisplayString.mockImplementation((val: string) => {
       if (val === DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL) return 'My Custom Model Display';
-      if (val === 'auto-gemini-2.5') return 'Auto (Gemini 2.5)';
+      if (val === 'auto') return 'Auto';
       return val;
     });
     const { lastFrame, unmount } = await renderComponent();
@@ -369,9 +368,9 @@ describe('<ModelDialog />', () => {
       mockGetHasAccessToPreviewModel.mockReturnValue(true);
     });
 
-    it('shows Auto (Preview) in main view when access is granted', async () => {
+    it('shows Auto in main view when access is granted', async () => {
       const { lastFrame, unmount } = await renderComponent();
-      expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Auto (Preview)');
+      expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Auto');
       unmount();
     });