I cannot utilize my Gemini API key

[seoninja13]

What happened?

Everything under the sun, including setting/resetting Gemini API key from Google AI Studio. I have deleted the Gemini folder, I had Windows environment Gemini CLI still doesn't recognize it. I've done the /auth command, doesn't recognize it when I do /auth and I choose the Google login recognizes it, but doesn't recognize the Gemini API key even though I can see that Gemini API key when I hit Enter. Nothing happens and still doesn't recognize it, none of the environments. What's wrong with the whole Gemini freaking thing?

What did you expect to happen?

To be able to utilize Gemini API key from Google AI Studio to utilize whatever model I would like, but it just simply does not work. There is a big bug.

Client information

Client Information

Run gemini to enter the interactive CLI, then run the /about command.

> /about
# paste output here

Login information

No response

Anything else we need to know?

No response

[galz10]

Hi @seoninja13 , thanks for the report.

To help me narrow this down, could you share the exact steps you took, along with your specific CLI version and OS build?

In the meantime, could you try manually forcing the environment variable in your terminal to see if we can bypass the config issue?

For Windows (PowerShell):

$Env:GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

For macOS/Linux:

export GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Also, please give the latest preview build a shot. We've pushed some specific improvements for API auth recently that might solve this for you immediately.

[seoninja13]

[image: image.png] *Ivo Dachev * Web Dev/SEO/SEM/ | (650)-222-7923 Connect with me on ==> Linkedin <http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivodachev/> <https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile> <https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile>

…

On Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 10:36 AM Gal Zahavi ***@***.***> wrote: *galz10* left a comment (google-gemini/gemini-cli#15155) <#15155 (comment)> Hi @seoninja13 <https://github.com/seoninja13> , thanks for the report. To help me narrow this down, could you share the exact steps you took, along with your specific CLI version and OS build? In the meantime, could you try manually forcing the environment variable in your terminal to see if we can bypass the config issue? *For Windows (PowerShell):* $Env:GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY" *For macOS/Linux:* export GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY" Also, please give the *latest preview build* a shot. We've pushed some specific improvements for API auth recently that might solve this for you immediately. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#15155 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACZ3BKEQJUDKSEDQCV6DY5D4CBGKTAVCNFSM6AAAAACPHFBRC2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTMNRRHA4DKMJXHA> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[seoninja13]

$Env:GOOGLE_API_KEY="AIzaSyCQdQigdgdgdgdgdgdgdgdgdggd" PS C:\Users\JR\repos\Linkedin-resume-subm-n8n-to-PureCode> echo $Env:GOOGLE_API_KEY AIzaSyCQdQigdgdgdgdgdgdgdgdgdggd PS C:\Users\JR\repos\Linkedin-resume-subm-n8n-to-PureCode> *Ivo Dachev * Web Dev/SEO/SEM/ | (650)-222-7923 Connect with me on ==> Linkedin <http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivodachev/> <https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile> <https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile>

…

On Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 11:19 AM Ivo Dachev ***@***.***> wrote: [image: image.png] *Ivo Dachev * Web Dev/SEO/SEM/ | (650)-222-7923 Connect with me on ==> Linkedin <http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivodachev/> <https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile> <https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile> On Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 10:36 AM Gal Zahavi ***@***.***> wrote: > *galz10* left a comment (google-gemini/gemini-cli#15155) > <#15155 (comment)> > > Hi @seoninja13 <https://github.com/seoninja13> , thanks for the report. > > To help me narrow this down, could you share the exact steps you took, > along with your specific CLI version and OS build? > > In the meantime, could you try manually forcing the environment variable > in your terminal to see if we can bypass the config issue? > > *For Windows (PowerShell):* > > $Env:GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY" > > *For macOS/Linux:* > > export GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY" > > Also, please give the *latest preview build* a shot. We've pushed some > specific improvements for API auth recently that might solve this for you > immediately. > > — > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <#15155 (comment)>, > or unsubscribe > <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACZ3BKEQJUDKSEDQCV6DY5D4CBGKTAVCNFSM6AAAAACPHFBRC2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTMNRRHA4DKMJXHA> > . > You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: > ***@***.***> >