# Antigravity Plan Mode Missing? It Returned as /plan in App 2.17

> Antigravity's 2.0 app dropped the Planning/Fast picker on May 19, 2026. Use /plan in App v2.17.0+ or Shift+Tab in the CLI, and set plans to always need review.

- URL: https://blog.laozhang.ai/en/posts/antigravity-plan-mode-missing
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- Author: LaoZhang AI Team (https://blog.laozhang.ai/en/about)
- Topic: Developer Tools & Agents
- Tags: Google Antigravity, Plan Mode, Antigravity CLI, AI Coding

---
Plan mode in Google Antigravity was not deleted outright, but the switch you remember is gone. Antigravity 2.0, released on May 19, 2026, shipped a new desktop app without the Planning or Fast choice that older versions offered. Planning came back as a command: in the Antigravity App v2.17.0 (September 22, 2026), you type `/plan` before your task, and the agent drafts an Implementation Plan and waits for you to click **Proceed**. The Antigravity CLI has had the same `/plan` mode since v1.1.0 (July 8, 2026).

Whether the agent actually stops before touching your files is a separate setting. In the App it is now called Plan Review Policy, and only the choice that reviews every plan asks you each time.

Everything below comes from Google's Antigravity documentation and changelog as of October 21, 2026, the official @antigravity post on X from September 25, 2026, and threads on the Google AI Developers Forum. None of the steps were clicked through in a running App or IDE build, so menu locations appear only where Google documents them, and the places where Google's own pages disagree are pointed out.

## Did Antigravity remove plan mode? Only the Planning/Fast picker

The feature disappeared for about four months, then returned in a different form. Here is the sequence:

- **Before 2.0:** Antigravity had a Planning mode you could pick. Forum posts from February 2026 discuss it, and an April 26, 2026 post describes plan mode as "accessible via the plus icon."
- **May 19, 2026:** Antigravity 2.0 launched as a new standalone desktop app, the Antigravity App, which imports projects from Antigravity 1.0 ([Antigravity changelog](https://antigravity.google/docs/changelog)).
- **May 20, 2026:** a [Google AI Developers Forum thread titled "Is Plan Mode removed from the IDE?"](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/is-plan-mode-removed-from-the-ide/145586) opened with "Can't find an explicit Plan mode button like we had before." Replies settled on typing "Use plan mode" or simply telling the agent to make a plan.
- **v2.0 to v2.16:** no App changelog entry adds a planning selector. The v2.14.0 notes (September 15, 2026) even fix a composer toolbar button that was "reading like a mode selector," which suggests the composer had no real one.
- **September 22, 2026:** App v2.17.0, titled "Plan before you build," added `/plan` and renamed the governing setting to Plan Review Policy.
- **September 25, 2026:** the [@antigravity announcement on X](https://x.com/antigravity/status/2103611698800140697) said "Antigravity 2.0 now features a dedicated planning mode, just like the Antigravity CLI," and that "The agent will ask for your approval before it begins executing on the task."

So if your App is older than v2.17.0, plan mode really was missing, and asking for a plan in the prompt was the only route. The changelog notes that new versions "roll out gradually and may take a few days to reach all users," so two machines updated on the same day can still differ.

## Where plan mode lives now in the Antigravity App, IDE, and CLI

The answer depends on which product you run, because "Antigravity" now covers three separate things. The Antigravity App is the 2.0 agent desktop app. The Antigravity IDE is the code editor, with its own version line that also started at v2.0.1 on May 19, 2026. The Antigravity CLI is the terminal tool you start with `agy`. Many forum posts say "IDE" when they mean the whole product, so check which one you actually have open.

| What you run | How to start planning | What makes it wait for your approval |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Antigravity 1.x (before May 19, 2026) | Pick Planning instead of Fast for the conversation (forum posts mention a plus icon) | Review policy set to Request review |
| Antigravity App v2.0 to v2.16 | No planning command or picker; ask for a plan in your prompt | Nothing dependable; update to v2.17.0 or later |
| Antigravity App v2.17.0 and later | `/plan` followed by your goal, or `/plan` alone | Plan Review Policy set to review every plan |
| Antigravity IDE 2.x | IDE docs still describe switching agent modes in the side panel; `/plan` docs do not list the IDE | Artifact review set to Request Review (Strict mode enforces it) |
| Antigravity CLI v1.1.0 and later | Shift+Tab to `[plan]`, `/plan` before a prompt, or `agy --mode=plan` | Artifact Review left at `asks-for-review`, the default |

Older CLI builds used `/planning` and `/fast` instead. As of October 21, 2026, the latest versions in the changelog are App v2.24.0 (October 15), CLI v1.4.0 (October 16), and IDE v2.5.5 (August 13).

![Decision map showing how to start planning and which setting makes the agent wait in Antigravity App v2.0 to v2.16, App v2.17.0 and later, IDE 2.x, and CLI v1.1.0 and later](https://blog.laozhang.ai/posts/en/antigravity-plan-mode-missing/img/plan-mode-by-product.webp)

## Use /plan in Antigravity App v2.17.0 and later

Start by typing `/` in the prompt box. The App lists available slash commands there, according to the [Antigravity slash commands catalog](https://antigravity.google/docs/slash-commands). If `/plan` is not in that list, your build predates v2.17.0 or the rollout has not reached you yet.

Once it is there, the workflow in the [Antigravity /plan documentation](https://antigravity.google/docs/plan) runs like this:

1. Type `/plan` followed by your goal, for example `/plan Refactor our authentication middleware to support OIDC token verification`. A bare `/plan` starts an open discovery session based on your active file and recent conversation.
2. The agent reads files and inspects dependencies without writing code. If the request is underspecified, it asks clarifying questions first.
3. It produces an Implementation Plan artifact with a task breakdown and verification checkpoints.
4. You leave inline comments on the plan. Click **Review** in the artifact header to send your comments as feedback, or click **Proceed** in the conversation or the artifact header to let the agent start implementing.

After you submit a review, the agent either revises the plan and asks again or begins the work. If you approve plans away from your desk, the [Antigravity Remote Control setup guide](https://blog.laozhang.ai/en/posts/antigravity-remote-control) covers reviewing a session from another browser.

Two lighter options exist. The official post says you can "ask for a plan naturally in your prompt, for a lighter version of a plan." The catalog also lists `/grill-me`, a design interview about edge cases before any plan is drafted. Both `/plan` and `/grill-me` are marked "All plans" in the catalog, so they are not limited to paid subscriptions, while `/boost` and `/teamwork-preview` are marked "Paid plans." The catalog gives `/plan` a time horizon of minutes, so a planning run that takes several minutes is normal.

## Plan Review Policy decides whether the agent waits for Proceed

Typing `/plan` only starts the planning phase. Whether the agent pauses on the finished plan is controlled by Plan Review Policy, which the v2.17.0 changelog calls an Agent setting. You open Settings with Cmd+, or from **Settings** at the bottom of the left sidebar. According to the changelog, the policy has three choices:

- **Review every plan.** The agent always stops and waits for you. Pick this if you want a plan-then-approve loop.
- **Review only when the agent judges it worthwhile.** The agent decides case by case, so some plans go straight to implementation.
- **Skip review entirely.** Plans proceed without stopping.

Google's changelog describes the three choices only by meaning, so the wording in your build may differ. The [Antigravity implementation plan docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/implementation-plan) explain why the middle option leaks. They say that unless the policy is set to always proceed, the agent "typically requests your review" before making changes. "Typically" leaves room for the agent to go ahead.

Google's pages also disagree with each other here. The [Antigravity artifact review page](https://antigravity.google/docs/artifact-review) still says you choose between Planning mode and Fast mode when starting a conversation, and it offers two policies, "Request review (recommended)" and "Always proceed." The v2.17.0 changelog entry is newer and describes a three-choice Plan Review Policy instead. If your Settings still show the two-choice version, Request review is the one that makes the agent stop.

### Permission presets do not stop code edits

The permission presets are a different control, and they are easy to confuse with plan review. On macOS and Linux, the [Antigravity agent settings page](https://antigravity.google/docs/agent-settings) lists three presets under Settings > General > Permission Settings, with a per-project override under Settings > Projects:

- **Default:** commands run without prompting inside the terminal sandbox, and the agent can read and write the workspace.
- **Request Review:** the sandbox is off and every terminal command needs approval, but the agent can still read and write the workspace.
- **Turbo:** everything runs without prompting, with full filesystem access.

Even Request Review lets the agent write to your project without asking, because the preset governs terminal commands, access outside the workspace, MCP tools, and reading web pages. Plan Review Policy is the setting that holds back edits to your code. On Windows, the App still uses the older settings, where "Terminal command auto execution" offers Request Review, Proceed in Sandbox, and Always Proceed.

![Side-by-side comparison of Plan Review Policy, which holds back code edits, and the Default, Request Review, and Turbo permission presets, which govern terminal commands](https://blog.laozhang.ai/posts/en/antigravity-plan-mode-missing/img/plan-review-vs-permissions.webp)

## Antigravity CLI plan mode: Shift+Tab, /plan, or --mode=plan

The CLI has the most direct controls. The [Antigravity CLI execution modes docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/cli/modes) give three ways in:

- **Shift+Tab** inside the prompt box cycles `default` > `accept-edits` > `plan` > `default`. The status bar below the prompt shows `[plan]` when it is active.
- **`/plan`** before a single prompt applies plan mode to that request.
- **`agy --mode=plan`** starts the whole session in plan mode.

In plan mode, the CLI prefixes your prompts with the `/plan` instruction. The agent investigates with read-only tools such as `code_search`, `grep_search`, and `view_file`, then presents an outline for your approval before writing code.

To make plan mode your default, open `/settings` (also reachable as `/config`), go to **Agent Mode**, select `plan`, and press Ctrl+S. You can also set it in `~/.gemini/antigravity-cli/settings.json`:

```json
{
  "agentMode": "plan"
}
```

If you still type `/fast` or `/planning`, that explains why switching fails. CLI v1.1.0 replaced `/planning` with `/plan` and removed `/fast`, so mode changes now go through Shift+Tab and `/plan`.

The review gate in the CLI is the Artifact Review setting (`artifactReviewPolicy`) in `/config` or `settings.json`. According to the [Antigravity settings reference](https://antigravity.google/docs/settings), it takes `asks-for-review` (the default, which always prompts), `agent-decides`, or `always-proceed`. Keep it at `asks-for-review` if you want every plan to wait. Two version changes affect it:

- Since CLI v1.3.2, `--dangerously-skip-permissions` no longer auto-approves plans in `/plan` mode. It only skips tool permission prompts.
- In headless `-p` runs, nobody can click approve, and since CLI v1.1.28 those runs proceed through plan review automatically. `agy -p --mode=plan` therefore does not keep a scripted run read-only on its own.

CLI v1.3.5 (October 14, 2026) also added Auto mode, which approves file edits and safe commands without asking. You can reach it with `--mode auto`, from Agent Mode in `/config`, or with Shift+Tab, on Linux and macOS only. Auto mode does the opposite of planning, so switch away from it before starting a planning session.

## Antigravity IDE plan mode: check the agent side panel first

The IDE documentation still describes switchable modes rather than a command. The [Antigravity IDE agent side panel docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/ide/agent-side-panel) say the panel lets you "switch agent modes," and the [Antigravity tools page](https://antigravity.google/docs/tools/) still says that "when the agent is in planning mode, it handles large and complex tasks with task groups." At the same time, the `/plan` reference lists only the App and the CLI. The implementation plan page, which covers both the App and the IDE, mentions `/plan` as a way to trigger planning.

Whether the IDE side panel shows a Planning option in v2.5.5 is not documented with a screenshot or a changelog entry, so check in this order:

1. Look for a mode control in the agent side panel. If it offers Planning, select it.
2. If there is no such control, type `/plan` before your task and see whether the agent drafts an Implementation Plan.
3. If `/plan` goes through as plain text, ask for a plan in the prompt and end with "Do not make edits."

For the review gate, the [Antigravity settings reference](https://antigravity.google/docs/settings) says the IDE's Strict mode sets Artifact review to Request Review, so the agent "always prompts for confirmation before acting on plans laid out in artifacts." Strict mode also restricts browser JavaScript, terminal commands, and file access outside the workspace, so expect more prompts overall.

## Agent still edits before you approve the plan

Plan mode has never been a hard lock. On the Google AI Developers Forum, a February 2026 report says the agent started executing while Planning mode was on, and an April 26 post says Gemini 3.1 Pro "just goes ahead and makes edits before giving me a chance to review." A September 29 post says `/plan` assumed an architecture and produced code diffs before asking anything. Work through these steps in order:

1. **Confirm planning is actually on.** In the App, the prompt must start with `/plan`. The `/plan` docs say standard prompts "immediately begin modifying files." In the CLI, look for `[plan]` in the status bar.
2. **Set the review gate to always.** Use Plan Review Policy's review-every-plan choice in the App, or `asks-for-review` in the CLI.
3. **Add an always-on rule.** A forum support reply on September 18, 2026, in a [thread about the agent editing a whole project](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/antigravity-is-now-butchering-my-entire-project-no-matter-what-constraints-are-placed-on-it/174491), suggests a rule in `.agents/rules/` with activation set to Always on, such as "Only edit files explicitly @mentioned in the prompt." Forum developers also suggest a line such as "Do not start implementation until the plan is approved" in `AGENTS.md`. One of them reported that such rules generally hold in 3- to 5-turn sessions but break down in sessions of 30 or more turns, so restate the rule or start a fresh conversation for long tasks.
4. **Add a file-write prompt as a backstop.** On macOS and Linux, the [Antigravity permissions docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/permissions/) accept `write_file(*)` as a target and say Ask rules take precedence over the preset. Putting `write_file(*)` in the Ask list should make every file write wait for you. The docs do not show this exact combination as an example, so try it on a scratch project first.
5. **Undo what slipped through.** The support reply points to Review Changes in the agent panel toolbar for reviewing or reverting file diffs.

If you are on Windows and the Proceed button never appears on a plan, App v2.9.1 fixed an issue where it "failed to appear on artifact review cards and plan editor headers." Update before changing anything else.

## Antigravity plan mode FAQ

### Is /plan in Antigravity available on the free plan?

Yes. The Antigravity slash commands catalog marks both `/plan` and `/grill-me` as "All plans." Only `/boost` and `/teamwork-preview` are listed for paid plans.

### Does typing "Use plan mode" still work in Antigravity?

It was the main workaround between May and September 2026, and forum users reported mixed results. Google's September 25 post says asking for a plan in your prompt gives "a lighter version of a plan." In App v2.17.0 and later, `/plan` is the explicit route and the one tied to Plan Review Policy.

### How do I turn plan mode off in Antigravity?

In the App, plan mode is per request, so leave out `/plan`. If the agent still pauses on plans it drafts on its own, set Plan Review Policy to skip review. In the CLI, press Shift+Tab until the status bar no longer shows `[plan]`, and remove `"agentMode": "plan"` from `settings.json` if you set it as the default.

### How do I enable auto mode in Antigravity?

Auto mode is a CLI feature added in v1.3.5 on October 14, 2026. Start with `agy --mode auto`, pick it under Agent Mode in `/config`, or cycle to it with Shift+Tab, on Linux or macOS. In the App, the documented controls for fewer interruptions are the Turbo permission preset and the skip-review choice in Plan Review Policy. Both remove the stops this plan-mode setup relies on.

## Sources

External pages this guide links to, in the order they appear. Last updated 2026-10-21.

- [Antigravity changelog](https://antigravity.google/docs/changelog) (antigravity.google)
- [Google AI Developers Forum thread titled "Is Plan Mode removed from the IDE?"](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/is-plan-mode-removed-from-the-ide/145586) (discuss.ai.google.dev)
- [@antigravity announcement on X](https://x.com/antigravity/status/2103611698800140697) (x.com)
- [Antigravity slash commands catalog](https://antigravity.google/docs/slash-commands) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity /plan documentation](https://antigravity.google/docs/plan) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity implementation plan docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/implementation-plan) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity artifact review page](https://antigravity.google/docs/artifact-review) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity agent settings page](https://antigravity.google/docs/agent-settings) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity CLI execution modes docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/cli/modes) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity settings reference](https://antigravity.google/docs/settings) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity IDE agent side panel docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/ide/agent-side-panel) (antigravity.google)
- [Antigravity tools page](https://antigravity.google/docs/tools/) (antigravity.google)
- [thread about the agent editing a whole project](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/antigravity-is-now-butchering-my-entire-project-no-matter-what-constraints-are-placed-on-it/174491) (discuss.ai.google.dev)
- [Antigravity permissions docs](https://antigravity.google/docs/permissions/) (antigravity.google)