Google launches Nano Banana 2, combining Pro-level quality with lightning-fast AI image generation

Google reveals Nano Banana 2 AI image model, coming to Gemini today

The last year has been big for Google's AI efforts. Its rapid-fire model releases have brought it to parity with the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic and, in some cases, pushed it into the lead. The Nano Banana image generator was emblematic of that trend when it debuted last year, and subsequent updates only made it better. Now, Google has announced yet another update to its image model with Nano Banana 2, which is available starting today. Nano Banana 2 is more accurately known as Gemini 3.1 Flash Image -- the previous Nano Banana models were based on the 3.0 branch. According to Google, the new release is capable of results similar to Nano Banana Pro but with the speed of the non-pro Flash variant. Google promises the new image generator will have more advanced world knowledge pulled from the Internet by the Gemini 3.1 LLM. This apparently gives it the necessary information to render objects with greater fidelity and create more accurate infographics. The days of squiggly AI text were already ending, but Google says Nano Banana 2 has Pro-like text accuracy in image outputs.

Google launches Nano Banana 2 model with faster image generation | TechCrunch

Google today announced the latest version of its popular image generation model, Nano Banana 2. The new model, which is technically Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, can create more realistic images than its predecessor. The model will also now become the default in the Gemini app for its Fast, Thinking, and Pro modes. The company first released Nano Banana in August 2025, prompting people to generate millions of images in the Gemini app, especially in countries like India. In November, the company released Nano Banana Pro, which allows users to create more detailed and high-quality images. The new Nano Banana 2 retains some of the high-fidelity characteristics of the Pro model but produces images faster. The company says you can create images with a resolution ranging from 512px to 4K, in different aspect ratios. Nano Banana 2 can maintain character consistency for up to five characters and fidelity of up to 14 objects in one workflow for better storytelling. Users can also issue complex requests with detailed nuances for image generation, Google says. In addition, users can create media with more vibrant lighting, richer textures, and sharper detail. With the launch, Nano Banana 2 will become the default model for image generation across all apps in the Gemini app. The company is also making it the default model for image generation in its video editing tool, Flow. In Search, Nano Banana 2 will become the default for Google Search results via Google Lens and in AI Mode across 141 countries on the Google app and on the web across desktop and mobile. On Google's higher-end plans, Google AI Pro and Ultra, subscribers can continue use Nano Banana Pro for specialized tasks by regenerating images via the three-dot menu. For developers, Nano Banana 2 will be available in preview through the Gemini API, Gemini CLI, and the Vertex API. It will also be available through AI Studio and the company's development tool Antigravity, which was released last November. The company said that all images created through the new model will have a SynthID watermark, which is Google's mark to denote AI-generated images. The images are also interoperable with C2PA Content Credentials, created by an industry body consisting of companies like Adobe, Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and Meta. Google said that since launching the synthID verification in the Gemini app in November, people have used it over 20 million times.

Nano Banana 2 Is Here: What Changed in Google's Popular AI Image Tool

Google couldn't let Samsung have all the fun and attention this week. The Gemini-maker dropped Nano Banana 2 on Thursday, the second generation of its viral AI image editing tool. You might remember Nano Banana from last fall, when it made many fans and shocked AI users with its photorealistic capabilities. It quickly leapfrogged AI image tools from competitors like Midjourney and OpenAI, particularly with its ability to adeptly handle photo edits on top of generating entirely new images. The Pro version came out a few months later and built on those capabilities with better text generation. Now Google is promising that Nano Banana 2 is, like Hannah Montana, the best of both worlds. Nano Banana 2 levels up Google's base AI image model. The company said it should have the speed of the original model with the accuracy and detailed work of the Pro version. It uses the world knowledge that was built into Gemini 3, previously restricted to the Pro model. That means AI images should be more rooted in reality and less likely to be hallucinations. Text generation in images, like when you create greeting cards, should be clearer, too. Character consistency, something that creators have said Nano Banana excels at, is also getting a boost. Google said the new base model "delivers vibrant lighting, richer textures and sharper details," along with the ability to generate in different aspect ratios and in resolutions up to 4K. Read more: AI Slop Is Destroying the Internet. These Are the People Fighting to Save It Since Nano Banana's launch, and partly because of it, we're all now anxiously wrestling with the role AI-generated content plays in our online ecosystems. Advanced models like the ones from Google create fabricated images and videos that are nearly indistinguishable from real ones. Low-quality AI content, sometimes called slop, has flooded social media. The vast majority of social media users believe they see AI-generated posts, but less than half (44%) are confident they can spot it, a CNET survey found. Photorealistic images like the kind Nano Banana can make are a big part of that problem. The new model is available now everywhere you use Gemini. Nano Banana 2 will replace the original, so you'll have to choose between it and the Pro alternative. If you create AI images with the new model, Google will attach invisible watermarks called content credentials to them. So if you want to know if an image was made with AI, you can upload it to Gemini, and it may be able to identify it. That only works if it was made with Google AI, though.

Google rolls out Nano Banana 2 after viral success of AI image generation tool

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Google on Thursday unveiled a successor to its viral Nano Banana image generation model, touting faster performance as the search-engine behemoth pushes to attract more users to its AI tools. The model, called Nano Banana 2, is being rolled out across products, including the Gemini app, AI Mode and Lens features on Search, and Flow, its AI-powered video tool, the Alphabet-owned (GOOGL.O), opens new tab company said. The launch is Google's latest in a series of moves that have propelled the company to the forefront of the AI race, helping it better compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT after suffering a string of embarrassments initially. The success has fueled a 47% surge in its stock in the past six months. Google rolled out the Nano Banana AI image editor in August, which quickly became a viral sensation, attracting 13 million first-time users to the Gemini app in just four days in September. By mid-October, it had generated more than 5 billion images. The tech giant followed that with the release of the upgraded Nano Banana Pro in November. Nano Banana 2 leans on Gemini's faster and cheaper models known as Flash, which allows quicker image generation and editing, Google said, adding that it also has better instruction-following capabilities and delivers sharper details. In November, Google released its Gemini 3 AI model, whose success prompted rival OpenAI to issue an internal "code red" to push teams to accelerate development. Gemini 3 has significantly boosted user engagement, helping the Gemini app capture more than 750 million monthly active users at the end of December. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Google's Nano Banana 2 is a faster version of Nano Banana Pro

Google has launched its new image generation model, the Nano Banana 2, which is powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. The company says the new model has the capabilities, world knowledge and reasoning of Nano Banana Pro, but it can accomplish tasks at "lightning-fast speed." That enables rapid editing and the quick creation of various iterations using a single prompt. Nano Banana 2 will give more people access to capabilities that were previously exclusive to the Pro model. That includes Pro's ability to pull real-time information and images from web searches to create, say, infographics and diagrams. It will also be able to generate texts on images for marketing materials and greeting cards. Google says Nano Banana 2 can maintain character resemblance for up to five characters in a single workflow, which could be especially valuable if you're using it to create storyboards or visual stories. It can follow precise instructions for complex requests, as well, and can generate input with up to 4K in resolution with richer textures and sharper details than its predecessors could. Nano Banana Pro could already generate images so realistic, it's almost impossible to tell that they were AI-generated. Google even had to limit its use due to high demand. Whether Nano Banana 2 can generate images that are markedly better than what Pro could create -- and whether we could still tell if an image was made by AI -- remains to be seen. The new model will replace Nano Banana Pro in the Gemini app, but Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will retain access to Nano Banana Pro for specialized tasks. It will also be the default model in Search for AI Mode and Lens, as well as in Google's Flow AI creative studio.

Google launches Nano Banana 2, updating its viral AI image generator

Thrive Capital invested about $1 billion in OpenAI at a $285 billion valuation, source says The company said Nano Banana Pro will remain available for "high-fidelity tasks requiring maximum factual accuracy," while Nano Banana 2 will be focused on "rapid generation, precise instruction following and integrated image-search grounding." Nano Banana 2 is replacing its predecessor across Gemini's Fast, Thinking and Pro models. AI image and video generators are surging in popularity among consumers, who are able to create increasingly advanced and detailed graphics and videos with just a few text-based prompts. OpenAI launched its video-generation tool Sora in 2024, and CEO Sam Altman wrote last March that the high usage was "melting" its AI processors. Adobe has pushed to further integrate AI into its creative tool suite with its photo and video generator Firefly. Creative companies have raised concerns about copyright infringement from the proliferation of generative AI tools. ByteDance has faced backlash from major Hollywood studios, including Disney and Paramount, for intellectual property violations surrounding its AI video-making tool Seedance.

Google Rolls Out Nano Banana 2, Now Faster Than Ever

Get ready to check the corners of images you see on social media for the Gemini watermark so you can figure out if it's fake or not. On Thursday, Google announced that it is rolling out Nano Banana 2, the latest version of its image generation model, which the company claims comes imbued with "advanced world knowledge" and "precision text rendering and translation." Google described Nano Banana 2 as a "best of both worlds" mashup of the first version of its image generation tool and Nano Banana Pro, the advanced version of the model made available last November. It brings the "advanced intelligence" and "studio-quality creative control" of the Pro model to Nano Banana 2, which now runs on the company's Gemini 3.1-Flash model, so the process of image generation should be faster than ever. One of the primary calling cards of Nano Banana Pro was its ability to handle textâ€"a task that most image generators have struggled with. That skill has been further honed for Nano Banana 2, which Google claims can now pull from the real-world knowledge base of Gemini, the company's flagship LLM. The model will apparently be able to pull in real-time information and images directly from web search to "more accurately render specific subjects." Google said the Nano Banana 2 should be ideal for infographics and data visualizations. (For the record, the company said the same about Nano Banana Pro.) Google's other point of focus for Nano Banana 2 is the new and improved creative control, including the ability to generate as many as five characters and up to 14 objects in a single workflowâ€"though, again, that was kinda already part of the sell with Nano Banana Pro. This version of the model is supposed to be better at adhering to user prompts and is better at generating lighting effects and textures. A lot of these features are rehashed from the company's last model, though surely there are improvements to the overall outputs from Nano Banana 2. That's because the real selling point with this model seems to be speed. Since it's using the company's Flash model, image generation takes less time. The company also says that the model can handle outputs that range in resolution from 512px to 4K. According to Google, Nano Banana 2 will be available starting today and will basically push the old models out of their current spots across the company's suite of apps. Nano Banana 2 will replace Nanon Banana Pro through the Gemini app (though Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can revert to the past model if they want), and v2 of the model will become the default in Google Search and Flow, the company's AI creative studio app. It'll also pop up in AI Studio + API for developers, Google Cloud, and Google Ads in the coming days.

Nano Banana 2 brings Pro quality at Flash speeds, rolling out to Gemini app

Google today announced Nano Banana 2 as its latest image model rolling out now to the Gemini app. Officially, Nano Banana 2 is Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. It follows Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (Nano Banana) from August and Gemini 3 Pro Image (Nano Banana Pro) in November. Compared to Nano Banana, you'll notice richer textures and sharper details with vibrant lighting. Precise instruction following means the model "adheres more strictly to your complex requests" to capture the "specific nuances of your idea so the image you get is the image you asked for." There's also: Pro features now available in a Flash model include accurate text rendering and translation, as well as advanced world knowledge "to more accurately render specific subjects." This allows you to generate data visualizations, infographics, turn notes into diagrams, and create marketing mockups. In the Gemini app, Nano Banana 2 replaces Nano Banana Pro across all models (Fast, Thinking, and Pro). However, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers "will keep access to Nano Banana Pro for specialized tasks by regenerating images via the three-dot menu." Nano Banana 2 is also coming to AI Mode and Google Lens. It's also the default image generation model in Flow. Finally, the model is available in preview for AI Studio, Gemini API, Google Antigravity, Vertex AI, and Gemini CLI. Nano Banana 2 can be used for "rapid generation," while Nano Banana Pro is for "high-fidelity tasks requiring maximum factual accuracy." On the safety front, Google is coupling SynthID watermarks with C2PA Content Credentials to "provide users with a more holistic and contextual view of not just if AI was used, but how." C2PA verification is coming to the Gemini app.

Google Nano Banana 2 arrives: How to try it now

Google dropped a surprise announcement for Gemini users today: Nano Banana 2 is here. The company announced the immediate launch of Nano Banana 2 in a blog post, and the AI image model is already rolling out to Google and Gemini AI tools. The model's official name is Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. Google says that Nano Banana 2 has more advanced world knowledge, a description that also calls to mind Google's recent world model Project Genie. "The model pulls from Gemini's real-world knowledge base, and is powered by real-time information and images from web search to more accurately render specific subjects. This deep understanding also helps you create infographics, turn notes into diagrams and generate data visualizations." In addition, Google says that Nano Banana 2 will provide more accurate text rendering and translation. Simply put, Nano Banana 2 is the sequel to the wildly popular AI image model Nano Banana. In August 2025, a mysterious new AI image editor called Nano Banana started tearing up the AI leaderboards. Google soon revealed it was the code name for a new image model officially called Gemini 2.5 Flash Image; however, the name "Nano Banana" stuck like glue. Ever since, Google has had a runaway hit on its digital hands. Nano Banana has proven to be an extremely capable AI image generator, and it excels at editing images in particular. As Nano Banana went viral, Google started integrating it into a wide variety of tools, from Google Messages to Chrome. Not only does Nano Banana make it possible for virtually anyone to edit photographs -- in ways that used to require years of Photoshop experience -- but it also offers high consistency. That means the same character or product can appear repeatedly across multiple prompts. To promote Nano Banana 2, Google released some example photos showing off its capabilities. Google says that Nano Banana 2 is rolling out as Gemini 3.1 Flash Image immediately. Free users will have limited generations, with paid and enterprise users getting wider access. It's available in the Gemini app as well as other Google products, including:

Google Introduces Nano Banana 2

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. For fans of AI image generation and editing, I keep hearing that Google's Nano Banana is what everyone loves to use. As someone who stays far away from AI slop, I can't say that I've used it more than a handful of times. I did use it to make that awful logo at the top of this post, so there's that. Anyways, I mention Nano Banana because Google is releasing Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) today. This is Google's latest are image model that is "lightning-fast" and can bring "advanced world knowledge, quality and reasoning" to your AI image situations. The biggest thing you need to know is that Nano Banana 2 brings some of the Pro features from Nano Banana Pro to a wider audience. Things like improved subject consistency, precise instruction following, full control of aspect ratios (and resolutions up to 4K), and visual fidelity upgrades are a part of this release. Nano Banana 2 is rolling out today to the Gemini app, Search, AI Studio, Google Cloud, Flow, and in Ads.

Google launches Nano Banana 2: Explore key features and how to use it in Gemini, Lens, Flow

Google has launched Nano Banana 2, its latest AI image generation model. This new model offers faster performance and enhanced features. It is being integrated into various Google products like the Gemini app and Google Lens. This move strengthens Google's position in the competitive AI sector. The original Nano Banana model achieved viral success, attracting millions of users. Google on Thursday launched Nano Banana 2, the successor to its viral AI image generation model, promising faster performance and improved features across its suite of AI tools. The model is being integrated into Google products including the Gemini app, AI Mode, Lens in Search, and Flow, its AI-powered video tool. The rollout marks Google's continued push to lead the AI sector, strengthening its position against competitors such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. The company's AI advancements have coincided with a 47% surge in its stock over the past six months. The original Nano Banana AI image editor was launched in August and quickly became a viral sensation. It drew 13 million first-time users to the Gemini app in just four days in September and had generated over 5 billion images by mid-October. Google followed this with the release of Nano Banana Pro in November. Nano Banana 2 builds on this evolution by combining the best aspects of its predecessors into a faster, more capable model. Users are encouraged to treat the model like a creative director rather than a search engine. Techniques include: Nano Banana 2 is available today across the Gemini app, Google Lens, and Vertex AI. It has also been integrated into Flow, Google's AI-powered video tool, to maintain consistency between generated video frames and still images. In November, Google released Gemini 3, which significantly boosted user engagement and prompted rival OpenAI to issue an internal "code red" to accelerate development. By the end of December, the Gemini app had over 750 million monthly active users, reflecting strong adoption of Google's AI offerings. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

Google is Rolling Out Nano Banana 2 on Gemini

To start using Nano Banana 2, launch the Gemini app and choose "Create image" under Tools. Last year in August, Google launched the impressive Nano Banana image generation model based on Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. Right after, the Nano Banana Pro model (derived from Gemini 3 Pro Image) was introduced in November. It went viral with its highly accurate editing and consistency. Today, Google is rolling out Nano Banana 2 based on the new Gemini 3.1 Flash Image model. While Google is yet to officially announce the new Nano Banana 2 model at the time of writing, it's already rolling out inside the Gemini app and you can try it right away. The Nano Banana 2 model can generate incredibly detailed AI images, and you can quickly iterate and edit photos, thanks to its low latency and cost. In my quick testing, Nano Banana 2 generated a 2816 x 1536 landscape image, which is around 2.8K resolution, above QHD and below 4K. It also seems to have gotten better at prompt adherence and text handling. Nano Banana 2 is also much faster and cheaper than Nano Banana Pro, which is state-of-the-art at AI image generation and editing. Nano Banana 2 is rolling out on Gemini for all users for free. Simply open the Gemini app and choose Create image under Tools to start using Nano Banana 2.

Google rolls out Nano Banana 2 after viral success of AI image generation tool

Google has launched Nano Banana 2, an upgraded AI image generator. This new model promises faster performance and sharper details. It is being integrated into various Google products like the Gemini app and Lens. This move aims to attract more users to Google's AI offerings. The company's AI advancements have seen significant success and stock growth. Google on Thursday unveiled a successor to its viral Nano Banana image generation model, touting faster performance as the search-engine behemoth pushes to attract more users to its AI tools. The model, called Nano Banana 2, is being rolled out across products, including the Gemini app, ⁠AI Mode ⁠and Lens features on Search, and Flow, its AI-powered video tool, the Alphabet-owned company said. The launch is Google's latest in a series of moves that have propelled the company to the forefront of the AI race, helping it better compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT after suffering a string of embarrassments initially. ⁠The success has fueled a 47% surge in its stock in the past six months. Google rolled out the ⁠Nano Banana AI image editor in August, which quickly became a viral sensation, attracting 13 million first-time users to the Gemini app in just four days in September. By mid-October, it had generated more than 5 billion images. The tech giant followed that with the release of the upgraded Nano Banana Pro in November. Nano Banana 2 leans on Gemini's faster and cheaper models known as Flash, which allows quicker image generation and editing, Google said, adding ⁠that it also has better instruction-following capabilities and delivers sharper details. In November, Google released its Gemini 3 AI model, whose success prompted rival OpenAI to issue an internal "code red" to push teams to accelerate development. Gemini 3 has significantly boosted user engagement, helping the Gemini app capture more than 750 million monthly active users at the end of December.

Google rolls out Nano Banana 2 after viral success of AI image generation tool

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Google on Thursday unveiled a successor to its viral Nano Banana image generation model, touting faster performance as the search-engine behemoth pushes to attract more users to its AI tools. The model, called Nano Banana 2, is being rolled out across products, including the Gemini app, AI Mode and Lens features on Search, and Flow, its AI-powered video tool, the Alphabet-owned company said. The launch is Google's latest in a series of moves that have propelled the company to the forefront of the AI race, helping it better compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT after suffering a string of embarrassments initially. The success has fueled a 47% surge in its stock in the past six months. Google rolled out the Nano Banana AI image editor in August, which quickly became a viral sensation, attracting 13 million first-time users to the Gemini app in just four days in September. By mid-October, it had generated more than 5 billion images. The tech giant followed that with the release of the upgraded Nano Banana Pro in November. Nano Banana 2 leans on Gemini's faster and cheaper models known as Flash, which allows quicker image generation and editing, Google said, adding that it also has better instruction-following capabilities and delivers sharper details. In November, Google released its Gemini 3 AI model, whose success prompted rival OpenAI to issue an internal "code red" to push teams to accelerate development. Gemini 3 has significantly boosted user engagement, helping the Gemini app capture more than 750 million monthly active users at the end of December. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)