Google's Gemini Surpasses ChatGPT on App Store, Fueled by Nano Banana AI Image Editor

Gemini overtakes ChatGPT on App Store, as its Nano Banana AI model drives downloads up 45% | TechCrunch

Gemini's mobile adoption has been soaring since the August launch of its Nano Banana image editor model, which has received positive reviews, particularly from users who say they can now more easily perform complex edits and create realistic images. The app has climbed to the top of global app stores' charts and has seen a 45% month-over-month increase in downloads in the month of September so far, according to new data provided by app intelligence firm Appfigures. Though the month is only half over, Gemini's app has already gained 12.6 million downloads in September, up from 8.7 million in August. Before this month, Gemini had only gotten as high as No. 3 on the U.S. App Store on January 28, 2025. Shortly after Nano Banana's release, Gemini reached the No. 2 spot on the U.S. App Store on September 8. It then became the No. 1 app on September 12, where it has remained, after knocking OpenAI's ChatGPT down to No. 2. No other dedicated AI apps are in the top 10 on the App Store at this time. Gemini also became one of the top five iPhone apps overall in 108 countries globally, Appfigures' data indicates. On Google Play, Gemini jumped from the No. 26 overall top app in the U.S. on September 8 to become the No. 2 app as of Monday. However, despite Android being Google's own platform, ChatGPT remains in the top spot as of the time of writing. Google has been touting Gemini's growth, as more mainstream users have been trying out the new image editing features. For instance, Google Gemini and Google Labs VP Josh Woodward shared on X on September 8 that the app had gained 23 million first-time users since the Nano Banana model launched, and those users had shared over 500 million images. The app's rapid growth is also driving increases in consumer spending. Of the $6.3 million Gemini generated this year on iOS devices, $1.6 million was from the month of August, with much of that coming in after the Nano Banana model's release. That's up 1,291% from January's figure of $115,000, Appfigures estimates. The app is also on track to at least match August's number if not surpass it in September, as Gemini has pulled in $792,000 so far this month -- roughly half of August's total.

Gemini Is the Top Free iPhone App, and This 'Bananas' AI Image Model Is Why

AI fans have gone bananas over Google's new image generator, known as Nano Banana. The image generation app has helped Gemini dethrone OpenAI's ChatGPT as the most popular free app for iPhone users. On Monday, the Gemini iOS app was the No. 1 free app in the Apple App Store, marking an important milestone for Google in a heated AI race. Gemini has gotten a lot of updates over the past few months. Most recently and notably, Google dropped its AI image model, officially named 2.5 Flash Image, or Nano Banana. Gemini users were wowed by the model's ability to edit photos. During my testing, I found that Gemini was incredibly good at adding new elements to photos and blending them in seamlessly. In the weeks following the release of Nano Banana, Gemini users made more than 200 million AI images, and the Gemini app saw more than 10 million new sign-ups, according to Josh Woodward, vice president of Gemini and Google Labs. That likely helped launch the iOS app to first place on Saturday and maintain its position there this week. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. These Apple App Store rankings change regularly, and Gemini may not stay in the top spot for long. But what this does tell us is that Google's standalone AI products are catching consumer interest. Google's AI has been incorporated into nearly every part of its business, from Search's AI overviews to Gmail summaries and features in its Pixel smartphones. For the most part, we've had no choice in using Google's AI in those places. But the rising popularity of the Gemini app on its own shows that people want to download and use it regardless. If that trend continues, it could threaten the current industry leader, ChatGPT, in the AI race to grab as many users as possible.

Sorry, ChatGPT - Gemini is the new top free iPhone app now

The new Nano Banana image editor is likely the reason for the shift. Move over ChatGPT, there's a new top app in town. Apple's latest US charts for iPhone apps show Google Gemini as the most downloaded free app, shifting ChatGPT to second place and social media app Threads in the third spot. Gemini is also tops among free iPad apps in the US, with Netflix in second place and ChatGPT in third. Reaching the No. 1 spot is a sign of intermittent progress for Gemini's iOS app, which launched in November 2024. Courtesy of the Wayback Machine, Apple's US charts from May 15 show the app at number 48. The charts from Aug. 1 place the app at number 64. And the charts from Aug. 29 show it recovering to 24th place. Also: Your Gemini app just got a major AI image editing upgrade - for free Why the sudden leap to the top? Google can probably thank its Nano Banana AI image editor, which has been generating a lot of buzz. With this new model built directly into the Gemini app, you can edit images using natural language prompts. Nano Banana also offers a few other cool skills. You can upload a photo of a person or pet, and the subject's appearance will remain the same even as you put them into different scenarios. For example, you could put an image of yourself into different outfits, professions, or even historical timeframes, suggests Google, and you'll still look like you. You can edit an image of a person or pet in different ways, and the appearance will remain the same. For example, you might tell Gemini to recreate the image as a watercolor picture or an anime drawing. You could also alter the clothing or the background. Whatever modifications you make, the look of the subject won't change. Also: AI-generated images are a legal mess - and still a very human process As another trick, you're able to take elements from two different images and blend them to create an entirely new one. For example, you could grab a photo of a woman and a photo of a dog and combine them to make it seem as if they're cuddling together. And here's one more. You can keep adding descriptions to the prompt to change a specific element of the same image. For instance, you could add clouds to a sky or cars to a street without affecting the rest of the image. To use the Nano Banana model, just fire up the Gemini app and tell the AI what you're seeking via the prompt. You can then refashion and refine it using natural language at the prompt until you get the image you want.

Google's Gemini tops Apple's App Store, snagging lead spot from ChatGPT

Google has been trying to play catchup to OpenAI in generative artificial intelligence. It appears to finally be gaining ground with users. The company's Gemini app took the top spot among free apps on Apple's App Store this week, leapfrogging ChatGPT, which kickstarted the generative AI boom almost three years ago. Google's Gemini AI model has seen some recent updates that have lured new users. Last month, Google launched an updated version of its "Flash" AI model, called 2.5 Flash Image, which has a new image editing feature called Nano Banana. The app allows users to blend multiple photos together and use prompts to create things like digital figurines of photos that a user uploads. The product helped bring in 13 million new users to the Gemini app, according to a social media post last week from Josh Woodward, head of the Gemini app. Users have uploaded 500 million images into the Gemini app, the post said. Woodward said in a separate post that his team had to enact temporary usage limits over the weekend after experiencing excess demand. As of July, the last time the company disclosed numbers, the Gemini app had more than 450 million monthly active users, CEO Sundar Pichai said in the company's second-quarter earnings report. Google's improved traction in consumer AI has also attracted investor interest. On Monday, Alphabet became the fourth member of the $3 trillion club, joining Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple. Alphabet shares are up 33% this year, compared with a 16% gain for the Nasdaq. The company also got a boost earlier this month from a favorable antitrust ruling that allows Google to keep its Chrome browser.

Nano Banana drives Google Gemini past ChatGPT on iPhone app rankings

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. The big picture: Google's Gemini has surged to the top of Apple's App Store in the US, unseating OpenAI's ChatGPT after months of dominance. The shift signals a new front in the consumer AI battle, as two tech giants take sharply different paths: OpenAI betting on conversational intelligence and productivity, while Google leans into visual creativity and image editing. The outcome could shape how millions of users interact with AI, and which experiences define the next wave of consumer technology. Google's Nano Banana image-editing tool is driving the rapid rise of the company's Gemini app, which has surged to the top of Apple's App Store in the United States. Its success underscores the intensifying competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which had long held the top spot before Google's recent ascent. As of Friday, Gemini ranked first among free iPhone apps in the US, pushing ChatGPT to second place and edging out Meta's Threads in third. The shift highlights a notable change in momentum, as ChatGPT had long maintained a steady lead, showing how difficult it is for new entrants to unseat it. Gemini's rise has not only put it at the top but also underscored Google's broader presence in the App Store. The company's Search app ranks sixth, Maps eighth, Chrome 13th, and Gmail 21st. In Canada and the United Kingdom, Gemini holds second place behind ChatGPT, showing that the competitive landscape varies across international markets. The surge in downloads appears closely linked to Nano Banana. Launched with Gemini on August 26, the image-editing model has attracted significant attention, with users generating or editing more than 500 million images in just over two weeks. Google designed Nano Banana to solve a persistent challenge in AI image generation: maintaining consistency when reproducing the same character or likeness across edits. The tool allows users to preserve those details while generating variations, a feature that distinguishes it from competitors. Users can also upload multiple photos to create new composites, transfer visual styles between images, and request edits using natural language. Image credit: zumercreator Gemini's business model also sets it apart from rivals. The app is free with a daily limit of 100 image edits, while subscribers paying $19.99 or more per month can make up to 1,000 edits per day. OpenAI offers a similar $20 monthly subscription for ChatGPT+, but its focus is on conversational AI and productivity tools rather than visual editing. The contrast highlights how competition between the two companies is expanding: OpenAI has built its strength on text-based intelligence, while Google aims to attract users through visual creativity.

Nano Banana Saves Google: Gemini Dethrones ChatGPT as GOOG Hits $3 Trillion - Decrypt

This also helped boost Google's valuation to beat $3 trillion, just behind Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft. Google's Gemini app hit the top of the Apple App Store on September 15, dethroning ChatGPT for the first time since OpenAI's chatbot launched nearly three years ago. The catalyst wasn't a breakthrough in artificial general intelligence or some new reasoning mode -- after all, Gemini 2.5 was released in March -- it seems to be the public's thirst for making memes and editing images. "Image editing is one of the most popular use cases for Nano Banana," the company tweeted last week. While Google didn't provide any specific reasons for its come-from-behind surge in popularity, given the timing, it's safe to assume that Nano Banana gave the company a huge bump. One specific prompt for Google's new image editing model let users transform photos into 3D collectible-style portraits complete with plastic packaging and display bases. That was enough to make the Gemini have its "wen moon" moment. Within two weeks of going viral in early September, Gemini hit #1 on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store globally. The app added 23 million first-time users and users generated over half a billion images in days, according to Google's VP Josh Woodward. Google Trends data shows global searches for Gemini overtook ChatGPT on September 12 -- the first time that's happened since ChatGPT's November 2022 debut. Before Nano Banana, Gemini pulled in about 13 million monthly downloads compared to ChatGPT's 64 million, according to AppMagic. ChatGPT commanded 60% of AI-related web traffic with nearly 6 billion monthly visits, almost 10 times Gemini's numbers despite being integrated into Android devices and Google services used by 2 billion people. The surge helped push Alphabet's market cap past $3 trillion, with shares climbing 4% to around $252. That puts Google's parent company in rarefied air alongside Nvidia ($4.3 trillion), Microsoft ($3.8 trillion), and Apple ($3.5 trillion). Alphabet's stock has climbed nearly 30% year-to-date, outpacing the Nasdaq's 15% gain. The September milestone came after a favorable antitrust ruling that avoided forcing Google to divest Chrome or Android. But the Nano Banana phenomenon contributed directly to investor enthusiasm. Analysts project the feature could help Google increase its revenue through new Gemini subscriptions. "If Gemini can remain at the top of the App Store charts, we believe more investors will start to view Gemini as a strong core offering with incremental use cases that complement (as opposed to cannibalize) the core search experience," Keybanc Capital analyst Justin Patterson wrote in a report. OpenAI learned this lesson months ago. Its "Ghiblify" feature -- which transformed photos into Studio Ghibli-style animations -- drove more than 1 million people to sign up for ChatGPT in one hour. The feature went so viral that OpenAI had to implement rate limits after users generated millions of whimsical portraits, even recreating controversial moments like the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the Ghibli style. xAI discovered the same dynamic with Grok, though Elon Musk's company took a different approach. When Grok users found they could generate anime-style "waifus" without the content restrictions other AIs imposed, downloads spiked 300% in Asian markets. Musk himself posted several generated images on X, alongside a "spicy mode" that let users generate NSFW videos using Grok's AI ChatGPT still dominates on raw metrics -- 700 million weekly active users and over 1 billion daily queries in the last quarter, but Gemini's sudden rise shows how quickly the landscape can shift when an AI feature catches fire on social media. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis tweeted: "Congrats to the @GeminiApp team... this is just the start."

Google Gemini tops App Store charts with Nano Banana tool

Google's Gemini iOS application attained the leading position on the Top Free Apps chart within the App Store across multiple nations on Friday. This development marks a significant achievement for the Mountain View-based technology corporation and its artificial intelligence chatbot. The ascent of Gemini to the top of the charts was initially noted by Logan Kilpatrick, the product lead for Google AI Studio and Gemini API. Kilpatrick disseminated this observation via a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Independent verification conducted by Gadgets 360 staff on Monday morning confirmed Gemini's continued dominance atop the Top Free Apps chart in both India and the United States. Beyond its leading positions in India and the US, the Gemini application also secured the second position in both Canada and the United Kingdom. This achievement represents the first time Google's Gemini has topped the App Store charts. Previously, only ChatGPT and DeepSeek had attained the number one ranking. The increased popularity of Gemini may correlate with the recent introduction of the "Nano Banana" image editing tool in late August. This feature enables users to upload images and perform inline edits while maintaining character consistency. The tool also allows users to remove specific elements from an image, a task that many AI models find challenging. The functionality of removing elements from images while retaining original components has been a consistent issue for many AI models, which are now handled effectively by Gemini. The "Nano Banana" image editing feature is accessible to all Gemini users, with subscribers to paid plans receiving the benefit of elevated rate limits. Google has been implementing new Gemini features quickly. Live voice translation is now available within the Google Translate application. In addition, a language coaching tool powered by Gemini has been added to aid users in language acquisition and practice.

Gemini Overtakes ChatGPT on App Store, Reaches the Top Spot

Google has been adding new Gemini features across its products Google Gemini's iOS app reached the first spot on the Top Free Apps chart in the App Store in several countries on Friday. The Mountain View-based tech giant has recently added multiple new features to its chatbot, including the new "Nano Banana" image editing tool, visual guidance in Gemini Live, and a redesigned prompt bar, which could have contributed to the increased popularity of the AI chatbot. As of now, the Gemini for iPhone app is trending at the number one position in India and the US. Gemini Climbs to the Top of App Store Gemini's climb to the top was first spotted by Logan Kilpatrick, the product lead for Google AI Studio and Gemini API, and shared in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). Gadgets 360 staff members were also independently able to verify that on Monday morning, it continued to remain at the top of the Top Free Apps chart in both India and the US. Additionally, the AI chatbot also ranked in the second position in Canada and the UK. Notably, this is the first time Gemini has achieved this milestone. Earlier, ChatGPT and DeepSeek both reached the top of the App Store. While it cannot be said conclusively, the timing suggests that the recently released Nano Banana update may be the primary reason behind Gemini's popularity. The new AI-powered image editing feature arrived at the end of August, which allows users to upload an image and make inline edits while keeping the character consistent. It is also adept at removing just one or two elements from an image, and keeping the rest the same, something most AI models struggle with. The image editing feature is available to all Gemini users, although paid users have access to it with higher rate limits. Google has been releasing new Gemini features at a breakneck speed. The Google Translate app is now capable of providing live voice translation. The tech giant has also added a Gemini-powered language coaching tool that assists users in learning and practising new languages.

Google Gemini photo trend: 15 easy prompts to turn your selfies into stunning 3D models and collectible miniatures

Google's latest AI innovation, Nano Banana, is taking the world of digital creativity by storm. Integrated within the Gemini app, officially known as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, this tool allows users to convert ordinary photos into stunning 3D models and figurines with remarkable speed and precision. Since its launch, the Gemini app has surpassed 10 million downloads, with more than 200 million images already created or modified using Nano Banana. Whether you want to turn yourself into a lifelike miniature, transform your pet into a designer toy, or bring fantasy characters to life, the process is simple: upload a photo, enter a descriptive prompt, and let the AI work its magic. To help you get started, here are 15 easy prompts and ideas to create 3D figurines using Nano Banana in Google AI Studio. Create a lifelike miniature of a character, posed on a computer desk with a round transparent acrylic base. Include a toy box featuring original artwork for an authentic touch. Turn your subject into an adorable plush figure, complete with an oversized head, simple clothes, and fuzzy fabric. Soft lighting and a plain backdrop enhance the cute effect. Bring anime characters to life with a dynamic pose on a clear base, a manga-inspired background, and vibrant neon lighting. Perfect for fans of Japanese pop culture. Design a superhero in a heroic stance, cape flowing, accompanied by comic book-style packaging. Add a dramatic backdrop for full effect. Transform your subject into a game-ready avatar, standing on a platform in a pixelated environment, surrounded by relevant props from your favourite video games. Create miniature animals in vivid detail, sitting on a shelf with tiny accessories like a food bowl or toys. Bright colours make them stand out. Send your subject to space! Dress them in a spacesuit on a moon base, with a round stand and a galaxy-themed backdrop for maximum effect. Turn your favourite performer into a 3D figurine, performing on a mini stage with a microphone, concert lighting, and floating music notes to capture the live show vibe. Bring magical worlds to life with characters holding a sword or staff, standing in a glowing forest scene with enchanting effects. Create a miniature professional, dressed in a suit and tie, holding a laptop with a stack of books nearby for a corporate yet stylish look. Experiment with a sci-fi aesthetic, using transparent lines and futuristic props, displayed on a high-tech table for a holographic effect. Celebrate athletic heroes with a jerseyed figurine in a victory pose, complete with a mini stadium and a trophy accessory to showcase their glory. Turn photos into playful, cartoon-like miniatures, with oversized shoes, bright colours, and quirky comic props. Give your furry friends a stylish twist! Dress them in bandanas or collars, pose them playfully on a pet bed backdrop, and watch the magic unfold. Reimagine historical personalities in period attire, set against an old map backdrop and placed on a stand marked "Limited Edition" for an authentic collectible feel.

ETtech Explainer: Is Google's Nano Banana AI better than OpenAI's Sora, Adobe's Firefly, others? - The Economic Times

Google's Gemini app introduced "Nano Banana," an advanced AI image editing tool, on August 26. Within days, the feature crossed 10 million downloads and powered over 200 million image edits, according to the company. From September 6, the tool was also rolled out on X (formerly Twitter), allowing users to generate images by tagging Nano Banana in posts along with prompts. What is Nano Banana? Nano Banana is an image generation and editing model built into the Gemini app. It lets users transform photos using natural language instructions. The update was made available across the Gemini app, Gemini API, Google AI Studio, and Vertex AI, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a post on X. The launch builds on the Gemini 2.0 Flash suite of models released in February, which Google said incorporated user feedback to improve image quality and creative control. Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is priced at $30 per 1 million output tokens, with each image averaging $0.039. Key features The tool can perform tasks such as editing objects in photos, maintaining character consistency across scenes, fusing multiple images, and making prompt-based changes -- for example, removing people from a frame, blurring a background, or adjusting lighting. Branding and education use cases Brands have quickly adopted Nano Banana for campaigns. Google has promoted collaborations with Coca-Cola India featuring Sonam Bajwa, Shubman Gill and Janhvi Kapoor, and with Boat cofounder Aman Gupta. The tool has also been used to create music promos and social content. In education, Google says the model can read hand-drawn diagrams, assist with real-world questions, and provide interactive explanations, positioning it as a creative teaching aid. Competing with Sora, Firefly, and others Nano Banana enters a crowded field of generative AI tools. OpenAI's Sora, launched in December 2024, can generate up to 60-second videos from text prompts -- a longer duration than rivals such as Runway and Pika Labs, which cap at four seconds. Adobe launched Firefly Video in February 2025, offering five-second clips at 1080p resolution with subscription tiers starting at $9.99. Canva's Veo 3-powered feature, released in June, enables users to create eight-second video clips with sound. While Sora and Firefly focus on video, Nano Banana's edge lies in advanced photo editing, 3D object manipulation, and multi-image fusion -- areas Google hopes will differentiate it in a fast-moving generative AI market. Also Read: India big market for Canva; looking to build local team there: CEO Melanie Perkins

How to turn yourself into an action figure or travel through decades; Google's Nano Banana becomes a global sensation with viral AI image prompts, here are the top 5 prompts

Google's Gemini app has recently introduced "Nano Banana," an advanced AI image editing tool. This feature has rapidly gained popularity, amassing over 10 million downloads within days of its launch and facilitating the creation or modification of over 200 million images. Nano Banana is a state-of-the-art image generation and editing model integrated into Google's Gemini app. It allows users to manipulate photos using simple text prompts, enabling transformations such as: The tool excels at maintaining character consistency across edits, preserving facial features and characteristics. According to experts, Nano Banana's speed and accuracy give it an edge over rivals such as ChatGPT and MidJourney. The feature has sparked a wave of viral trends worldwide, with users experimenting with creative prompts that showcase the model's versatility. Users can upload a photo and ask Gemini to create a collectible action figure of themselves, complete with packaging, graphics, and a realistic store-shelf display. This trend has gone viral on social media, with feeds showing action figure avatars placed on desks, tables, or shelves. Example prompt: "Take photo of me and turn me into a collectible figurine inside a toy box. Include a clear plastic window, bold graphics, and my name on the packaging. Make the figurine active and toy-like while keeping my likeness recognizable." This trend lets users see themselves in past eras. Popular options include a 1970s disco dancer, or a 1990s sitcom character. The AI adjusts clothing, hairstyles, and backgrounds to match the chosen decade accurately. Example prompt: "Transform me into a 1980s character wearing neon clothes, with big hair, standing in an arcade. Make it look like a real portrait from that decade with authentic fashion and colors." Gemini gives users the ability to insert themselves into legendary sitcoms and dramas. A standout example is appearing as part of the Seinfeld cast, casually hanging out on Jerry's couch with the gang. Since users can choose any show, this prompt offers endless creative possibilities. Example prompt: "Generate a realistic image of me sitting with Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer in Jerry's apartment from Seinfeld. Place me on the couch, laughing with the group, in the authentic 1990s style of the show." Users can be added to world-famous paintings, such as the Mona Lisa, Van Gogh's Starry Night, or Dalí's surreal The Persistence of Memory. The AI ensures the user blends naturally with the artwork's style. Example prompt : "Place me inside Van Gogh's Starry Night. Paint me in the same swirling brushstroke style, standing under the starry sky so I blend seamlessly into the scene." From the Eiffel Tower to the Taj Mahal, or the Hollywood Sign, users are generating realistic images of themselves at famous landmarks. The AI maintains accurate lighting, shadows, and perspective for authenticity. Example prompt: "Take this photo of me and place me sitting on top of the Hollywood Sign, waving at the city below. Make it look realistic, with correct lighting, shadows, and perspective." Nano Banana's viral prompts are redefining how people experiment with AI creativity. From turning into action figures and traveling through decades to stepping into beloved TV shows, classic artworks, and world landmarks, the tool makes imagination feel limitless.

Nano Banana Brings a Breakthrough, Google Gemini Beats OpenAI's ChatGPT in Downloads

With over 23 million downloads in just two weeks, this new trend of image generation using artificial intelligence has achieved a landmark for Google to stay ahead of its competitors. The Gemini app currently holds the top position on the App Store and Google Play Store. Google Gemini's modifies simple photos into hyper-polished 3D figurine-style portraits. Unlike other editing interfaces, this model offers improved consistency and realism in preserving facial features. Users are also utilizing this tool for complex procedures, like adjusting clothing and changing backgrounds. Social media is abuzz with Saree trend. Users can now embellish themselves in a vintage '90s saree-clad, polished look. One major reason behind the immense popularity of this trend among smartphone users is the precision with which it captures key features of the subject. This makes the outcome recognizable at first glance after beautification. The craze for AI-powered images has gone viral across social media platforms, with users, celebrities, and influencers generating millions of visual posts. "Image creation and editing are free for everyone in the Gemini app. Give it a try and share your results below or tag us. We'll add some examples from our community to the thread!" Google Gemini App said on X. A few months ago, ChatGPT made headlines for the , which allowed users to create dreamy, anime-like images. The data collected between August 26 and September 9 shows that the Google Gemini app has received over 23 million app downloads. During this period, over 500 million images were generated using this tool. The numbers talk about the influence of users and the virality of this trend.

Nano Banana: The Viral AI Trend Turning Photos into 3D Figurines

The AI image editing tool generates accurate 3D models of figurines, available for instant download or sharing. To date, it has generated over 200 million creations, reflecting the growing popularity. The Nano Banana trend has become incredibly successful for several reasons. First and foremost, it is one of the most creative and customizable platforms available. Users can transform themselves into action figures, place their images in famous paintings, and even imagine their likenesses in different historical time periods. Secondly, anyone can use the Gemini app; it is relatively simple to use and offers an interface that most people can navigate without prior technical knowledge. Additionally, AI-generated imagery is easy to share and has significantly fueled social media chatter. These images can be easily posted or reshared on platforms such as , X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit. Finally, the trend taps into popular culture and personal interests, allowing users to create figurines of pets, celebrities, or iconic fictional characters. It also lets them bring to life notable characters from movies, TV shows, celebrities, or fictional worlds. This attracts a broad audience and consistently high engagement from users.

Google Gemini overtakes ChatGPT on App Stores, becomes top AI app amid Nano Banana trend

Social media trend fuels downloads, boosting Gemini's global popularity. Google's Gemini AI chatbot has overtaken OpenAI's ChatGPT to become the top-ranked app on the Apple App Store. Gemini's "Nano Banana" trend, which has quickly taken over social media, has fueled the growth. Social media platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook have been flooded with playful, collectable-style portraits of people turned into 3D figurines. These images are created using Gemini's latest image-generation feature, which Google has been actively promoting to increase Gemini's downloads and usage worldwide. The Nano Banana tool is a free feature inside the Gemini app. Users can upload a solo photo, add a simple prompt, and get back a 3D figurine-style portrait mounted on an acrylic base. The AI offers realistic textures and facial accuracy, giving the images a toy-like yet lifelike feel. It is similar to ChatGPT's earlier "Ghibli-style art" craze, which also went viral earlier this year. While Nano Banana doesn't yet offer an obvious practical use, its Gemini capabilities provide consistent, high-quality content. The best part about Nano Banana is that it is free for all users. However, it takes a little longer to create results for the free users as compared to the paid users. ChatGPT, which has long been the most popular AI app globally, has now been left behind by Gemini. Meanwhile, xAI's Grok and other platforms are also experimenting with new capabilities.