Nano Banana AI - How to Use Nano Banana AI Image Editing Model in 2025 🚀🍌
If you’ve got a selfie, a product shot, or a room that needs a glow-up, Nano Banana AI makes edits feel easy, fast, and surprisingly consistent. I’ll show you what it is, how to use it in Google Gemini and Imogen, what it’s great at, where it stumbles, and a bunch of prompts that actually work.
> “Generate, transform and edit images with simple text prompts, or combine multiple images to create something new.” — Google DeepMind on Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (aka “nano-banana”).
What is Nano Banana AI?
It’s the nickname for Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, Google DeepMind’s image editing/generation model inside the Gemini app and Google AI Studio.
It’s tuned for likeness consistency, multi-image blending, and natural-language edits. Users know it by the banana icon—hence the meme-y name.
Why is everyone talking about it?
Speed, solid character consistency, and dead-simple prompts. Google says the feature has driven a surge of new Gemini users and hundreds of millions of edits.
Tech sites have been stress-testing it with “change outfit,” “blend two photos,” and “style transfer” prompts—and it holds up well for everyday edits.
How to use Nano Banana AI in Google Gemini
1. Open Gemini and pick 2.5 Flash Image (the “nano-banana” model).
2. Upload a photo.
3. Type a plain-English prompt: “Replace background with a cozy bookshop,” or “Blend this selfie with this dog photo.”
4. Refine: “Keep the original jacket,” “Make lighting warmer,” “Keep my freckles.”
Gemini adds a visible watermark and embeds SynthID.
How to use Nano Banana AI in Imogen (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
1. Install Imogen from the App Store.
2. Import a photo (or paste a URL).
3. Prompt it: “Put me in a denim jacket, afternoon window light.”
4. One-tap re-edits, upscaling, and batch tweaks if you’re posting a set.
Imogen markets itself as running the same Google model, with no visible watermark and built-in upscaling subscriptions.
Feature Snapshot
| Task | What I’d Ask | What Nano Banana Usually Does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Outfit swap | “Make this person wear a charcoal suit; keep hair and face unchanged.” | Preserves identity, changes garment, adjusts shadows to match scene. |
| Background change | “Same pose, but put me in a Tokyo night street—bokeh lights.” | Inserts a plausible backdrop and matches color temperature. |
| Blend two photos | “Combine this selfie and this dog so I’m petting him on my couch.” | Composites subjects and stabilizes scene geometry. |
| Style carryover | “Apply the color palette of image A to image B.” | Transfers vibe without warping faces too much. |
| Quick polish | “Even lighting, reduce glare on forehead, keep skin texture.” | Light retouching that still looks natural. |
My Fast “Prompt-to-Polish” Workflow
I like prompts that lock down identity and the scene, then tweak style:
1. Anchor identity: “Keep the same face and hair; preserve freckles and mole on left cheek.”
2. State the change: “Swap T-shirt for navy blazer; add subtle studio rim light.”
3. Set constraints: “No jewelry change; keep original background blur.”
4. Touch-ups: “Soften shadows under eyes a bit; keep pores visible.”
This pattern translates well to any editor and helps Nano Banana stay faithful to the original shot. ([Google DeepMind][2])
Real-World Use Cases (with prompt starters)
- Product listings: “On pure white, add soft floor reflection; match 5500K daylight.” ([Google DeepMind][2])
- Social portraits: “Warm window light, 85mm look, keep stray hairs; subtle film grain.” ([Tom's Guide][4])
- Pet + person composites: “Combine both; keep couch and carpet intact; natural contact shadow.” ([Google Developers Blog][1])
- Interior ideas: “Add a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf on the blank wall; walnut finish; keep sunlight direction.” ([blog.google][8])
Gemini vs. Imogen: Which one fits?
| Feature | Gemini (2.5 Flash Image) | Imogen (Nano Banana image editor) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free entry point | Freemium; subscriptions for unlimited/upscales |
| Watermark | Visible + SynthID invisible | No visible watermark advertised |
| Platforms | Web, Android, iOS where Gemini is available | iOS, iPadOS, macOS |
| Strengths | Safety rails, quick edits, official pipeline | Creator-friendly batch work, upscaling, no visible logo |
| Best for | Casual edits, experimenting | Social creators, storefront images |
| Access links | Gemini Overview / AI Studio | App Store / Imogen site |
Prompts That Pull Their Weight
- “Keep the same face and hairstyle. Replace hoodie with charcoal blazer. Studio gray backdrop, soft key at camera left.”
- “Blend these two photos so I’m petting the golden retriever on my living-room rug; keep couch and carpet intact.”
- “Apply the warm color grading from image A to image B; don’t change facial features.”
- “Turn this living room into a reading nook: walnut bookshelf on the blank wall, brass lamp, evening window light.”
Tip: I like to end with constraints (“don’t change X; keep Y”) so the model prioritizes what matters.
FAQ
**Is Nano Banana AI free?**
Yes, you can try it in Gemini for free; output includes a visible watermark and SynthID. Third-party apps may charge for unlimited edits or upscaling.
**What’s the official name?**
Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. “Nano Banana” is an internal nickname that stuck with users and devs.
**Where can I build with it programmatically?**
Check Google AI Studio for the model endpoint and examples.
**Anything new or trending I should try?**
Creators love the “figurine prompt” (turn yourself or your pet into a tiny desk figurine). It gained traction after Google’s recent updates highlighted playful edits.
Bottom line
Nano Banana AI isn’t magic, but wow—prompted well, it nails identity, blends scenes cleanly, and gets you share-ready images in minutes. Keep your prompts precise, add constraints, and choose the right pipeline (Gemini for quick tests, Imogen for watermark-free batches). That combo feels like cheating—in the best way.