1In one sentence
Type what you want to see, or upload a photo and say what to change, and Gemini makes or edits the picture using Google's image model, nicknamed Nano Banana.
2New words
- Nano Banana — Google's nickname for the image model inside Gemini. There are several versions (Nano Banana 2 Lite on free accounts; Nano Banana 2 with the Flash model; Nano Banana Pro on plans with the Pro model). The newest, Nano Banana 2.1, began rolling out in October 2026: it writes text more sharply and keeps faces and logos more consistent, but Google has not said which plans get it. You do not pick the version; your plan and model decide it.
- Generate — make a new picture from words.
- Edit — change a picture you give it: remove something, change the background, add text, combine two photos.
- SynthID — an invisible mark Google puts in every AI picture so it can be detected later. It does not show, and you cannot remove it.
3Why you would want it
A poster for the shop window, a mock-up of a new cake box, a product photo with the messy counter removed, a birthday card. For a small business, ten minutes here replaces an afternoon with design software.
4Try it now
- In a new chat, click + and choose Create image (or just type the request; Gemini understands).
- Type: A warm photo-style image of a rustic bakery counter with three fresh sourdough loaves and a small chalk sign that says Sam's Bakery, morning light, no people.
- When it appears, reply: Make the sign bigger and change the loaves to cinnamon rolls. Gemini edits the same picture.
- Now click + and upload a photo of your own (a product, a room). Type: Remove everything in the background and put it on a plain white background.
- Hover over the result and use the download button.
5What you will see
A square or wide image in the chat, with your prompt kept under it:
After the edit request, a new version with only the change you asked for, and the rest kept:
6Watch out
- Text inside pictures is better than it used to be but still goes wrong. Check every letter before printing.
- Images count against the same usage limit as everything else, and Google does not publish the number. When you hit it, Gemini tells you to wait. Free pictures are smaller (about 1,000 pixels wide); paid plans get larger ones.
- Do not generate real people's faces without their permission, and never a public figure doing something they did not do. Google blocks a lot of this, and the rest is on you.
7Go further
Ask for the same scene as a simple flat logo, two colors only. Then read Chapter 1.10 to make it move.