Nano Banana 2

Nano Banana 2 is the nickname for Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, an image generation and editing model from Google DeepMind. Google announced it on 26 February 2026 and made it generally available on 28 May. The pitch was simple: picture quality close to the more expensive Nano Banana Pro, at the speed and price of the original. It became the default image model in the Gemini app, replacing Nano Banana Pro for most people, and it is also built into AI Mode in Google Search.

Like the rest of the family, it works through conversation. You ask for a picture, then keep adjusting it in plain language until it looks right. It draws on Gemini's knowledge of the world, so a diagram or a map it draws will usually make sense, and it handles readable text far better than image models used to. A later update let it take a video as input and produce a matching thumbnail or poster.

Where the name comes from

Before launching its first Gemini image model, Google tested it anonymously on LMArena, a public site where people compare AI models without knowing which is which. The team needed a placeholder name in a hurry at two in the morning, and someone suggested “Nano Banana”. The mystery model shot up the rankings, people started guessing who was behind it, and the name stuck. When Google released it as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image in August 2025, it leaned into the joke.

The figurine trend

The first Nano Banana became a real cultural moment. In September 2025 people all over the world used it to turn selfies, friends and pets into lifelike collectible figurines, complete with a display box and a desk to sit on. More than 200 million images were made in the first couple of weeks. Google followed up with Nano Banana Pro, built on Gemini 3 Pro, in November 2025, and then Nano Banana 2.

Watermarks

Every image made with Google's AI carries SynthID, an invisible watermark designed to survive cropping and light editing. You can upload a picture to the Gemini app and ask whether Google AI made it. Most users also get a small visible Gemini sparkle in the corner, though Ultra subscribers can turn it off.