How to Use Nano Banana in Gemini to Edit Photos With AI

Nano Banana is the nickname for Google’s Gemini image models, and you use it simply by uploading a photo to the Gemini app and describing the edit you want in plain words, such as “remove the person in the background” or “make this look like golden hour”. It is free to start at gemini.google.com: the free plan uses Nano Banana 2 with 1K downloads, while a Google AI plan adds 2K downloads, higher limits and the option to redo an image with Nano Banana Pro.

This guide shows exactly how to edit photos with Nano Banana in Gemini as of October 2026, which model you get on each plan, prompts that work, the limits and watermarks to know about, and when another tool is the better choice.

Nano Banana in Gemini: quick answer table

The short version, with details below.

What Nano Banana is, and which version you are using

Nano Banana started as the public nickname for Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, the model that went viral in 2025 for photo edits that kept faces and products looking consistent. Google has since turned the name into a product family. According to Google’s official image generation docs, the current line-up looks like this:

• Nano Banana 2.1: the newest model, published on 6 October 2026 and built on Gemini 3.6 Flash. Google calls it the primary workhorse, with output up to 4K and grounding in Google Image Search.
• Nano Banana 2: Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, which became the Gemini app default in February 2026. It keeps up to five characters and ten objects consistent in one workflow.
• Nano Banana 2 Lite: the fastest and cheapest option, 1K only, and not built for multiple reference images or long editing chains.
• Nano Banana Pro: Gemini 3 Pro Image, the premium model for complex scenes, which accepts more style and character references.
• Nano Banana (original): now a legacy model.

In the Gemini app you do not pick the image model directly: Nano Banana 2 runs when your chat model is Flash or Pro, and Lite runs on Flash-Lite. Google’s model card lists the app as a channel for Nano Banana 2.1, but the help pages still name Nano Banana 2, so 2.1 may still be rolling out.

How to edit a photo with Nano Banana in Gemini, step by step

These steps work on the web at gemini.google.com and are almost identical in the Android and iPhone apps. Sign in with a personal Google account where you are 18 or older, because image editing is not available to younger users.

1. Open Gemini and choose your model. Go to gemini.google.com or open the Gemini app. Keep the model on Flash or Pro so your request uses Nano Banana 2 rather than the Lite version. Lite is fine for quick drafts but weaker at multi-step edits.
2. Upload the photo. Click the plus icon in the prompt box and upload your image, or open Library in the sidebar and select an image you generated earlier. You can upload several images if you want to combine them, for example a product shot and a background scene.
3. Describe one clear change. Type what you want in plain language and submit. Be specific about what should stay the same: “Replace the grey wall behind the person with a sunny cafe interior. Keep the face, hair and clothing exactly as they are.”
4. Refine in follow-up messages. Gemini keeps the conversation, so you can say “make the lighting warmer” or “move the coffee cup to the left” without starting over. Google’s docs call this multi-turn editing.
5. Redo with Pro if you need more detail (paid plans). On a Google AI plan, click More at the bottom right of an image and choose “Redo with Pro” to regenerate it with Nano Banana Pro. This is useful for dense scenes, fine textures and text-heavy designs.
6. Download or export. Hover over the image and click the download full-size button. Free accounts download at 1K and paid plans at 2K. You can also choose More and “Export to Docs” to drop the image straight into a Google Doc.

To start from scratch instead, open Images in the sidebar and choose a template or type a prompt. Google’s own Gemini image help page lists the current buttons and age rules.

Nano Banana prompts that work for photo editing

Nano Banana responds best to short, concrete instructions that name the subject, the change and what must not change. The general rules in our prompt engineering guide apply here too: one task per message, clear constraints, and examples when style matters.

If you create short videos as well, our roundup of the best AI tools for Instagram Reels and Shorts pairs well with this workflow, and online sellers will find more ideas in our guide to practical AI uses for ecommerce.

How to keep faces and products consistent

Consistency is Nano Banana’s best-known strength, but Google’s model card for 2.1 admits it is “not always accurate”. Tell the model what to preserve in every message, and if a face drifts after several edits, return to the original upload and apply the changes in one combined prompt.

Free vs paid: limits, resolution and which plan to pick

Google does not publish a fixed number of images per day for any plan. Its Gemini limits page describes usage as multiples of the free tier, and warns that media generation uses more of your allowance than text chat.

One detail catches people out: if you reach your daily Nano Banana 2 quota, you also cannot redo more images with Nano Banana Pro until the quota resets. For a full look at what each tier includes beyond images, see our Gemini pricing guide.

Who should stay on Free: anyone editing a few personal photos a week. Who should pay: creators and small businesses who need 2K output, Nano Banana Pro for detailed product scenes, or simply more edits per day. AI Plus is the cheapest way to get both.

Watermarks, SynthID and commercial use

Every image made with Google’s tools carries SynthID, an invisible watermark embedded in the pixels. You cannot see it, but Google can detect it, and you can upload an image to Gemini and ask whether it was made with Google AI. Google’s docs state that “All generated images include a SynthID watermark.”

The visible watermark is a separate question. When Google launched Nano Banana Pro in November 2025, it said it would keep the visible Gemini sparkle on images from free and Google AI Pro users and remove it only for Google AI Ultra subscribers and in Google AI Studio. A July 2026 Android Authority teardown spotted a possible “Watermark settings” option, but Google has not confirmed any change, so check your downloads before you publish.

If a clean, unbranded file matters more than anything else, our list of free AI image generators with no watermark compares which tools add visible marks and which only embed metadata.

Nano Banana vs other AI photo editors

Nano Banana is the most convenient free option for conversational edits, but not the only good one.

Adobe Firefly even offers Nano Banana as a partner model, so Photoshop users can reach it without leaving Adobe’s tools. Our comparison of Canva AI vs Adobe Firefly helps if you design for brands, and the Midjourney vs ChatGPT images guide covers the artistic end. For the full ranked list, see our 10 best AI image generators.

Using Nano Banana through the Gemini API

Agencies that need hundreds of edits can call the same models directly. On the Standard tier, Nano Banana 2.1 costs about $0.0336 per 1K image, $0.0504 at 2K and $0.113 at 4K, roughly half the price of Nano Banana 2 ($0.067 at 1K). Batch costs half again, and there is no free API tier for these models. Our Gemini API pricing guide covers the text models and free tier limits.

Common Nano Banana mistakes and limitations

• Asking for too much at once. Five changes in one prompt usually means two are ignored.
• Tiny text. Google’s model card says small text often renders poorly, especially at 1K. Keep headlines short and large.
• Left and right confusion. Use landmarks (“next to the window”) instead of directions.
• Expecting print quality on Free. 1K is fine for social posts but too small for posters.

If you also use Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Slides, our guide on how to use Gemini in Google Workspace shows how to drop these images into documents and presentations.

Frequently asked questions

Verdict: should you use Nano Banana for photo editing?

For most people, yes. Nano Banana in Gemini is the easiest free way to edit photos by describing what you want, and it beats most free tools at background swaps, object removal and consistent product shots. Start on the free plan, upgrade to Google AI Plus if you need 2K files or more daily edits, and move to the API only if you edit at scale. Google changes models, limits and prices often, so confirm the current details on the official Gemini pages before you rely on them.

Related reading: our full Gemini review and AI student discounts and free plans.