Google releases Nano Banana, a new image generator

Google launched Nano Banana Pro on Thursday, expanding its lineup of image generation and editing tools days after introducing its Gemini 3 Pro model. The company said the new product continues momentum from this week’s AI announcements.

Nano Banana Pro runs on Gemini 3 Pro, which was unveiled Tuesday and helped push Alphabet shares to record highs. Alphabet stock rose 4% on Thursday.

Josh Woodward, vice president of Google Labs and Gemini, told CNBC that Nano Banana Pro adds broader capabilities compared with the version released in late August. He said the tool performs well at producing infographics and slide decks. It can also handle up to 14 images or five characters while maintaining character consistency.

Woodward said internal teams have tested the feature by uploading code snippets and LinkedIn resumes to generate visuals. He said users are finding value in turning material not traditionally seen as visual into graphic formats.

The original Nano Banana gained wide attention earlier this year as people used it to convert selfies and pet photos into 3D-style figurines. In September, Woodward said in an X post that the tool helped bring 13 million new users to the Gemini app in four days.

Nano Banana Pro is available in the Gemini app with limited free quotas. It is also included in NotebookLM and in Google’s developer, enterprise and advertising products. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can access the tool in the company’s search features through AI Mode.

The feature will roll out to Ultra subscribers in Flow, Google’s AI filmmaking tool. Google also added an option in the Gemini app that identifies whether an uploaded image was created with Google AI.

Images made on free Nano Banana accounts will include a watermark, which is removed for Ultra subscribers.

The launch comes as Google works to keep pace with OpenAI in generative AI. OpenAI last week announced updates to its GPT-5 model aimed at improving default behavior and everyday usability.

Google said the Gemini app now has more than 650 million monthly active users, while Gemini-powered AI Overviews reach 2 billion users each month.