Google’s new AI-powered image editor, “Nano Banana,” integrated within the Gemini app and website, is now giving tough competition to ChatGPT, thanks largely to the viral trend of 3D figurines.
Introduced at the end of August 2025, Nano Banana allows users to creatively transform their photos in exciting new ways. Google claims the tool lets users easily edit images—for example, previewing different paint colors on their home walls, styling themselves in 1960s fashion, or even predicting how wrinkles might appear on their face in coming years.
Josh Woodward, Vice President of Gemini and Google Labs, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that after launching Nano Banana, the Gemini app saw an increase of 23 million users within just two weeks. During this period, over 5 billion images were edited using the tool.
Gemini has become the most downloaded app in several countries—including the US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, Italy, and India—surpassing ChatGPT, which now holds the second position.
Due to the massive surge in usage, Google has temporarily restricted access to the Nano Banana editor to manage demand.
The popularity of Nano Banana stems from its simple and user-friendly interface and its speed in transforming images according to user prompts. The 3D figurine feature played a key role in making the editor go viral.
