Google’s AI image editor Nano Banana goes mainstream
Google is expanding its ambitious conversational image editing feature, Nano Banana, beyond its experimental roots. After a summer test phase with Gemini 2.5 Flash, the AI-powered editor is now slated to arrive across multiple Google products, including Search via Lens, Google Photos, and NotebookLM. This marks a significant step in Google’s strategy to blend visual editing with natural-language prompts, potentially redefining how users modify images and create media.
Lens: editing photos with a prompt at your fingertips
Plan to launch Nano Banana inside Google Lens means you can start with a photo and request edits using plain language. In the Lens interface, a future Create button with a banana icon will appear at the bottom. Tapping it lets you enter a descriptive prompt—telling the AI exactly how you want the image altered. The system will return edited variants and invite follow-up edits in the AI Mode interface, allowing for a more iterative, conversational editing flow without switching apps.
Two paths to edit: in-Lens and in-model creation
Google is providing dual access: a direct edit flow from a photo in Lens and a separate creation path via a dedicated AI Mode conversation. For users who want to generate new visuals from scratch or heavily modify existing ones, the “Create image” tool lets you prompt Nano Banana to craft a new image and then continue refining it with subsequent prompts. This streamlined, conversational approach aims to keep users inside Google’s ecosystem while maintaining flexibility for creative exploration.
Why this matters for search
By weaving Nano Banana into Search, Google is promising more interactive, image-centric search experiences. Users could ask to adjust a photo shown in results or generate variations on provided imagery, all within the same search session. The integration signals a broader push toward conversational AI that can interpret prompts about visuals, not just text queries, potentially changing how people discover, compare, and customize images online.
NotebookLM: new Nano Banana video styles and prompts
NotebookLM has already used AI to summarize content into videos; Nano Banana adds a new layer of visual storytelling. The update introduces a set of video styles powered by Nano Banana, including whiteboard, anime, retro print, and the original “Classic” style. This gives users a structured way to present information drawn from notebook content with consistent visual language.
In addition to style options, NotebookLM now offers a second general format alongside Explainer: Brief. Users can add prompts aimed at steering the video’s direction, though outcomes remain probabilistic due to the generative nature of AI. The hope is that Nano Banana will provide more cohesive, stylistically aligned videos that better match the user’s intent and the notebook’s content.
Google Photos: broader, friendlier editing soon
Google confirms Nano Banana is headed to Google Photos as a major upgrade to the existing image-editing capabilities. A firm rollout timeline wasn’t disclosed, but Google indicates the feature should arrive within weeks. When integrated, Photos could offer conversational edits—adjust lighting, color, or content—via prompts, reducing the friction of traditional image-editing workflows and making advanced edits accessible to casual users.
What this means for users and creators
The Nano Banana expansion embodies Google’s strategy of keeping users in its ecosystem by layering conversational AI across Search, Photos, Lens, and NotebookLM. For everyday users, the promise is faster, more intuitive image edits without leaving the app. For creators, the tools could speed up workflows—generating variations, applying consistent visual styles, and producing video summaries from notebook content with minimal manual steps.
Looking ahead
Google labels Nano Banana a “major upgrade” over its prior image-editing model. While testers praised the capabilities during the summer trials, some caveats remain: results remain probabilistic, and updates to new products may follow a cautious rollout. Still, the trajectory is clear—conversational image editing is moving from a niche feature to a core capability across Google’s product family, with Lens, Search, Photos, and NotebookLM at the forefront.
Conclusion
As Nano Banana spreads across Google’s apps, users can expect more natural, text-driven control over images and visuals. Whether you’re refining a photo in Lens, generating a new image in Search, crafting a stylized video in NotebookLM, or editing a gallery in Photos, the era of conversational image editing is gaining momentum—and Google wants you to experience it within a familiar, integrated interface.
