Google DeepMind has launched Nano Banana 2, its latest image generation model, formally designated Gemini 3.1 Flash Image.
The short version: it takes what Nano Banana Pro could do and runs it at Flash speed.
The original Nano Banana arrived in August last year and became one of the bigger AI consumer hits of 2025 and was followed up with a Pro version in November, which traded speed for quality.
Nano Banana 2, is the attempt to stop users having to make that call.
What's actually changed
The most useful upgrade for anyone producing content at scale is subject consistency - the model can now maintain character and object fidelity across up to five characters and 14 objects in a single workflow, without losing the thread between sessions.
Text rendering has also been improved - you can now generate legible copy inside images for things like marketing mockups, and translate that text into other languages directly within the image.
Resolution runs from 512px through to 4K across multiple aspect ratios, which puts it in range for professional production work.
The model also pulls from Gemini's real-time web search to keep outputs grounded in current visual references - handy for infographics, data visualisations, or accurately rendering real-world subjects.
Where it's landing
Nano Banana 2 is now the default across Gemini's Fast, Thinking and Pro model tiers, replacing Nano Banana Pro at the base level.
AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can still get to Nano Banana Pro via the regeneration menu if they need it.
It's also live in Google Search's AI Mode and Lens, now covering 141 new countries and territories across eight additional languages.
Developers can access it in preview through AI Studio and the Gemini API, with pricing published.
Google Cloud users have it through Vertex AI.
In Flow, Google's creative production tool, it's the new default image model and costs users nothing in credits.
The piece worth watching commercially is the Google Ads integration - Nano Banana is now generating asset suggestions inside active campaigns, which puts AI image generation directly inside the company's core revenue product.
Provenance
- Every image from Nano Banana 2 carries a SynthID watermark, and Google has added C2PA Content Credentials to the mix - a standard that records not just whether AI was used, but how.
- The SynthID verification tool in the Gemini app has been used more than 20 million times since launching in November.
- C2PA verification is coming to the Gemini app soon.
