How to Use Google’s Nano Banana AI

The system excels at editing images, and it’s easy to use

The author’s dog writing code. Image via Nano Banana

Google’s new Nano Banana AI is the most powerful technology I’ve ever seen for editing photos. And even better, it’s essentially free to use.

Before, editing a photo required detailed knowledge of expert tools like Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Now, it just requires an idea and a decently-written prompt.

Despite this overall ease of use, there are some pitfalls with Nano Banana that trip people up. Here’s a breakdown of how to use the new system — even if you’re a total AI beginner.

Don’t Get Fooled

The first step in using Nano Banana properly is simply finding it!

The model is technically called Gemini 2.5 Flash Images. The Nano Banana name was originally a codename that Google used to obscure the origins of the model when it was being tested publicly.

Unfortunately for Google, the silly name stuck. And even more unfortunately, some clever person managed to…