Google released Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, the model known during development by the codename "nano banana." Beyond text-to-image generation, it drew praise for targeted edits to existing images, blending several images into one, and maintaining the same person or character across generations — all through natural-language instructions. The response was unusual: between August 26 and September 9 the Gemini app added more than 23 million new users and people generated over 500 million images, taking Gemini to the top of both the App Store and Google Play. Trends such as 3D figurine-style self-portraits and vintage saree photos filled social feeds, particularly in India. It was a case of an appealing experience rather than raw capability driving adoption, and it briefly moved the center of image generation from OpenAI to Google.