How to Use Nano Banana: Step-by-Step in Gemini and on Kenerate (2026)

To use Nano Banana, open the Gemini app, attach a photo or start from text, and describe what you want in plain sentences. Gemini runs the request on Google's Nano Banana image models. You can also use the same models outside Gemini: on Kenerate, pick Nano Banana 2.1, 2 or 2 Fast in Image Studio to create, or in Edit Studio to edit a photo, with up to 14 reference images and a choice of aspect ratio. This guide walks through both, step by step, plus references, multi-image consistency, ratios, common mistakes and limits. Updated 23 October 2026.

What is Nano Banana?

Nano Banana is Google's nickname for its Gemini image models, which both generate and edit pictures from plain-language prompts. The family now has several versions. Google's Gemini API docs list Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1) as the main model, Nano Banana 2 Lite as the fastest, Nano Banana 2 as the previous generation, Nano Banana Pro for complex work, and the original Nano Banana as the legacy model (Gemini API docs). Google released Nano Banana 2.1 on 6 October 2026 as an update to Nano Banana 2 (Nano Banana 2.1 model page).

For the differences between the standard and Pro versions, see our Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro comparison. For the full timeline, see Nano Banana release dates.

Where can you use Nano Banana?

Gemini app details come from Google's help page (Gemini Apps Help). Kenerate details come from its model settings as of 23 October 2026.

How do you use Nano Banana in the Gemini app?

Create an image from text

1. Go to gemini.google.com or open the Gemini mobile app and sign in with your Google account.
2. Open Images. On the web, open the sidebar and click Images. You can start from a template or type your own prompt.
3. Write the prompt. Google suggests starting with a verb such as "create" or "generate", naming a style and describing the subject, the action and the setting.
4. Refine in the chat. Ask for changes in follow-up messages, such as "make the sky darker" or "move the title to the top". Google's API docs call multi-turn conversation the recommended way to iterate on images.
5. Download. Without a Google AI plan, downloads are 1K. With a plan, they are 2K.

Edit your own photo

1. Upload the photo. Attach it in a new chat with the plus button, or open the image from your Library.
2. Click Chat under the image (web) and type the edit.
3. Say what changes and what stays. "Change my jacket to a navy blazer. Keep my face, hair and the background exactly the same."
4. Combine photos if you need to. Upload more than one image and describe how to merge them, for example a person from image 1 in the room from image 2.
5. Redo with Pro (Google AI plan only). From the More menu, you can regenerate an image with Nano Banana Pro.

Google's help page says image editing in the Gemini app isn't available to users under 18, and images can be removed if a prompt may break Google's policies (Gemini Apps Help).

How do you use Nano Banana on Kenerate?

Kenerate runs four Nano Banana models next to its other image models. Credits as of 23 October 2026:

New accounts get 25 free credits. In Image Studio the free plan covers the Flux 2 and Qwen Image models, so Nano Banana there needs a paid plan or credit pack. Edit Studio charges credits per edit for any account with a verified email, so the free credits cover one Nano Banana 2.1 edit at 1K or three Nano Banana 2 Fast edits.

Create in Image Studio

1. Open Image Studio with Nano Banana 2.1 selected, or pick another Nano Banana model from the model list.
2. Choose the ratio and size. Nano Banana 2.1 offers 14 ratios, including 1:8 and 8:1 banners, at 1K, 2K or 4K.
3. Add references if you have them. Upload up to 14 images, such as a face, an outfit, a product or a background.
4. Turn on web search when the picture depends on real facts, such as landmarks or a current product. It is available on Nano Banana 2.1, 2 and 2 Fast.
5. Write the prompt and generate. Our Nano Banana prompts library has 26 prompts with their real Nano Banana 2.1 outputs to start from.

Edit in Edit Studio

1. Open Edit Studio and upload your photo.
2. Pick a tool. Nano Banana 2.1, 2 and 2 Fast are available in AI Edit, Change Region, Magic Eraser, Style Transfer, Crop & Expand and Change Lighting. Crop & Expand uses Nano Banana 2 Fast by default.
3. Choose the model. Nano Banana 2.1 holds faces and products best. Nano Banana 2 Fast is cheapest for quick tests.
4. Describe the change and the keep line, then run it. Add more images if the edit needs a reference.

You can see real before-and-after Nano Banana edits on the Nano Banana image editor page.

How do you use reference images with Nano Banana?

References tell the model what to copy, so you don't have to describe it in words. Google's docs say you can mix up to 14 reference images in one request. On Nano Banana 2.1, that includes object fidelity for up to 10 objects and character consistency for up to 4 characters (Nano Banana 2.1 model page).

How to write a reference prompt:

• Number the images in your prompt. "Image 1" is the first upload, "image 2" the second, and so on.
• Say what each one gives. "Use the face from image 1, the jacket from image 2 and the street from image 3."
• Say what must not change. "Keep the logo on the bottle in image 2 exactly as it is."
• Use clean references. One clear subject per image works better than a busy group photo.

Example: "Put the person from image 1 in the outfit from image 2, standing in the café from image 3, warm afternoon light. Keep the face from image 1 and the colours of the outfit exactly the same."

How do you keep a character consistent across several images?

This is where Nano Banana is strongest, but it still needs a method:

1. Make one master image first. Get the face, hair and outfit right in a single image before you try new scenes.
2. Reuse that image as image 1 in every new prompt. Don't rely on the chat remembering it.
3. Change one thing per image: the scene, the pose or the light. Keep the rest the same.
4. Repeat the identity details in words. "Same person, short black curly hair, round glasses, green parka."
5. Restart from the master if a face starts to drift after many follow-up edits.

On Kenerate, uploading the master image as a reference on Nano Banana 2.1 does the same job, with up to 14 images per prompt.

Which aspect ratio should you use?

On Kenerate, pick the ratio in the settings and also name the format in the prompt, for example "ultra-wide website header", so the composition fits the frame. Google's Nano Banana 2.1 model page says it fixed tiling artifacts on wide and panoramic ratios. Google's help page doesn't list a ratio setting for the Gemini app, so describe it in the prompt, for example "vertical 9:16 image".

What are the most common Nano Banana mistakes?

• Keyword lists instead of sentences. "Woman, beach, sunset, 4k, ultra detailed" gives the model less to work with than one descriptive sentence.
• No keep line in an edit. Without "keep my face and pose the same", the model is free to change them.
• Too many changes at once. Outfit, background, light and style in one prompt usually means one of them goes wrong. Do them as separate edits.
• Text without quotes. Put the exact words in quotes and say where they go: the title "SUMMER SALE" in bold white letters at the top.
• Low-resolution sources. A small or blurry photo gives the model less detail to keep.
• Using "1k" in the API. Google's docs say image sizes need an uppercase K, so "1k" is rejected.
• Real people and celebrities. Don't put public figures or anyone else in an image without their permission.

What are the limits of Nano Banana?

In the Gemini app:

• A daily quota of Nano Banana 2 images. Once you reach it, you can't redo more images with Pro.
• Downloads at 1K without a Google AI plan, 2K with one.
• Nano Banana Pro needs a Google AI plan.
• Editing isn't available to users under 18.
• Available only in supported countries and languages.

On Kenerate:

• Credits per image, as in the table above.
• Up to 14 references (10 on the original Nano Banana).
• Prompts that mention children, minors or ages under 18 are blocked.
• Nano Banana 2 and 2 Fast output up to 1536 px. Use Nano Banana 2.1 for 2K or 4K.

Everywhere:

• Google says all images from its Nano Banana models include an invisible SynthID watermark (Gemini API docs). You can upload an image to the Gemini app and ask whether Google AI made it (Gemini Apps Help — Verify AI images).
• Small text the model adds on its own can still contain errors, so proofread.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use Nano Banana for free?

Use the Gemini app, which has a free tier with a daily image quota and 1K downloads. On Kenerate, new accounts get 25 free credits, enough for one Nano Banana 2.1 edit at 1K or three Nano Banana 2 Fast edits in Edit Studio. The Is Nano Banana free? page compares every option.

Is Nano Banana a separate app?

No. Nano Banana is the image model inside Gemini, so you use it in the Gemini app or on gemini.google.com. Developers use it through Google AI Studio and the Gemini API. Other platforms, including Kenerate, also offer it.

What is the newest Nano Banana model?

Nano Banana 2.1, released by Google on 6 October 2026 as the update to Nano Banana 2. Google says it improves quality at 1K, 2K and 4K, fixes tiling on wide ratios and renders text better. It is available on Kenerate in Image Studio and Edit Studio.

How many images can I upload to Nano Banana?

Google's docs allow up to 14 reference images in one request. On Kenerate, Nano Banana 2.1, 2 and 2 Fast take up to 14 images, and the original Nano Banana takes up to 10.

How do I change the aspect ratio in Nano Banana?

On Kenerate, pick it in the settings. Nano Banana 2.1 has 14 ratios, from 1:8 to 8:1. In the Gemini app, describe it in the prompt, such as "vertical 9:16". In the Gemini API, set it in the image config.

Why does Nano Banana change my face when I edit?

The prompt usually doesn't say what to keep, the photo is small or blurry, or there have been many follow-up edits. Add "keep my face, hair and expression exactly the same", use a sharp photo and restart from the original if the face drifts.

Does Nano Banana add a watermark?

Yes. Google embeds an invisible SynthID watermark in images from its Nano Banana models, and the Gemini app can check an image for it. Kenerate adds no visible watermark of its own.

Should I use Nano Banana or Nano Banana Pro?

Use the standard Nano Banana 2.1 for everyday edits, portraits and fast work. Google positions Nano Banana Pro for complex tasks, such as dense text and professional assets. Our Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro post compares them in detail.

For photo prompt ideas to try next, see our 44 Gemini AI photo prompts and the Nano Banana 2.1 model page.