Google expands Nano Banana AI to Search and Lens after 200M edits

Google’s Nano Banana AI image-generation tool may soon expand beyond Gemini to other Google services, with code hints appearing in the Google app for Android. The potential integration signals Google’s confidence in the tool’s popularity—it has completed over 200 million edits since launching in August and sparked multiple social media trends.

What you should know: Android Authority discovered evidence of Nano Banana integration across multiple Google app features, including AI Mode for Search, Google Lens, and Circle to Search.
• In AI Mode, a beta version shows a refreshed layout with a new “Create images” option that mirrors Gemini’s description of the tool.
• Google Lens displays a “Create” button with Nano Banana’s signature banana logo, inviting users to “capture, create, and share” when pointing the camera at images or text.
• Circle to Search shows the Create button in its menu, though the feature isn’t fully functional yet.

Why this matters: Nano Banana’s rapid adoption demonstrates strong user demand for accessible AI image generation and editing tools integrated directly into everyday Google services.
• The tool has evolved beyond simple text-to-image generation, with users employing it for photo editing, creating figurines, and recreating old photographs.
• Expanding Nano Banana’s availability could position Google to compete more effectively with standalone AI image tools by embedding the capability across its ecosystem.

What they’re saying: Rajan Patel, Google’s VP of engineering for Search, dropped a major hint about the expansion on X, resharing Android Authority’s report and writing “keep your [eyes emoji] peeled [banana emoji].”

The bigger picture: This potential rollout follows hints that Nano Banana may also arrive on Google Photos, suggesting a comprehensive strategy to integrate AI image generation across Google’s visual and search platforms rather than keeping it confined to Gemini.