Editing images with Gemini's Nano Banana model is often a much better experience than with other AI chatbots. It's not perfect and has some significant limitations, but Nano Banana even outperforms some dedicated image editing apps in AI-related tasks. You can try it out for yourself entirely for free as long as you have a Gemini account, so here are seven basic tips to help you get started.
What Is Nano Banana, and How Can You Try It?
First, let’s clear things up. Nano Banana is Gemini’s AI model for image generation and editing. While the line between “editing” and “generation” can be blurry, generally speaking, image editing refers to giving Gemini an existing image and asking it to modify it, whereas image generation creates a new image from scratch based on your prompt.
You can access Nano Banana through Gemini’s standard interface on desktop or mobile. Just sign in, upload an image if needed, type your prompt, and toggle Nano Banana on in the central text field—you’ll spot it by the banana emoji. If you select Gemini 3 Pro in the model selector, you can simply prompt it to create or edit images without toggling anything, and it will automatically use Nano Banana Pro. Otherwise, it defaults to the original Nano Banana.
A heads-up: edited images can’t be downloaded at very high resolutions, and some artifacts remain—like slight blurring, reduced sharpness, and text smudging. These issues have persisted since the original Nano Banana launch, and while Google is likely working on fixes, they make the tool less suitable for professional photographers. That said, for casual sharing with family and friends, the results are still quite fun.
Nano Banana Pro is the latest, improved version. Paid Gemini subscribers get priority access, but free users can use it too—just with some limitations. Once free users hit their daily usage cap, prompts revert to the original Nano Banana model. According to Google, the Pro version brings several upgrades, including better accuracy, consistency, control, and text generation capabilities.
Unless noted otherwise, all the example images below were created with the original Nano Banana model, so you can replicate them even if you’ve reached your Nano Banana Pro usage limit.
1. Add Text to Images
Most of the time, asking for text in an AI-generated (or AI-edited) image means asking for distortion or outright nonsense. However, Nano Banana Pro doesn't have these issues, and it can generate clear, legible text in just seconds. For example, I uploaded this picture of a tree and prompted Nano Banana Pro: "Create an infographic with this tree, including all sorts of information about it."
As you can see, there aren't any major problems with text generation. So, if you want to turn an image into a cartoon, comic, or anything else that includes a lot of text, Nano Banana Pro can do that. All you need to do is provide an image and tell Gemini what you want.
2. Blend Multiple Images
Another feature of Nano Banana is its ability to seamlessly blend images together. This can be anything, from envisioning what a bed you find on Amazon would look like in your bedroom to placing a variety of characters in a single location, and more.
3. Remove Unwanted Elements
It’s a simple task to ask Gemini to remove anything you don’t want in your image. This could be a pesky finger, hand, or any other unwanted object. For example, I asked Gemini to “remove the hand in the image,” but other phrasings should work just as well. Gemini had no trouble removing the hand, and it’s particularly impressive how well the content it generated to fill the leftover space matches the original image.
4. Add New Content
You can also ask Gemini to add elements to your image. For example, you might want to turn a sandy lot into a beautiful grassy yard. I asked Gemini to “add grass to the lot,” but you can use more natural language to achieve the same result. Gemini’s grass looks reasonably believable, which is impressive, given that AI image editing often focuses more on removing elements and filling in the remaining space. However, generating too many additions in an image can make it look artificial rather than simply edited.
5. Create Custom Filters
Image filters are nothing new, and many apps let you apply them to your photos. However, if you're aiming for a specific look that premade filters can’t achieve, you can easily waste a lot of time searching for the perfect one — or fail to find one at all.
Fortunately, Gemini allows you to create and apply any type of filter you can imagine. For example, I asked Gemini to “add a filter that makes it look like it was shot in the 1990s on a Polaroid.” You can be as creative as you want with your description.
One thing I love about Gemini is how specific the filters can be. You can even create one that makes your image look like a shot from any movie of your choice.
6. Visualize Things Quickly
Have you ever wondered what your space would look like if you moved your coffee table to a different spot or added artwork to a blank wall? If so, Gemini can be a helpful visualization tool.
Simply take a photo of the area you want to change, upload it to Gemini, and ask it to show the adjustments you have in mind. Since Gemini’s image editing rarely produces major errors or distortion, it’s often an effective way to visualize changes you’re having trouble imagining on your own.
7. Get Rid of Distracting Reflections
When you’re taking a quick photo—especially in a busy or chaotic scene—the last thing you’re thinking about is checking for reflections. Unfortunately, they can become quite distracting afterward.
The good news is that you can ask Gemini to remove specific reflections. It’s best to specify exactly which reflection you want removed, as Gemini isn’t perfect at handling reflections in general. Still, it’s reasonably effective at eliminating the more noticeable or troublesome ones.
Is Gemini Better Than Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop?
let’s be clear: Gemini is not a replacement for Adobe’s professional tools. Lightroom and Photoshop remain the industry standard for serious photo editing, retouching, and end-to-end creative workflows — and that’s unlikely to change.
However, when it comes specifically to generative AI features, Gemini can sometimes produce results that look more natural or convincing than what Lightroom or Photoshop currently offer. In my testing, Gemini handled certain AI-driven tasks — like adding new elements or removing objects — with surprisingly high quality and minimal artifacts.
That said, Adobe’s tools still provide far greater control, precision, and reliability for professional work, while Gemini is better suited for quick edits, creative experiments, and casual image enhancements.