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What you need to know
- A leak claims that Google Messages could receive a Nano Banana update in the future.
- A tipster reportedly discovered the AI image generator within the app's code, pointing toward its functionality when long-pressing an image in a chat.
- Google recently announced that Nano Banana was headed for NotebookLM, Google Lens, and Google Photos.
There's a rumor going around that Google might look at its messaging app as the next potential home for image generation software.
Prominent social media tipster AssembleDebug and Android Authority dug into the latest Google Messages and found evidence of Nano Banana AI. There were two instances of the image generator's potential arrival in the app, but the most forward-facing piece is within personal chats. According to the tipster, Google is seemingly developing/testing a Nano Banana icon in the top navigational bar in chats.
However, the only way users will see it is when long-pressing an image in that chat. The banana icon was reported right beside the trash icon in a personal thread.
The unfortunate side is that this icon isn't working; nothing is truly working as of yet. Aside from long-pressing an image, the tipster reports that Google hasn't yet enabled functionality of the Nano Banana button, meaning any practical demos were dashed. The tipster also states that Nano Banana has appeared within the app's code, so it seems Google is serious about this, at least for now.
Some signs pointed to the AI generator's appearance in group chats, too, meaning users on Android could have a truly chaotic time altering photos with one another.
Banana-nanana...?
At the risk of sounding like a Despicable Me minion, Google's been going bananas over its Nano Banana AI image generator, and it's already started bringing it to more places. Earlier this week, Nano Banana started arriving in NotebookLM, offering the ability for users to generate photos to pair with their study/research material. The AI can create images in a few different styles, such as Watercolor, Anime, and Retro Print.
Google Search is going bananas, too, as Google Lens starts receiving "Create." Through this new button, users can snap a photo with their camera and immediately change it with a prompt for Nano Banana. This same AI is also headed for Google Photos, as a way for users to quickly edit photos in their libraries.
Looking back, it makes sense that Google is so adamant about adding Nano Banana to more apps, since it reportedly drew in 10 million new users to the Gemini app. The announcement was made early in September, just a few weeks after the AI image generator launched. In that short timespan, Nano Banana had reportedly created over 200 million images, with the prompt to turn someone into a figurine taking the cake as the most popular.
