Nano Banana Prompts: What Google's Viral Image Model Is + 25 Copy-Paste Prompts (2026)

If you have seen people online sharing stunning AI-edited photos and mentioning "Nano Banana", here is the simple truth: Nano Banana is Google's Gemini image editing model. It is not a separate app or a secret tool — it is the image feature inside the Gemini app that went viral because it does one thing unusually well: it edits your photo while keeping your face looking like you.

This article explains what Nano Banana is, why everyone is talking about it, and gives you 25 copy-paste prompts to try right now.

What is Nano Banana, exactly?

Google's Gemini app can generate and edit images. The model behind that feature picked up the nickname "Nano Banana" while it was being tested publicly, and the name stuck — hashtags, trend videos and prompt threads all use it. Google has since embraced the nickname for the Gemini image model.

So when someone says "try this Nano Banana prompt", they mean: open Gemini, upload a photo, and paste the prompt.

Why did it go viral?

Three reasons:

1. It keeps your face. Earlier AI editors often returned a person who looked vaguely like you. Nano Banana's identity preservation is good enough that outfit swaps, background changes and style edits still look like the same person.
2. It follows conversation. You can refine results with follow-ups — "make the light warmer", "remove the person behind me" — instead of starting over.
3. It is fast and free to try. The Gemini free tier includes image editing with daily limits, so millions of people could test it the same week.

How to write a Nano Banana prompt

The formula that works: [what to keep] + [the exact change] + [style or mood] + [lighting].

• Weak: "make this photo better"
• Strong: "Keep the woman and her red saree exactly the same, change the background to a misty tea garden at sunrise, cinematic style, soft golden light"

And the single most useful line in any prompt: "keep my face exactly the same."

25 copy-paste Nano Banana prompts

Portraits

1. "Turn this into a professional studio headshot: plain dark grey backdrop, soft key light, sharp focus on the eyes. Keep my face and hair exactly the same."
2. "Relight this portrait as golden hour: warm sunlight from behind, gentle lens flare, natural skin tones. Do not change my face or pose."
3. "Add a creamy DSLR-style background blur behind me, keeping me in sharp focus. Keep my face and clothes unchanged."
4. "Convert this to a high-contrast black and white fine-art portrait. Keep my features exactly the same."
5. "Fix the lighting to soft window daylight, remove harsh shadows on my face, natural colours. Do not alter my features."

Festive & traditional

6. "Change the background to a balcony decorated with diyas and marigold garlands at dusk, warm glow on my face. Keep me and my outfit exactly the same."
7. "Dress me in an elegant embroidered kurta in deep maroon with gold detail, realistic fabric. Keep my face, pose and background unchanged."
8. "Dress me in a traditional silk saree in peacock blue with a gold border, realistic drape. Keep my face and expression exactly the same."
9. "Add a vibrant burst of Holi colours in the air around me while keeping my face clean and recognisable."
10. "Add realistic mehendi designs on my hands, intricate traditional pattern. Keep everything else unchanged."

Backgrounds & travel

11. "Change the background to a Goa beach at sunset, golden sky, gentle waves. Keep me unchanged."
12. "Place me with snow-covered mountains behind me, bright daylight, light snowfall. Keep me and my outfit the same."
13. "Change the background to a city rooftop at blue hour with bokeh city lights. Keep me exactly the same."
14. "Place me at a cosy café corner table with warm lights and blurred shelves behind. Keep me unchanged."
15. "Change the background to a blooming sunflower field under a bright blue sky. Keep me exactly the same."

Product photos

16. "Place this product on a seamless white studio background with soft even lighting and a subtle shadow. Keep the label and text exactly the same."
17. "Place this product on a marble countertop with soft morning window light. Keep the label sharp and unchanged."
18. "Surround this product with diyas and warm bokeh lights for a Diwali promotion, product in sharp focus. Keep the packaging unchanged."
19. "Add a dynamic water splash around this bottle, frozen motion, studio lighting, dark background. Keep the label unchanged."
20. "Place this product on a pastel podium against a matching pastel wall, minimal aesthetic. Keep packaging identical."

Creative styles

21. "Re-render this as an authentic 1980s film photograph: grain, faded colours, soft flash look. Keep my face recognisable."
22. "Transform this portrait into a classical oil painting with visible brush strokes, keeping my likeness recognisable."
23. "Redraw this photo in a detailed anime style, keeping my hairstyle, outfit and pose recognisable."
24. "Reimagine this portrait in cyberpunk style: neon rim light, futuristic city bokeh, keeping my face recognisable."
25. "Style this like a dramatic cinematic poster look: moody colour grade, rim lighting. Keep my face the same and add no text."

Nano Banana vs ChatGPT for photo editing

The practical rule: Gemini for realistic edits, ChatGPT for artistic ones.

Want more prompts?

This list is a starter pack. Our full Gemini AI photo editing prompts library has 60+ prompts organised by use case, the ChatGPT photo editing prompts article covers 73 prompts for the ChatGPT side, and the couple prompts for Gemini article handles two-person edits. For the big picture across every tool, see AI photo editing prompts for every tool.

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Copy-paste prompts for ChatGPT & Gemini photo edits

• 100+ copy-paste prompts across 8 categories: portraits, Instagram trends, backgrounds, product shots, restoration, creative styles, text-on-image and ad creatives
• The 6-part prompt formula with worked examples
• Follow-up prompts to fix likeness, lighting and background issues
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