How Nano Banana changes Google Messages

Android users are now getting a major injection of AI in their Google Messages app.

Last week, Google announced a number of Android updates, including a major new Pixel feature drop. Among the many new features announced for Pixel phones was a major AI-related one: the popular AI image editor Nano Banana will be integrated directly into Google Messages via a new feature called Remix.

Nano Banana is Google's latest AI image generation and editing model. AI aficionados have raved about Nano Banana, and it's widely considered the best AI image editor available right now.

Google knows it has a hit on its hands, and the company has been integrating Nano Banana into a variety of other Google products, including Google Lens and Circle to Search. Now, Remix will allow Pixel owners to edit or remake any photo using Nano Banana from within Google Messages. 

This week, the Remix feature began rolling out to all Pixel users – and the Remix feature will soon come to all Android devices as well.

All users have to do is press the Remix button on any photo within Google Messages and then provide any prompt they want in the text box that appears. Google provides some “Suggested ideas” in Remix, such as “Make a custom mini figure” or “Make a photo look like instant film” to give users a starting point for what's possible. From there, Nano Banana takes over and generates the image. (According to Google, there is a “daily limit of image generations per user.”)

Remix basically turns Google Messages from strictly a messaging app into a content creation tool. It's easy to see how Remix can spark memes and other viral media as users simply need to type what they want to generate an image that they otherwise would've had to create in a dedicated image creation or editing app.

In that same vein, if you're not a fan of "AI slop," now you'll know why so many friends and family members with Android phones are suddenly sending you so many AI-altered images.