After Google added its new image-generation model "Nano Banana" to the Gemini application, it rose to No. 1 in the U.S. App Store, overtaking OpenAI's ChatGPT. App downloads and user expenditure have surged, and Gemini's growth in the global market is standing out.
According to foreign media including TechCrunch on the 17th, app analytics firm Appfigures said Gemini's global downloads this month reached 12.6 million, up 45% from the previous month. As of the 12th of this month, it ranked No. 1 in the U.S. App Store, and in the Google Play Store it jumped from No. 26 in the United States on the 8th to No. 2. However, on the Android native platform, ChatGPT still holds the lead.
Consumer expenditure also increased rapidly. Of the $6.3 million in in-app purchases and subscription revenue generated on iOS this year, $1.6 million was concentrated in Aug., a 1,291% surge from January. The industry expects similar or even higher expenditure this month.
Google said that since unveiling the Nano Banana model, 23 million new users have joined, and the number of images they have shared has surpassed 500 million. Reviews continue to note that it enables complex edits easily and can produce lifelike images.
The Gemini app has recorded 103.7 million downloads this year, with cumulative downloads reaching 185.4 million. Nano Banana's official name is "Gemini 2.5 Flash Image," and it can consistently depict the same character across different backgrounds or angles, making it usable for brand assets, real estate listing cards, and employee badge production.
Josh Woodward, vice president of Google Gemini and Labs, said on his personal social media that "Gemini's growth is influencing the AI app market overall."