Nano Banana helped propel Google’s Gemini app to the top of app store charts, dethroning ChatGPT for the first time in nearly three years.
Google’s market cap has surpassed $3 trillion, thanks in part to the viral success of Nano Banana and its image-editing capabilities.
Gemini’s rapid rise has positioned Google as a key player in the AI market, attracting investor attention and fueling future growth.
While ChatGPT remains dominant, Gemini’s surge shows how quickly the AI landscape can change when a viral feature takes hold.
On September 15th, 2025, Google’s Gemini app claimed the #1 spot in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Source: X (@joshwoodward)
This unprecedented feat marked the first time the app had surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT in downloads, a position ChatGPT had held since its launch in 2022.
The sudden surge in popularity didn’t come from any groundbreaking advancements in AI, Gemini’s Nano Banana feature was the catalyst behind this meteoric rise.
Nano Banana is an innovative image-editing feature that’s captured the attention of millions. Google’s users have been flocking to Gemini for the ability to transform images into 3D collectible-style portraits, complete with plastic packaging and display bases.
These creations, which mimic the aesthetic of high-end collectibles, have become viral sensations on social media, propelling Gemini to new heights.
“Image editing is one of the most popular use cases for Nano Banana,” Google announced in a tweet.
While the tech giant hasn’t officially attributed its success to Nano Banana alone, the feature seems to have been a key driver. Within just two weeks of going viral, Gemini saw 23 million first-time users, and more than half a billion images were generated.
Google Trends data also supports this theory: Global searches for “Gemini” overtook ChatGPT on September 12, marking the first time this has occurred since ChatGPT’s debut.
The Nano Banana phenomenon helped propel Google’s parent company, Alphabet, past a historic $3 trillion market cap.
As of September 2025, Alphabet’s stock had risen nearly 30% year-to-date, closing at approximately $252 per share. This puts Google in elite company, alongside industry giants like Nvidia ($4.3 trillion), Microsoft ($3.8 trillion), and Apple ($3.5 trillion).
The excitement surrounding Gemini and its viral Nano Banana feature has also caught the eye of investors, who now view the app as a strong core offering capable of driving future revenue through new subscription models.
With the app’s newfound popularity, analysts predict that Gemini’s continued success could help Google further dominate the AI space.
Keybanc Capital analyst Justin Patterson notes that if Gemini maintains its position as a top download, it could complement Google’s core search offering, creating additional revenue streams without cannibalizing its existing services.
Google isn’t the only company experimenting with viral features. OpenAI’s Ghiblify feature, which turns photos into Studio Ghibli-style animations, drove a surge of over 1 million new sign-ups for ChatGPT.
Meanwhile, xAI’s Grok AI had similar success when users in Asian markets discovered it could generate anime-style “waifus” without the usual content restrictions.
These viral features have shown just how quickly AI can shift in popularity. While ChatGPT still leads in terms of active users, Gemini’s success demonstrates how the AI landscape can evolve when the right feature captures the public’s imagination.
As Google’s Gemini continues to evolve, there’s no doubt that the company will build on the success of Nano Banana.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis even tweeted:
“Congrats to the @GeminiApp team… this is just the start.”
Source: X (@demishassabis)
As meme culture and image editing continue to dominate social media, we can expect more creative innovations in the future.
Nano Banana is an image-editing feature within Google’s Gemini app. It allows users to transform photos into 3D collectible-style portraits, which has become hugely popular on social media.
The popularity of Nano Banana drove millions of new users to the Gemini app, which resulted in the app hitting #1 in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This surge in downloads and usage boosted Google’s stock price and helped push Alphabet’s market cap past $3 trillion.
Gemini’s rise can largely be attributed to the viral success of Nano Banana, a feature that became incredibly popular for creating memes and image edits. The app’s visibility on social media played a huge role in its rapid growth.
If Gemini continues to capitalize on its success with Nano Banana and introduces new features, it could maintain its position as a major player in the AI space, complementing Google’s existing services.
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