AI image generation has come a long way, but until recently, I still found myself holding my breath every time I hit “generate,” wondering if I’d get what I actually wanted — or another round of AI slop.
Nano Banana just changed that.
I tested the new feature across a variety of images, and it’s easily one of the most intuitive image-editing upgrades I’ve used. Instead of guessing whether the AI understands me, I could simply show it what I meant. Here’s what it’s actually like to use — and why this update feels like a bigger deal than it first appears.
1. Bear in the woods
I frequently go for runs in the woods near my house and I’m always afraid of running into a bear. With Nano Banana in my pocket, I did this time!
Well, sort of — I simply snapped a shot of the trail, drew a very rough image of what I thought a bear looks like, and Nano Banana worked like magic to deliver a very realistic bear in front of me. Hopefully, the only bears in my path are the AI kind.
2. Tom’s Guide apparel
I’m a sucker for a branded t-shirt. As a former band merch girl, I used to tour with some of the biggest bands selling merch like hats, T-shirts and hoodies.
So, for this test, I figured I’d make my own Tom’s Guide apparel by simply writing on an image where the words should go. In seconds, I got an image that looked like I was sporting the latest Tom’s Guide promo swag.
3. A tiny boat in a creek
There’s a creek behind my house and I’ve always thought it would be fun to put a little boat in it and watch it float down the stream. Without getting crafty, I was able to do just that by drawing a very rough resemblance of a boat.
4. Sky writing messages
If you’ve ever wanted to write “Marry Me” or “I love you” in the clouds but the cost of an actual skywriter wasn’t in your budget, rest assured, Nano Banana has you covered. I snapped a shot of the clouds and wrote my message. In seconds I had an image that I was able to text my husband. The price tag was just right.
5. A tree blooms in December
By now you’ve probably noticed my drawing skills are sub-par. Here’s an image of me prompting Nano Banana to create a blooming tree and a car on the road. Without hesitation it knew what I meant and got my idea across with ease. I wish everything in life understood me so well.
6. Snow man upgrade
We had some snow earlier in the week but after a few days we’re left with just a dirty ball of snow and sad grass. I drew what I wanted the snow man to look like and then actually wrote a prompt “and make the rest of the scene look like a winter wonderland.” Adding a written prompt with the doodle prompt can help make your image even better.
7. Changing a remote to a candy cane
Here's another example of using doodle and written texting. I drew a Santa hat and socks on my son and turned the remote into a candy cane. I also prompted that I wanted “the person in the image to be standing in snow.” Nano Banana took the photo from a casual evening to a frolic in the snow in just seconds and with minimal effort.
The takeaway
Nano Banana’s draw-to-prompt feature isn’t just fun — it’s practical. You can make fast, clear edits without any artistic skill (obviously, I have none), and once you’ve used it, you'll realize just how much more you can get done.
Whether you only use doodles to prompt or combine it with text, you may realize something special. This type of image editing is a unique way to spark creativity while expressing yourself in new and exciting ways with nothing but your finger.
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