Nano Banana 2.1 lands in Google Flow: what we know

The model is selectable in Flow, Google has not said a word, and the rest of the family is easy to test. Here is all of it, dated.

Nano Banana 2.1 lands in Google Flow, a yellow 2.1 numeral on a dark background

Update, October 6: Google has now officially released Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1, generally available in the Gemini API). For what changed, the price and the Nano Banana 2 shutdown, read Nano Banana 2.1 is out. The post below is the record of the day before launch.

On October 5, 2026 "Nano Banana 2.1" showed up as a selectable option in the image model picker of Google Flow, Google's creative tool for video and images. It sits next to Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana 2 Lite. That is the first time anyone outside Google could actually pick the model, after two weeks in which it existed only as a string in Flow's code.

What Google has not done is announce it. There is no blog post, no model card, no Gemini model number, no API model id and no price. This post sorts what is on the record from what is rumor, puts the Nano Banana family side by side in one table, and runs the same three prompts through every Nano Banana model you can call today, so you can see where they differ. For the background on the name itself, see what is Nano Banana 2.1.

Nano Banana 2.1 in Google Flow: the timeline

Every date below is when the change was first reported publicly. Nothing here comes from Google.

September 24, 2026: a Google Flow web build references a model called "Nano Banana 2.5 Flash". Users cannot select it.
September 27, 2026: the same reference is renamed "Nano Banana 2.1". TestingCatalog reported the change.
October 5, 2026: "Nano Banana 2.1" becomes selectable in Flow's image model picker, alongside Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana 2 Lite. TestingCatalog posted a screenshot, and noted that the output looked similar to Nano Banana Pro's.
October 6, 2026: a few posts on X say 2.1 is also live in the Gemini web app and mobile app. We could not confirm this, and no outlet has shown it independently. On the same day, Google's public developer documentation still listed only Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana 2 Lite and Nano Banana Pro.

So the accurate headline is narrow: Nano Banana 2.1 is live on at least one Google consumer surface. It is not released in the sense developers care about, because nothing can call it.

Nano Banana 2.1 specs vs the rest of the family

Nano Banana 2.1 has no published specifications, so its column is mostly blank. We are not going to fill it with guesses. The other four columns are models you can call today, with the Gemini model each nickname maps to, plus what we measured on our own runs on October 6.

	Nano Banana 2.1	Nano Banana Pro	Nano Banana 2	Nano Banana 2 Lite	Nano Banana
Gemini model	Update to Gemini 3.1 Flash Image (since Oct 6)	Gemini 3 Pro Image	Gemini 3.1 Flash Image	Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image	Gemini 2.5 Flash Image
Public API	Yes since Oct 6 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Output sizes	1K, 2K, 4K (since Oct 6)	1K, 2K, 4K	1K, 2K, 4K	1K	1K
Reference images on this site	n/a	Up to 8	Up to 14	Up to 8	Up to 14
Time per 1K image (our test)	n/a	About 24 s	About 15 to 17 s	About 5 s (one run 19 s)	About 23 to 29 s (one run 91 s)
Credits per 1K image here	n/a	20	10	10	8

Nano Banana is the nickname for Google's Gemini image models. Times are single 1K runs per prompt through our API provider on 2026-10-06; treat them as typical, not guaranteed. Credits are this site's prices.

Is Nano Banana 2.1 a new model or a renamed one?

Nobody outside Google knows yet, and the evidence points both ways.

For a renamed route: the first public outputs from 2.1 in Flow looked like Nano Banana Pro's. A label that changed from "2.5 Flash" to "2.1" in three days also reads like a naming decision still in progress, not a finished model.
For a new model: the name itself. A "2.1" next to "2" and "2 Lite" fits Google's habit of iterating the Flash line, and the original "2.5 Flash" string suggests a Flash-class model rather than a Pro one. Picker entries also routinely appear before launch announcements.

Our reading: until Google publishes a model id or a model card, treat 2.1 as an unknown that happens to be selectable. If you need dependable results today, the four models in the table above are what you can actually build on. We compared two of them in depth in Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana Pro.

Same prompt, four Nano Banana models

To show what the version names mean in practice, we ran three prompts through every Nano Banana model with a public API: one for text inside an image, one photoreal scene and one labeled diagram. Each image is a single attempt at 1K, square, with no retries and no picking between runs. From left to right: Nano Banana Pro, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana 2 Lite and the original Nano Banana.

Nano Banana Pro output: a bookshop window poster reading AUTUMN READS — Prompt: A minimalist bookshop window poster announcing "AUTUMN READS" in bold serif letters, with the line "New arrivals every Friday" underneath and a small round sticker that says "20% off poetry". Warm paper texture, letterpress print style, muted orange and deep green.All four spelled every word correctly, sticker included. Pro produced the most convincing letterpress texture and the boldest type. Nano Banana 2 and 2 Lite are close behind with cleaner, smaller layouts. The original Nano Banana got the words right but the poster is flat and plain next to the others.

Nano Banana 2 output: a bookshop window poster reading AUTUMN READS — Prompt: A minimalist bookshop window poster announcing "AUTUMN READS" in bold serif letters, with the line "New arrivals every Friday" underneath and a small round sticker that says "20% off poetry". Warm paper texture, letterpress print style, muted orange and deep green.All four spelled every word correctly, sticker included. Pro produced the most convincing letterpress texture and the boldest type. Nano Banana 2 and 2 Lite are close behind with cleaner, smaller layouts. The original Nano Banana got the words right but the poster is flat and plain next to the others.

Nano Banana Pro output: a cyclist passing a neon noodle bar in the rain — Prompt: Candid street photo at dusk of a cyclist riding past a neon-lit noodle bar in Taipei, light rain, reflections on the wet pavement, steam from the kitchen, 35mm film look, shallow depth of field.Nano Banana 2 and 2 Lite are strikingly similar here: dense signage, steam, a believable crowd. Pro composed a good frame but wrapped it in a white print border nobody asked for. The original Nano Banana went darker and moodier, with fewer, larger signs.

Nano Banana 2 output: a cyclist passing a neon noodle bar in the rain — Prompt: Candid street photo at dusk of a cyclist riding past a neon-lit noodle bar in Taipei, light rain, reflections on the wet pavement, steam from the kitchen, 35mm film look, shallow depth of field.Nano Banana 2 and 2 Lite are strikingly similar here: dense signage, steam, a believable crowd. Pro composed a good frame but wrapped it in a white print border nobody asked for. The original Nano Banana went darker and moodier, with fewer, larger signs.

Nano Banana Pro output: a four-stage coffee plant life cycle diagram — Prompt: A clean labeled diagram of a coffee plant life cycle in four stages, labeled "Seed", "Seedling", "Flowering" and "Cherry", with curved arrows between the stages and the title "From Seed to Cup" at the top. Flat vector illustration on a white background.This is where the models separate. Pro followed the brief exactly: four labels, a closed cycle, nothing extra. Nano Banana 2 added numbering and explanatory captions, all correct. Nano Banana 2 Lite put the stages out of order and labeled a flowering tree "Cherry". The original Nano Banana drew a straight line instead of a cycle.

Nano Banana 2 output: a four-stage coffee plant life cycle diagram — Prompt: A clean labeled diagram of a coffee plant life cycle in four stages, labeled "Seed", "Seedling", "Flowering" and "Cherry", with curved arrows between the stages and the title "From Seed to Cup" at the top. Flat vector illustration on a white background.This is where the models separate. Pro followed the brief exactly: four labels, a closed cycle, nothing extra. Nano Banana 2 added numbering and explanatory captions, all correct. Nano Banana 2 Lite put the stages out of order and labeled a flowering tree "Cherry". The original Nano Banana drew a straight line instead of a cycle.

What the test says about choosing a model

Text in images is no longer the dividing line. All four models spelled short headlines and stickers correctly. Pro still wins on typographic texture and layout.
Following a structured brief is. When the prompt specified exact labels and a cycle, only Pro did precisely that. Nano Banana 2 was correct but added material; 2 Lite made a real mistake.
For photoreal scenes, Nano Banana 2 and 2 Lite are close enough that 2 Lite's speed (about five seconds) is the deciding factor for drafts.
The original Nano Banana is the cheapest option and still useful for quick drafts, but it is visibly a generation behind.

If Nano Banana 2.1 turns out to be a better Flash model, the gap it would need to close is exactly this one: Pro-level instruction following at Flash-level speed.

How to try Nano Banana 2.1 today

Inside Google Flow, open an image project and look for Nano Banana 2.1 in the model picker. Availability appears to vary by account and region, and Google has not said which plans include it. Our Google Flow guide covers what the picker entry does and does not tell you.

Update: on this site, the Nano Banana 2.1 option now uses Nano Banana Pro. Pro, 2, 2 Lite and the original are in the same picker, and our prompt guide has prompts that work across all of them.

What to watch next

A model id in the Gemini API documentation or Google AI Studio. That is the moment 2.1 becomes something developers can use, and the moment this site switches its preview over.
A model card or announcement naming the Gemini model behind 2.1, which would settle the new model or renamed route question.
Pricing and output sizes, which decide whether 2.1 replaces Nano Banana 2 for everyday work.

We will update this post when any of these happen, and the date at the top will change with it.

FAQ

Has Google officially released Nano Banana 2.1?

Yes, on October 6, 2026, the day after this post: it is generally available in the Gemini API as gemini-nano-banana-2.1 and rolling out in the Gemini app, AI Mode, AI Studio and Flow.

Is Nano Banana 2.1 available in the Gemini app?

Yes. With the official release on October 6, Google is rolling it out in the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, AI Studio and Flow.

Can I use Nano Banana 2.1 through the API?

Yes, since its October 6 release: gemini-nano-banana-2.1 in the Gemini API, from $0.0336 per 1K image.

Is Nano Banana 2.1 better than Nano Banana Pro?

There is no way to measure that yet. Early outputs in Flow looked similar to Pro, which is one reason some testers think 2.1 may be a renamed route.

Which Nano Banana model should I use right now?

Nano Banana Pro for text-heavy or precisely specified images, Nano Banana 2 for most everyday work, Nano Banana 2 Lite for fast drafts, and the original Nano Banana when cost matters most.

Is nanobanana21.app made by Google?

No. It is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google. Nano Banana is a Google trademark, used here only to name the models.