Gemini tops the App Store thanks to new AI image model, Nano Banana

Gemini's mobile application has witnessed remarkable growth since the launch of its innovative Nano Banana image editor in August. Users have expressed enthusiasm over the tool's ability to simplify intricate edits and produce lifelike images. As a result, the app has ascended to the pinnacle of global app store rankings, boasting a staggering 45% increase in downloads month-over-month for September, according to data from app intelligence company Appfigures. Already in September, Gemini has amassed 12.6 million downloads, a significant rise from August's 8.7 million. Prior to this month, the app had only managed to reach No. 3 on the U.S. App Store back in January 2025. Following the introduction of Nano Banana, it quickly climbed to No. 2 on September 8 and ultimately seized the No. 1 position by September 12, displacing OpenAI's ChatGPT to second place. Currently, Gemini is the only dedicated AI application within the top 10 on the App Store. Furthermore, Gemini has established itself as one of the top five iPhone applications across 108 countries worldwide, as indicated by Appfigures. On Google Play, the app experienced a drastic rise from No. 26 in the U.S. on September 8 to No. 2 as of Monday. Despite this impressive leap, ChatGPT still holds the top position on Android devices. Google has been promoting Gemini's rapid adoption, highlighting that over 23 million new users have tried the app since the Nano Banana model's launch, sharing more than 500 million images in the process. This surge in user engagement is also reflected in increased consumer spending. Gemini generated $6.3 million in revenue on iOS this year, with $1.6 million coming in August alone, a figure that skyrocketed by 1,291% from January's $115,000, according to Appfigures. The app is on track to at least match August’s earnings, having already collected $792,000 in the first half of September. Since its launch on Android in February 2024, and its subsequent expansion to iOS later that year, Gemini has achieved a total of 185.4 million downloads, with 103.7 million of those occurring this year.