Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview (Nano Banana 2) Preview, codenamed Nano Banana 2, advances over the prior flash-tier image model with improved visual quality while preserving the generation speed and cost profile that makes flash-tier models viable for production workloads. Three feature additions meaningfully expand what flash-tier image generation can do.
The first is Google Image Search grounding. The model can retrieve live visual reference data from Google's index at generation time, which allows it to render lesser-known landmarks, brand-specific objects, and recent real-world subjects accurately. The second addition is configurable thinking levels. Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview (Nano Banana 2) Preview introduces Minimal and High thinking modes, enabling the model to reason through complex prompts before rendering. The third addition is expanded output options: 512p resolution and 1:4 and 1:8 aspect ratios join the existing format options, opening the model to narrow-format creative assets like banners and vertical media strips.