“Nano Banana” is memorable, but it is not a permanent API model code. Google now uses the name for a family of Gemini-native image generation and editing models. Each product name maps to a separate official model name and API ID.
Mixing marketing names, official names, API IDs and an aggregation platform’s logical model IDs creates two common failures: an application keeps calling a retired Preview ID, or it assumes that routes with the same display name expose identical capabilities.
This guide is based on Google documentation checked on August 11, 2026.
Current names for the three models
| Common name | Official Google name | Current stable API ID | Historical Preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 Lite | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image |
Google’s release notes do not identify an earlier image-specific Preview ID |
| Nano Banana 2 | Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | gemini-3.1-flash-image |
gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview |
| Nano Banana Pro | Gemini 3 Pro Image | gemini-3-pro-image |
gemini-3-pro-image-preview |
Google’s image generation guide lists these product names and stable IDs together. The individual model pages also label gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image, gemini-3.1-flash-image and gemini-3-pro-image as Stable.
So gemini-3-pro-image-preview was a real Nano Banana Pro API ID, but it is now historical. It should not be presented as the current stable ID.
How the Preview models became Stable
The official Gemini API release notes provide the lifecycle:
- On November 20, 2025, Google released Gemini 3 Pro Image Preview as
gemini-3-pro-image-preview. - On February 26, 2026, Google introduced Nano Banana 2 as Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview.
- On May 28, 2026,
gemini-3.1-flash-imageandgemini-3-pro-imagebecame generally available stable models; their Preview predecessors were subsequently retired. - On June 30, 2026,
gemini-3.1-flash-lite-imagelaunched as the generally available Nano Banana 2 Lite image model.
One similarly named model deserves care: gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview was a Preview ID for the general Flash-Lite model. It is not the official image-model replacement for Nano Banana 2 Lite. An image API ID should never be invented by joining familiar name fragments.
How the three models differ
Nano Banana 2 Lite: optimize for speed and scale
The Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image model page positions it as the efficiency specialist in the image family. It supports image generation and editing under the stable ID gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image.
Its priorities are low latency and high throughput, and Google currently documents a 1K-only output tier. It is not the first choice for multiple reference inputs or long sequential editing workflows. It fits rapid generation, local edits and interactive previews; the “2” in its product name does not make its resolution contract identical to Nano Banana 2.
Nano Banana 2: the general-purpose workhorse
The Gemini 3.1 Flash Image model page describes Nano Banana 2 as a general model balancing speed, quality and high-volume use. Its stable ID is gemini-3.1-flash-image.
Google documents 0.5K, 1K, 2K and 4K output options, conversational editing, search-assisted generation and multi-reference consistency. Video-to-image context is also specific to this model at the time of writing. An upstream capability, however, does not automatically mean that every relay route or public request contract exposes it.
Nano Banana Pro: complex creative work and professional assets
The Gemini 3 Pro Image model page positions Nano Banana Pro for professional image generation and editing. Its current stable ID is gemini-3-pro-image.
It is intended for complex instructions, brand consistency, precise typography, grounded real-world information and professional assets up to 4K. Those workflows usually consume more resources and take longer. Choose Pro for task complexity, not simply because the label sounds higher tier.
Google also states that Nano Banana outputs carry SynthID, while the Lite model page additionally identifies C2PA watermarking. These are upstream provenance properties, not ordinary quality switches that should be described as freely removable.
Why OGA still uses logical model IDs
Within OGA, nano-banana-2-lite, nano-banana-2 and nano-banana-pro are public logical model IDs. They let an application select a product-level capability without exposing a specific upstream route. They do not promise that every OGA route calls Google’s current stable ID directly, or that every Google capability is enabled on every callable OGA route.
Think of the identity in four layers:
- product alias: Nano Banana 2;
- official Google name: Gemini 3.1 Flash Image;
- stable Google API ID:
gemini-3.1-flash-image; - OGA logical model ID:
nano-banana-2.
Aliases improve readability and discovery. Stable API IDs identify a direct official API call. OGA logical IDs belong to OGA’s public contract. These values can be mapped explicitly, but should not be collapsed into one ambiguous field.
Trust the current catalog before calling
Model lifecycles, resolutions and parameters can change. Before calling OGA, inspect the current models and pricing page or GET /api/v1/models/{model_id} rather than copying upstream facts from this article.
This guide documents names and official model boundaries. It is not a claim that a particular OGA route is live, exposes every upstream option or retains a fixed price.