🍌 Nano Banana AI Free Editor

Create amazing AI images directly in your browser! Transform your ideas into stunning artwork with this free Chrome extension powered by Google Gemini and OpenRouter.

🚀 Quick Start (3 Easy Steps)

1. Install the Extension

Visit the Chrome Web Store
Search for “Nano Banana AI Free Editor”
Click “Add to Chrome” and confirm

2. Get Your Free API Key

Choose one of these free options:

Option A: OpenRouter (Recommended for beginners)

Go to openrouter.ai/keys
Create a free account
Copy your API key (starts with sk-or-v1-)

Option B: Google Gemini

Visit aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
Sign in with Google
Create and copy your API key

3. Start Creating!

Click the 🍌 banana icon in your browser toolbar
Paste your API key in the extension
Type what you want to create and hit Send!

🎨 What Can You Create?

Core Gemini Features

Text-to-Image: Create high-quality images from text prompts
Image + Text Editing: Upload images and modify them with text instructions
Multi-Image Composition: Combine multiple images or transfer styles
Conversational Refinement: Make changes through back-and-forth conversations
High-Fidelity Text: Render clear, accurate text in images (perfect for logos, posters)
SynthID Watermarking: Every image includes authenticity watermark

Perfect For:

Social Media Graphics – Eye-catching posts and stories
Marketing Materials – Banners, thumbnails, and ads
Creative Projects – Illustrations and concept art
Learning & Education – Visual explanations and diagrams
Personal Use – Custom artwork and memes
Product Mockups – E-commerce and advertising images
Logos & Branding – High-detail text and icons
Social Media Assets – Stickers, graphics, comic panels

Example Prompts (Based on Official Best Practices):

“A cute cartoon banana riding a skateboard, vibrant colors, playful style”
“Professional headshot of a business person, clean background, natural lighting”
“Beautiful sunset over mountains with lake, wide shot, golden hour”
“Futuristic city skyline at night, cyberpunk style, neon lights”
“Product mockup of a smartphone on a wooden table, studio lighting, commercial photography”
“Logo design for a coffee shop, clean typography, warm colors, minimalist style”

📱 How to Use

Basic Image Generation

Open Extension: Click the banana icon in your toolbar
Type Prompt: Describe what you want to create
Hit Send: Wait 10-30 seconds for your image
Download: Right-click or use the download button

Monitor Your Usage

Credit Display: See your remaining credits and rate limits in the extension
Rate Limits: Check the “Rate Limits & Usage Information” section for detailed limits
Free Tier: 50-1000 requests/day depending on your account status

Edit Existing Images

Upload Image: Click 📎 or drag & drop your photo
Describe Changes: “Make it brighter” or “Add a sunset background”
Generate: AI will modify your image
Download: Save your edited version

Pro Tips (Official Gemini Best Practices)

Be Descriptive: Use full sentences instead of single keywords
Include Photography Terms: Camera angles, lenses, lighting for photorealistic results
Specify Style: Mention background, outlines, mood for icons/stickers
Text in Images: Specify content, style, and layout for accurate text rendering
Iterate Conversationally: Refine results step-by-step through multiple prompts
Use Photo/Cinema Language: “Wide shot”, “macro lens”, “studio lighting”
Multiple Images: Upload up to 3 images for composition and style transfer
Save Chats: Your conversation history is automatically saved for refinement

🔧 Troubleshooting

Provider-Specific Issues:

OpenRouter Problems:

Rate Limited: See detailed rate limit information in the “Rate Limits & Usage Information” section below
Key Format: Must start with sk-or-v1- exactly
Network Issues: Try Google Gemini if OpenRouter is slow
Quality Issues: Switch to Gemini for more detailed results

Google Gemini Issues:

Quota Exceeded: Free trial limits – check usage in Google AI Studio
API Errors: Verify your key is active and has credits
Slow Responses: May be due to high server load
Complex Prompts: Break down very long prompts into simpler ones

“API Key Not Working”

Check Format: OpenRouter keys start with sk-or-v1-, Google keys start with AIza
Copy Again: Sometimes copying misses characters or adds spaces
Regenerate Key: Create a new key if the old one expired
Browser Cache: Clear browser cache and try again

“Image Won’t Generate”

Check Internet: Make sure you have a stable connection
Wait Longer: Generation can take 10-60 seconds depending on provider
Try Again: Click the retry button if it fails
Switch Provider: Different AI models work better for different prompts
Simplify Prompt: Very complex prompts might cause issues

“Extension Not Showing”

Refresh Page: Sometimes extensions need a page refresh
Check Toolbar: Look for the banana icon, it might be hidden
Restart Browser: Close and reopen Chrome completely
Reinstall: Remove and add the extension again
Check Permissions: Make sure extension has necessary permissions

“Images Too Slow/Low Quality”

Try Different Provider: Google Gemini is usually faster than OpenRouter
Shorter Prompts: Very long descriptions can slow things down
Check Quota: Free tiers have limits – upgrade if needed
Time of Day: Peak hours might be slower
Image Size: Larger images take longer to generate

“Can’t Upload Images”

File Size: Maximum 7MB per image (smaller is better)
Format: Use PNG, JPEG, or WebP only
Compress: Large files might need compression first
Corrupted Files: Try a different image file
Browser Issues: Try a different browser or incognito mode

Advanced Troubleshooting:

Clear Extension Data: Go to chrome://extensions/ → Nano Banana → Clear data
Check Console: Press F12 → Console tab for error messages
Network Tab: Check if API calls are failing
Browser Extensions: Disable other extensions that might interfere

💡 Best Practices & Advanced Tips

Get Better Results:

Start Simple: Begin with basic descriptions, then refine
Use Examples: “Like a professional photograph” or “in cartoon style”
Be Descriptive: “Bright blue sky, golden sunlight, detailed clouds”
Try Variations: Generate multiple versions of the same prompt

Provider-Specific Optimization:

For OpenRouter/Google Gemini:

Prompt Length: Keep prompts under 200 words for best results
Style References: Add “in the style of [artist]” or “photorealistic”
Technical Specs: Specify lighting, mood, and composition
Aspect Ratios: See the dedicated section below for format specifications
Iterative Refinement: Use chat mode to refine images step-by-step

Advanced Techniques (Official Strategies):

Photography Language: Use “wide shot”, “macro lens”, “studio lighting”, “golden hour”
Composition Terms: “rule of thirds”, “leading lines”, “symmetrical balance”
Lighting Descriptions: “dramatic shadows”, “soft diffused light”, “backlit”
Camera Settings: “shallow depth of field”, “wide aperture”, “long exposure”
Art Styles: “digital art”, “oil painting”, “watercolor”, “sketch”, “minimalist”
Quality Descriptors: “highly detailed”, “professional quality”, “award-winning”
Text Specifications: “bold sans-serif font”, “elegant serif typography”

Save Time & Resources:

Save API Keys: They’re stored securely in your browser
Reuse Prompts: Copy successful prompts for similar images
Batch Process: Upload multiple images at once for editing
Chat History: Your conversations are saved automatically

🎯 When to Use Each Provider

OpenRouter (Free)

Best for: Beginners, casual use, budget-conscious users
Speed: Medium (10-20 seconds)
Cost: Free tier available
Quality: Good for most purposes
Image Formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP
Max Resolution: Up to 1024×1024 (free), higher with paid
Best Practices:
Use clear, descriptive prompts
Add style references like “photorealistic” or “cartoon”
Try variations of successful prompts
Free tier has rate limits, so space out requests

Google Gemini (Official Specifications)

Best for: Professional work, conversational editing, high-fidelity text
Speed: Near real-time for Imagen, slower for native Gemini
Cost: Imagen models $0.02-0.12/image (₹1.7-₹10), Gemini $30/million tokens (₹2500)
Quality: Superior photorealism, accurate typography, SynthID watermarking
Image Formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP
Max Resolution: Up to 1024×1024
Language Support: Best in English, Hindi, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish
Input Limits: Up to 3 images for editing/composition
Best Practices:
Use detailed, descriptive prompts with photography/cinema terms
Specify text content and layout for accurate rendering
Iterate conversationally for step-by-step refinement
Use Imagen models for highest quality, Gemini for flexibility
Include SynthID watermarking information for authenticity

🌙 Features You Might Not Know

Dark Mode

Click the moon/sun icon to switch themes
Automatically matches your system preference
Easier on the eyes for nighttime use

Chat History

All your prompts and results are saved
Continue conversations with the AI
Perfect for iterative design work

Multiple Formats & Quality Options

PNG: Best for transparent backgrounds and graphics
JPEG: Smaller file size, good for photos
WebP: Modern format with best compression
High Resolution: Up to 2048×2048 pixels available

Image Editing Capabilities

Upload Multiple Images: Edit up to 3 images at once
Drag & Drop: Easy file uploading
Image Reordering: Change the order of uploaded images
Reference Images: Use existing photos as inspiration

Keyboard Shortcuts

Enter: Send your prompt
Escape: Close lightbox or cancel generation
F9: Manual refresh (for troubleshooting)
Ctrl+V: Paste images from clipboard

Advanced Features

Auto-Save: API keys are securely stored
Error Recovery: Automatic retry on failures
Progress Tracking: Real-time generation status
Batch Processing: Handle multiple requests efficiently

⚠️ Official Limitations (From Google AI Documentation)

Language Support:

Best Results: English, Hindi, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish
Other Languages: May work but with reduced quality

Input Restrictions:

Maximum Images: Up to 3 images for editing/composition
No Video/Audio: Only static images supported
Content Restrictions: No images of children in EEA, CH, UK regions
Output Consistency: May not always match requested image count

Technical Notes:

SynthID Watermarking: All generated images include authenticity watermarks
API Availability: Imagen models generally available, Gemini in preview
Rate Limits: Vary by provider and usage tier

🚦 Rate Limits & Usage Information

OpenRouter Rate Limits (Free Tier)

OpenRouter implements several rate limits to ensure fair usage of their free tier:

Request Rate Limits:

20 requests per minute for :free model variants (like google/gemini-2.5-flash-image-preview:free)
This applies to all free model requests regardless of your account status

Daily Usage Limits:

New users (< $1 spent): 50 free model requests per day
Premium users (≥ $1 spent): 1,000 free model requests per day
Daily limits reset at midnight UTC

Credit System:

OpenRouter uses a credit system where 1 credit = $0.01 USD
Free tier provides limited credits for testing
Credits are consumed based on model usage and response length
Your remaining credits are displayed in the extension

Rate Limit Behavior:

429 Error: When you exceed rate limits
Automatic Retry: Extension handles rate limit errors gracefully
Upgrade Path: Purchase credits to increase limits and remove restrictions

Pro Tips for Rate Limits:

Space out requests: Don’t send multiple requests simultaneously
Monitor usage: Check your remaining credits in the extension
Batch efficiently: Plan your image generation sessions
Upgrade when needed: Purchase credits for unlimited usage

Google Gemini Rate Limits

Free tier: Limited to 50-100 images per day (varies by region)
Paid tier: Higher limits based on your billing plan
Rate limits: Vary by usage tier and geographic region
Quota monitoring: Check usage in Google AI Studio dashboard

Best Practices to Avoid Rate Limits

Monitor your usage in the extension’s credit display
Space out requests – don’t send multiple images at once
Use during off-peak hours for potentially faster responses
Save successful prompts to avoid regeneration
Plan your workflow to work within daily limits
Consider upgrading if you need higher limits

Troubleshooting Rate Limit Issues

“Rate limit exceeded” errors:

Wait a few minutes and try again
Check your current usage in the extension
Consider upgrading to paid tier for higher limits

Slow responses during peak hours:

Try different times of day
Switch between OpenRouter and Google Gemini
Use shorter, simpler prompts

Want higher limits?

OpenRouter: Purchase credits at openrouter.ai
Google Gemini: Upgrade your Google Cloud billing plan

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this really free?
A: Yes! You can use OpenRouter for free, or Google Gemini has a generous free trial.

Q: Do you store my images?
A: No! All processing happens in your browser. Your images never leave your computer.

Q: Can I use this commercially?
A: Check each AI provider’s terms, but generally yes for generated images.

Q: Why is it called “Nano Banana”?
A: Because it’s small, powerful, and we love bananas! 🍌

Q: What if I need help?
A: Check this guide first, then visit our YouTube channel or website for more tutorials.

Q: Where can I learn more about Gemini?
A: Visit the official Gemini API documentation and explore the Gemini Cookbook for code samples and advanced techniques.

📞 Need More Help?

📺 YouTube: @softreviewed – Video tutorials
🌐 Website: softreviewed.com – More guides
☕ Support: Buy Me a Coffee – Help keep it free!
⭐ Rate Us: Chrome Web Store – Leave a review

Ready to create amazing AI art? Install Nano Banana AI Free Editor today! 🚀

Made with ❤️ for creators who want powerful AI tools without the complexity.