Gemini has reached the top of the App Store after the release of its new Nano Banana image editor model, which debuted in August and has quickly boosted the app’s popularity worldwide. The AI-powered tool has been praised for making complex edits simpler and producing highly realistic images, spurring a surge in downloads and user engagement.
According to app intelligence firm Appfigures, Gemini recorded 12.6 million downloads in September so far, compared with 8.7 million in August. This marks a 45% month-over-month increase, even with the month only halfway complete. The growth pushed Gemini to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store on September 12, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which now sits at No. 2. Previously, Gemini had peaked at No. 3 back in January 2025.
The momentum is not limited to Apple’s platform. On Google Play, Gemini jumped from No. 26 in the U.S. on September 8 to No. 2 as of this week, though ChatGPT still holds the top spot on Android. Globally, Gemini has secured a place among the top five iPhone apps in 108 countries.
Google executives have highlighted the model’s rapid adoption. On September 8, Gemini and Google Labs VP Josh Woodward shared that 23 million new users had joined since Nano Banana’s launch, collectively generating more than 500 million shared images.
This surge in user activity has also fueled consumer spending within the app. Of the $6.3 million Gemini earned on iOS so far in 2025, $1.6 million came from August alone, much of it after Nano Banana’s release. That figure represented a 1,291% increase from January’s $115,000. Gemini has already collected $792,000 this September, putting it on track to equal or exceed last month’s record.
Since its initial launch on Android in February 2024 and later expansion to iOS, Gemini has been downloaded 185.4 million times, with 103.7 million of those downloads occurring in 2025. The Nano Banana model has not only propelled the app to record-breaking growth but also solidified its position as a leader in the competitive AI app landscape.
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