The news: Google’s Gemini surpassed longtime leaders like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Threads to become the No. 1 free iPhone app in the US App Store. Downloads surged due to the viral success of its Nano Banana AI image-editing feature, which sparked intense social media engagement, per ZDNet.

Gemini is the No. 3 app in Google’s Play Store, behind ChatGPT and TikTok. It isn’t built into all Android phones but replaces Google Assistant on the latest Samsung devices and Google Pixels.

Key stats: Since its August 26 launch, Nano Banana has added 23 million new Gemini users who have edited more than 500 million images, per 9to5Google.

Viral appeal: Aside from demonstrating that consumers are willing to use AI on devices like smartphones and tablets, Gemini’s dramatic rise on iOS’ top charts reveals how a viral AI feature can drive adoption.

Nano Banana uses prompts to create hyper-detailed 3D figurine-style images from user photos, which became a viral trend across platforms like X and Instagram. The feature appealed to a wide audience, including celebrities and politicians, driving organic word-of-mouth and viral sharing, per Tom’s Guide. 

Aside from its viral appeal, Nano Banana offers generous usage caps (up to 100 image generations per day for free users), which drives steady engagement.

FOMO-driven AI adoption: This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a single feature from an AI tool accelerating user adoption. OpenAI had a similar moment thanks to its 4o model being used to generate Studio Ghibli-like images in April.

However, history suggests that viral AI features often burn brightly but fade quickly. Sustained adoption depends less on a single viral feature and more on whether the app can offer consistent value beyond entertainment.

Our take: Gemini’s top-chart breakthrough demonstrates the power of social media to amplify AI tools overnight, yet its long-term position will hinge on whether it can evolve from a trend into a staple. For now, Nano Banana’s popularity is a huge win for Google, but the next test is whether Gemini can convert that buzz into habit.

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