Google Gemini’s Retro AI Portraits Are Going Viral: How To Try The Trend Yourself Using Nano Banana

After the buzz around Ghibli-inspired selfies, Google Gemini has sparked another viral wave with its “4K HD realistic retro AI portraits” - also dubbed the Nano Banana saree trend.

Published By: Shubham Arora | Published: Sep 15, 2025, 09:04 PM (IST)

The internet has a new obsession, and it's all about bringing the past back in high definition. After the buzz around Ghibli-inspired selfies, Google Gemini has sparked another viral wave with its "4K HD realistic retro AI portraits." Also dubbed the Nano Banana saree trend, this latest craze is flooding timelines with vintage-style pictures that look straight out of old romance films. Also Read: Facebook to WhatsApp: Social media scams cost users $2.1 billion in 2025

A Nostalgic Twist

From couples recreating dreamy black-and-white romance shots to fans generating portraits of their favourite idols, users are embracing the retro theme with enthusiasm. Unlike many recent viral trends dominated by ChatGPT, this one firmly belongs to Gemini. The app has quickly become the centerpiece of a digital nostalgia trip, giving people a way to transform their ordinary selfies into timeless art. Also Read: I’m skipping the ChatGPT palm reading viral trend, and you might want to too

How to Try It Yourself

Joining the retro wave is surprisingly simple. Anyone with the Google Gemini app can create these portraits in just a few steps: Also Read: 7 Instagram features you’re probably ignoring

  • Download Gemini from the Play Store or App Store.
  • Sign in with your Google account.
  • Upload a photo for couples, add one picture of yourself and one of your partner; for solo portraits, use a clear, well-lit selfie.
  • Enter a prompt you can choose a preset or write your own for a custom effect.
  • Generate let Gemini process, and within seconds, a 4K retro-style image is ready.

    • A sample prompt currently making rounds online involves asking Gemini to retain the user's original face while draping them in an elegant saree against a warm-toned wall, complete with cinematic lighting. The result? Portraits that carry the mood of classic 90s romance films but with a hyper-realistic, Instagram-worthy polish.

    Why It's Going Viral

    The trend has become viral not only because of the aesthetic appeal it brings to your pictures, but also due to Gemini's growing popularity. Just recently, the app surpassed OpenAI's ChatGPT to become the most downloaded free app on the iOS App Store. According to recent figures, Gemini attracted over 23 million new users between August 26 and September 9. Over 500 million images have been generated using the app's "Nano Banana" feature.

    With the "Retro" portraits trend building on this momentum, it's clear users are not done experimenting with nostalgic creativity.

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