How to make AI polaroids with Google Gemini Nano Banana

There’s something timeless about the soft blur of a Polaroid. The uneven lighting, the flash glow, the way it feels less like a photo and more like a memory. That’s exactly what Google’s new Nano Banana model inside Gemini has learned to replicate.

The “Gemini Polaroid Prompt” trend is taking over feeds everywhere, and for good reason. It lets you turn any crisp digital photo into a warm, film-like snapshot that looks pulled straight from a shoebox of the past. With just a single prompt, Gemini reimagines your moment through a nostalgic lens, grainy, glowy, and perfectly imperfect. Here’s how you can do it.

How to create AI polaroids using Gemini

Follow this step-by-step guide to create dreamy polaroids from basic photos in your gallery:

Step 1: Go to Google Gemini or AI Studio on your phone or computer. If you’re in AI Studio, make sure to select the Nano Banana model. This is the one that generates those cinematic, flash-heavy Polaroid effects.

Step 2: Switch to image generation / Nano Banana mode. You’ll see a text box waiting for your prompt.

Step 3: Paste or write your Polaroid prompt. You can simply copy one of these ready-to-go prompts, or tweak them to your liking:

– Transform this image into a Polaroid taken near a window at night, condensation and fairy lights glowing softly outside. The couple wears knit scarves and coats, illuminated by a warm flash.

– Transform this image into a Polaroid shot inside a softly lit room, a faint golden glow on a white curtain in the background. The couple hugs naturally, wearing matching sweaters.

ALSO READ: How to use Google’s new Nano Banana AI tool for photo editing

Step 4: Upload any photo you want to give the retro treatment. You can keep the faces the same, change the clothes, or adjust the background; it’s your digital playground.

Step 5: Tap “Generate” and wait for the magic. Gemini will do the rest. In seconds, you’ll get a photo that feels straight out of a Polaroid camera.

Tips to perfect the look

Firstly, keep it candid. Polaroids work best when they feel unposed. Add words like “natural”, “in motion”, or “caught mid-laugh” to your prompt. Remember to play with lighting. Mention “flash”, “evening glow”, or “candlelight” for that nostalgic warmth.

And lastly, edit lightly. Each tweak, whether you change the background, the mood, or the colour tone, shifts the story the image tells. Use editing as a strength.

ALSO READ: 4 unique ways to create with Gemini Nano Banana

The real charm of the Gemini Polaroid trend is that it’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about emotion. In a world of ultra-sharp cameras and flawless filters, a little blur feels beautifully human.