Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is changing how you share images.
- It replaces the older option for downloading images before sharing with the option to share pictures with public links.
- Whether that improves sharing or causes more friction is a matter of debate.
Ever since its launch, Google’s Nano Banana has stirred up numerous viral trends for AI-generated images. And unless you’re at odds with AI and uphold that it cannot replace true art, you’re likely to have participated in some of these trends yourself. To make things easier for people who create a large number of images, Google has recently introduced a “My Stuff” section in the Gemini on Android. It stores all your generated images in one place. And now, Google appears to be adding another option that changes how you share them.
Google is changing how you share images generated with Gemini or Nano Banana. It differs from the current method, where you must either download the image first, which clutters your phone’s storage, or share it as a file by long-pressing and then tapping the Share button. While the latter allows you to share an image without first downloading it, you may encounter some compression issues when sharing it through apps such as WhatsApp.
Gemini image sharing Older methodNew methodImage preview with Gemini’s link
To potentially address these issues, Google appears to be introducing an alternative method. In the Google app on Android (version 16.44.62), we’ve identified a new media sharing option in Gemini, which eliminates the need to download the image first. Instead, it lets you share the image with a public link.
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The new public link sharing feature is available when you long-press the generated image and tap Share, replacing the previous sharing method. When they click the link, they will be able to view the media, along with the options to Share, Copy, or Save the image.
Previously, if you wanted to share the media using a link, you had no other option but to share the link to the entire Gemini chat used to generate the image. However, with the new method, your chat will not be visible, and the receiver will only be able to view the image.
Besides ensuring you share images compression-free, the public link also makes sharing your Gemini creations to social media much easier. But at the same time, sharing links may increase the number of steps for some users and may not be desirable for all. So its true benefits are contentious.
This appears to be a server-side roll-out. While I have it on multiple devices running the latest stable version of the Google app (of which Gemini is a part), some of my colleagues still don’t see the option. So, don’t worry if you can’t access the functionality immediately.
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