Google has shut down Pixel Studio and sent users straight to Gemini

Google has formally discontinued Pixel Studio, its dedicated AI image generation application for Pixel devices. A new update has rendered the tool entirely non-functional, steering users towards Gemini instead and bringing the product's brief and turbulent existence to a close.

What the latest update does

The update strips away Pixel Studio's core image generation interface, replacing it with a single prominent "Open Gemini" button that directs users to the Play Store. A message displayed above the button reads: "To create images and animations, try Nano Banana in the Gemini app."

Saved creations within the app remain accessible for the time being, in line with the information Google provided when it first announced the shutdown back in February.

The update is currently being rolled out gradually; however, as Android Authority has reported, an APK file of the updated version has already been obtained, along with screenshots confirming the app's disabled state.

A short and troubled product history

Pixel Studio was launched in mid-2024 alongside the Pixel 9 series, positioned as a platform built specifically for AI image generation. The application faced a rocky start, encountering a range of issues shortly after its release, which Google worked to resolve through a series of successive updates.

The product later received several additional features, amongst them Gboard support, the ability to generate images of people, and generative AI photo editing tools — suggesting that Google continued to treat Pixel Studio as a priority at least until mid-2025.

Part of a broader consolidation strategy

The closure of Pixel Studio reflects a wider pattern emerging within Google, whereby standalone AI applications are being absorbed into the Gemini ecosystem. Nano Banana within Gemini has been positioned as a direct successor to Pixel Studio's functionality, meaning existing users are not left without an alternative.

The move also forms part of Google's ongoing effort to rationalise its product portfolio at a time when the company faces mounting pressure to present a coherent, unified strategy for its AI offerings, rather than maintaining a fragmented collection of individual tools.