Image model releases are driving growth for AI mobile apps, generating 6.5x more downloads than traditional model updates, according to a new report from app intelligence provider Appfigures.<\/p>\n
This marks a shift from earlier days, when the release of new models powering the conversational experiences drove more demand, alongside the new features like a voice chat interface.<\/p>\n
For instance, ChatGPT and Gemini each added tens of millions of new downloads after releasing their respective image models, Appfigures found.<\/p>\n
For Google\u2019s Gemini, the release of its image model Nano Banana drove an additional 22+ million downloads in the 28 days following the introduction of the Gemini 2.5 Flash image model last August. This launch lifted the app\u2019s downloads by more than 4x over that period, the data showed.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, ChatGPT added more than 12 million incremental installs in the 28 days after the introduction of its GPT-4o image model in March of last year. That\u2019s roughly 4.5x more downloads than it saw for its GPT-4o, GPT-4.5, and GPT-5 model releases, Appfigures pointed out.<\/p>\n Other model releases followed similar trends, though on a smaller scale. Meta AI\u2019s introduction of its AI video feed Vibes added an estimated 2.6 million incremental downloads in the 28 days after its September 2025 release. (Yes, technically, this is a video model, but it\u2019s ultimately about visual content, not just text.)<\/p>\n Still, the report cautioned, additional downloads don\u2019t always translate into increased mobile revenue.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span> Instead, new image model releases give people a reason to install the app and try out its improved image-generation capabilities. That doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019ll necessarily convert to paying subscribers. For example, Appfigures noted that Nano Banana drove only $181,000 in estimated gross consumer spending during the 28-day window following its release, even though it produced a larger spike in downloads than ChatGPT\u2019s 4o image model release.<\/p>\n Meta AI\u2019s launch of Vibes also led to additional downloads, but no meaningful revenue.<\/p>\n Among the three, only ChatGPT turned the increased attention into actual dollars. <\/p>\n OpenAI\u2019s 4o image-generation model led to an estimated $70 million in gross consumer spending over the 28 days after its launch, compared with its prior baseline, Appfigures said.<\/p>\n The company also looked at DeepSeek in its analysis, but it didn\u2019t fit the pattern. <\/p>\n While DeepSeek R1 drove 28 million downloads after its January 2025 release, it wasn\u2019t a typical model comparison event. This was DeepSeek\u2019s breakout moment, when it went from being relatively unknown to an overnight sensation as the tech industry learned about the techniques it used to train its AI models at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. This case highlights how curiosity can drive downloads \u2014 though in this instance, the interest wasn\u2019t tied to an image model.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ai-visual-launch-downloads-index.jpeg?w=680\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ai-launch-incremental-gross-revenue.jpeg?w=680\")