New research from app intelligence provider Appfigures reveals that the release of image-based AI models is now a primary driver for mobile app growth, significantly outpacing the impact of traditional chatbot upgrades.
According to the report, launches involving visual AI models generate 6.5 times more downloads than updates focused solely on conversational or text-based capabilities.
This trend marks a notable shift from previous cycles. Earlier demand was largely driven by the release of new large language models (LLMs) and features like voice chat interfaces.
Visual models outperform text updates
Google’s Gemini experienced a massive surge following the introduction of its Nano Banana image model. The app saw more than 22 million additional downloads in the 28 days following the rollout of the Gemini 2.5 Flash image model last August, Appfigures reported.
This launch increased the app's download volume by more than fourfold during that period.
OpenAI saw similar results with ChatGPT. The platform added over 12 million incremental installs in the 28 days following the March introduction of its GPT-4o image model.
TechCrunch reported that these downloads represent roughly 4.5 times the volume seen during the releases of ChatGPT's GPT-4, GPT-4.5, and GPT-5 text models.
Other companies are seeing similar, though smaller-scale, impacts. Meta AI’s introduction of its 'Vibes' AI video feed added an estimated 2.6 million incremental downloads in the 28 days following its September 2025 release.
While the Vibes feature is technically a video model, Appfigures noted that its impact stems from its focus on visual content rather than text-only interaction.
