Google just consolidated its scattered AI creative tools into one place. Whisk, ImageFX, and the Veo video generator now live inside Flow, Google’s unified creative studio. The update went live February 25.
The pitch: generate images for free, refine them with natural language commands, then animate them into videos - all without leaving the browser.
What’s Actually in Flow Now
Flow combines three previously separate tools:
Nano Banana is Google’s latest image generation model. It creates what Google calls “ingredients” - high-fidelity images designed to feed into video workflows. Image generation is free.
Veo 3.1 handles video. It generates clips with synchronized audio and supports multiple input modes: text prompts, existing images, or a sequence of frames. Video generation costs credits.
The editing interface is where this gets interesting. A lasso tool lets you draw around any part of an image and type what you want changed: “remove the man,” “add koi fish,” or “make it sunset.” Flow interprets plain English and modifies just that region.
For video, you can extend clips, adjust camera motion, and swap objects mid-scene.
The Pricing
Flow operates on a credit system:
- Free tier: 100 credits at signup, then 50 daily credits
- Google AI Pro ($19.99/month): 1,000 monthly credits, 1080p upscaling
- Google AI Ultra ($124.99/month): 25,000 monthly credits, 4K upscaling
Image generation doesn’t consume credits. Video generation does - though Google hasn’t published exact credit costs per second of video.
The service is available in 149 countries.
For Existing Users
If you’ve been using Whisk or ImageFX separately, your projects aren’t lost. Google plans to migrate assets automatically starting in early March. You’ll be able to pull your existing Whisk experiments and ImageFX generations directly into Flow’s asset grid.
How to Use It
- Go to labs.google/fx/tools/flow
- Sign in with a Google account
- Start with image generation (free) or jump directly to video
The workflow Google suggests: generate images as “ingredients,” refine them with the lasso tool, then animate into video using one of the Veo modes.
You can also organize assets into collections, tag them for search, and reference them with @ symbols when building new compositions.
What This Competes With
Flow sits somewhere between Runway and Canva’s AI tools. It’s more production-focused than simple image generators like Midjourney or DALL-E, but less specialized than Runway’s professional video suite.
The free image generation is the hook. Google is betting that once users build up a library of AI-generated “ingredients,” they’ll pay for video credits to animate them.
For professional video work - commercials, short films, branded content - Runway Gen-4.5 and Kling 2.6 still offer more control. But for social content, quick prototypes, or just experimenting? Flow’s unified workspace removes a lot of friction.
What’s Missing
No API access yet. Flow is browser-only, which limits integration into automated workflows.
Video length appears capped, though Google hasn’t specified limits. Early users report clips up to about 10 seconds per generation.
The lasso editing tool works on images but not directly on video frames - you’d need to regenerate the video after editing the source image.
The Bottom Line
Google consolidated its AI creative experiments into a single, coherent product. Free image generation and a natural language editing interface lower the barrier; video credits are where they expect to make money. If you’ve been juggling multiple AI tools to get from concept to video, Flow might simplify your workflow.