Pixi launches iOS app for AR characters in iMessage: iPhone 11+

Pixi launched its messaging-native app on the App Store on June 18, allowing users to send AI-powered augmented reality characters through iMessage. The characters animate inside the recipient’s iPhone camera, react to the surroundings and respond in real time without requiring the receiver to install the app.

What’s in the app at launch?

At launch Pixi offers three characters and a few simple games: a robot, a cat, and an animated envelope, plus games such as tic-tac-toe and whack-a-mole. The company demonstrated the cat performing stand-up jokes and responding to Mark Drummond’s facial expressions, finishing the bit when he smiled. The app initially supports iPhone models 11 and newer and requires no installation to receive a Pixi message.

How does Pixi’s AR work and where does the AI run?

Pixi combines AR with on-device AI so characters can perceive and react to real-world scenes and sounds, for example a virtual cat reacting when a real dog walks past. According to the company, all visual and audio processing remains on the device to preserve user privacy. The app also recognizes emotional cues in demonstrations, with characters reacting to facial expressions and voice input.

Who built Pixi and what are the product plans?

Pixi was founded by Mark Drummond, previously at DreamWorks Animation and Apple. The company plans to expand beyond the initial characters into a marketplace where studios, brands, and independent creators can publish characters that users choose. Pixi envisions branded tie-ins for events such as movie premieres or product launches and cited the example of a promotion when M&Ms release a new flavor. Drummond said the company will open generative AI capabilities so users can prompt custom personalities, and pointed to using open intellectual property such as Alice in Wonderland to demonstrate character consistency with on-screen objects.

Pricing, platform roadmap and distribution

The app is free for users at launch, while brands will have the option to charge for their characters if they choose. Pixi intends to expand to Android devices and additional messaging platforms including WhatsApp and Instagram in the future.

Why it matters

Pixi moves AR from single-user filters to conversational, camera-based experiences sent through messaging. By running visual and audio inference on-device and removing a receiver installation requirement, the company lowers friction for shared AR interactions while keeping the data local. If creators and brands adopt a marketplace model, these interactive characters could become a new form of digital gifting and event promotion within existing messaging flows.

What to watch

Track Pixi’s rollout to Android and integrations with WhatsApp and Instagram, plus whether the planned marketplace attracts studios and independent creators. Another clear signal will be when Pixi opens the generative AI tools described by Drummond and how users use those tools to create and share new characters.

Source-attributed facts in this story include the App Store launch date (June 18), founder Mark Drummond’s background at DreamWorks Animation and Apple, the initial characters (robot, cat, animated envelope), support for iPhone models 11 and newer, and the company’s claim that visual and audio processing remains on-device.