Forget about stickers, GIFs, and emoji reactions. At Pixi, we believe the next evolution in messaging is interactive augmented reality (AR).
The company launched its native messaging app on the App Store on Wednesday, allowing users to send AI-powered AR characters through iMessage. Rather than being displayed as static media, the characters are brought to life through the recipient’s iPhone camera, allowing them to react to their surroundings, interact with people, and respond in real time.
While AR is no longer new or shiny, and companies like Snap have been developing AR filters and lenses for years, Pixi believes its approach is different. The combination of AR and on-device AI allows characters to understand what is happening around them and act accordingly. For example, a virtual cat will react when a real dog passes by. (The company says all visual and audio processing is done on-device to protect user privacy.)
Pixi founder Mark Drummond (ex-DreamWorks Animation, ex-Apple) says the app is designed to bring greater immersion and spontaneity to digital conversations. Rather than sending a text to wish someone a happy birthday, users can send letters that create a shared experience, turning a simple message into something closer to a digital gift or playful interaction.
“The consumer problem we’re trying to solve is thinking about your friends when you’re not there,” he told TechCrunch. “Psychology is sometimes called a pebble or a creative gift. It’s basically sharing a token of affection, whether it’s a card, an e-card, a gift. It’s your dad’s, or sometimes your grandfather’s, medium. We can do better. We’re digital natives, and we can do something that takes advantage of everything we’ve learned about AR on the iPhone.”
Earlier this week, Drummond demonstrated the app for us, selecting a cat character and performing a series of stand-up jokes at his desk. Remarkably, the cat seemed to respond to Drummond’s facial expressions. For example, the experience ended when he laughed, demonstrating the character’s ability to perceive emotional cues.
At launch, users will have access to animated characters such as a robot, a cat, and an envelope that can respond to their voices and “attack” their friends in a playful way. As they move, the envelope follows them. There are also games like tic-tac-toe and whack-a-mole.
Pixi plans to expand beyond just a few characters. The goal is to create a marketplace for studios, brands, and independent creators to share their unique characters and for users to choose from. The company envisions using it for events such as movie premieres and product launches, where the characters create excitement, such as when M&Ms launches a new flavor.
Drummond also mentioned introducing “Alice in Wonderland” as a character option, as “Alice in Wonderland” is public intellectual property. He pointed out that to show partners how their work interacts with technology, “the Alice character needs to react in an ‘Alice-consistent’ way to objects that appear on the desktop.”
In the future, Pixi wants to allow users to create their own characters and personalities.
“Part of our plan is to expose these generative AI capabilities to us (our users), so we can prompt them to say something, like, ‘I want a blue blob that threatens my friends and keeps growling and chasing me on the phone,'” Drummond explained.
To send a character to a friend, download the app on iOS and use iMessage by tapping the plus sign button in the bottom left corner. No installation is required to receive Pixi messages.
Initially, the app will only be available for iPhone models 11 and above, but in the future it will expand to Android devices and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram.
And while the app is free for users, brands will also have the option to charge for characters if they wish.
“We’re going to encourage people to do it for free, because then they become your own brand ambassadors. You’re giving them the responsibility of using your character to tell their own story,” Drummond said.
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