Pixi has launched a new iOS app that reimagines messaging through interactive augmented reality. Instead of sending static stickers or GIFs, users can now share AI-powered characters that appear inside the recipient's iPhone camera view and respond in real time.
The app works through iMessage and uses on-device AI to interpret surroundings while keeping processing local to the phone. That means a virtual cat, robot, or animated envelope can react to movement, voice, and nearby objects in a way that feels more like a live digital encounter than a simple message.
Founded by Mark Drummond, who previously worked at DreamWorks Animation and Apple, Pixi is designed to make digital conversations feel more personal and spontaneous. The company sees the format as a new kind of expressive communication, where a birthday greeting or playful note becomes a shared experience.
At launch, the app includes a robot, a cat, and an envelope character, along with simple games such as tic-tac-toe and whack-a-mole. Pixi also plans to build a marketplace where studios, brands, and independent creators can offer their own characters for special moments, campaigns, and launches.
Future updates may open the platform to user-created characters and expand support beyond iPhone to Android, WhatsApp, and Instagram. If that vision takes shape, Pixi could help define a more immersive future for everyday messaging.