Pixi’s new iOS app turns text messages into interactive AR experiences

Forget stickers, GIFs, and emoji reactions. Pixi is betting that the next evolution of messaging is augmented reality (AR).

The startup launched its messaging app in the App Store on Wednesday, allowing users to send AI-powered AR characters via iMessage. Instead of appearing as static media, the characters come to life through the recipient’s iPhone camera, where they can react to their surroundings, interact with people, and respond in real time.

While AR may be new and shiny—companies like Snap have been creating AR filters and lenses for years—Pixi believes its approach is different. By combining AR and AI on the device, its characters can understand what is happening around them and behave accordingly. A virtual cat, for example, reacts when a real dog walks by. (According to the company, all visual and audio processing resides on the device to preserve user privacy.)

Pixi founder Mark Drummond (formerly of DreamWorks Animation and formerly of Apple) says the app is designed to bring a greater sense of presence 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 happy engagement.

“The consumer problem we’re solving is thinking about a friend when they’re not there,” he told TechCrunch. “Sometimes the science is called pebbling or creative gifting. You share tokens of love, basically cards, e-cards, and gifts. That’s your father, or, in some cases, your grandfather’s media. We can do better. We can do something natural, and it uses everything we’ve learned about AR on the iPhone.”

Earlier this week, Drummond showed us the app, choosing a cat character, who does a series of stand-up comedy on his desk. Remarkably, the cat appeared to respond to Drummond’s face. For example, the experience ended with her smiling, demonstrating the character’s ability to recognize emotional cues.

At launch, users will have access to a robot, a cat, and an animated envelope character that can respond to their voice and playfully “attack” their friends. If they move, the envelope will chase them. There are also games like tic-tac-toe and whack-a-mole.

Pixi plans to expand beyond a few characters. The goal is to create a marketplace where studios, brands, and independent creators can share their unique characters for users to choose from. The company envisions this being used for events like movie premieres or product launches, allowing actors to generate excitement, like when M&Ms releases a new flavor.

Drummond also mentioned introducing Alice in Wonderland as a character choice, as she is an open source of creativity. He explained that “our Alice character needs to react to the things she sees on your desktop in a ‘consistent Alice’ way,” to show our partners how the creations will interact with the technology.

In the future, Pixi hopes to allow users to create their own characters and personalities.

“Part of our plan is to unlock those AI capabilities that are productive for us [users]so they can say something, like, ‘I want a green blob that threatens my friend and yells at him and keeps chasing them on the phone,’” Drummond explained.

To send a letter to your friend, download the app on iOS and use iMessage by tapping the merge button in the lower left corner. No installation is required to receive Pixi Message.

Initially, the app will only be available for iPhone 11 and later models, but there are plans to expand to Android devices and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram in the future.

Also, while the app is free for users, brands will have the option to charge for their characters if they choose.

“We will encourage people to do it for free, because people are becoming your ambassadors. You are putting yourself in charge of using your actors to tell their stories,” said Drummond.