Technology & Gadgets | August 2026 | 3 min read
⚡ Quick Takeaways
⚡ Meta has launched Pocket in the US — an AI app that creates interactive games and experiences from text prompts.
⚡ Creations are called “gizmos” — they respond to touch and phone tilt, play sounds, and can use your camera.
⚡ Built on technology from Gizmo, a startup Meta acqui-hired earlier this year — Gizmo app is now shutting down.
⚡ Published gizmos can be saved, reposted or remixed by other users in a scrollable feed.
⚡ US only for now — no international rollout announced. Pakistan availability unconfirmed.
Meta has brought its Pocket app out of limited testing and into a full US rollout — giving users a way to create small interactive games and experiences using AI prompts, without any coding. The app, which first launched quietly in Brazil, is based on technology from Gizmo — a startup Meta acqui-hired this year. Pocket’s creations, called gizmos, respond to touch and phone movement, can access the camera, and are shareable in a social scrollable feed.
| US Only
Available In Started in Brazil — now US-wide |
Gizmos
Output Touch + tilt + camera interactive |
Gizmo (Atma)
Based On Acqui-hired — original app closing |
What Pocket Can Create
| Feature | Details |
| Creation method | AI prompt — describe what you want in text |
| Output type | Interactive “gizmos” — games, puzzles, experiences |
| Touch and tilt | Gizmos respond to phone movement and screen touch |
| Sound | Sound effects and clips from the user’s favourite songs |
| Camera and photos | Gizmos can use camera roll photos or live camera access |
| Publishing | Publish to profile — public, link-only, or private |
| Social features | Other users can save, repost or remix published gizmos |
| Availability | US rollout — international timing not announced |
| ℹ️ Not a Post or Video — Gizmos Are Interactive Experiences The combination of touch, tilt, sound and camera access in a single prompt-created experience is what differentiates Pocket from static AI content generators. A gizmo is not a static image or a video — it is an interactive object that responds to how the user holds and moves their phone. This is closer to a mini-game or an interactive greeting card than a post or a story, which gives Pocket a format niche that Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp do not currently occupy. |
Meta’s Growing AI App Portfolio
| App | What It Does |
| Meta AI | Main AI assistant — chat, image generation, voice |
| Vibes | AI-generated video — experimental standalone app |
| Pocket (new) | AI game and interactive experience creation |
| Instagram Instants | Instant story-style content sharing |
| Forum | Community discussion standalone app |
| Seller | AI-assisted marketplace selling tools |
| Meta AI for Mac | Mac desktop AI assistant app |
| ℹ️ Meta’s App Strategy — Many Small Tests, AI-Assisted Development Mark Zuckerberg has stated that AI-assisted development makes it significantly easier for Meta to build and ship new apps. Pocket’s launch alongside Forum, Seller, Instagram Instants and Vibes reflects a strategy of testing many small app ideas quickly and using Meta’s recommendation algorithms to identify which gain traction. The Gizmo acqui-hire accelerated the Pocket timeline — Meta got a working product and a team rather than building from scratch. |
Disclaimer: Pocket is currently available in the US. International availability has not been announced. Features may vary as the app continues development. Original Gizmo by Atma Sciences is being shut down following Meta’s acqui-hire.
