The story behind this app is more interesting than what it actually produces. Meta assembled an entire team to build an app that lets people generate mini-games from text prompts, calling it Pocket and naming the outputs "gizmos." The catch is that this is essentially a copy of an app literally called Gizmo — because Meta reportedly poached nearly the entire Gizmo team, taking the "gizmos" naming convention right along with them. According to Engadget, this hiring spree led directly to the original Gizmo app shutting down.
Pocket previously ran a small-scale test in Brazil and has now officially launched in the US as a free download. Users type in a prompt and the app generates a "gizmo" — it sounds like a game, but official marketing describes it more broadly, more like a simple interactive canvas you can doodle on than strictly a game. These creations can tap into a phone's built-in sensors to support touch and tilt controls, and can also incorporate photos and songs.
Everything created gets saved to a scrollable feed, which serves as Pocket's social layer — users can favorite gizmos they like, share them to their own feed, or grab something saved to someone else's profile and remix it into a new version. The whole flow feels more like a content platform than a standalone creative tool.
Pocket is the latest addition to Meta's recent string of AI-driven products. Last year's Vibes feature on the Meta AI app was essentially a feed of AI-generated content, and Facebook recently rolled out a feature that uses AI to animate profile pictures. Taken together, it's clear Meta is testing whether the combo of generative AI and social feeds can actually keep users engaged.
For now, Pocket is only available for download in the US, with no timeline announced for launches in other markets.
