The key facts

  • Waddle World is available on iOS and Android only in the Philippines; Meta has not yet announced a global launch
  • The app is positioned as «not a chatbot and not an assistant», and works as a journal with voice or text input
  • The launch may be a precursor to a Tamagotchi-style gadget based on the Muse model, which TechCrunch wrote about earlier

What is known about the launch

Meta has launched a new app called Waddle World — essentially an AI-powered Tamagotchi: the user picks a virtual pet, raises it, feeds it and plays with it. The app is available on iOS and Android, but so far only in the Philippines. The launch was first reported by social media consultant Matt Navarra in a post on October 27, 2026, in which he called the project «yet another interesting Meta experiment in the field of AI companions». TechCrunch notes that this may be a test, as well as a possible precursor to a Tamagotchi-style gadget based on the Muse model, which the outlet wrote about in September. Meta has not announced plans for a wider rollout; TechCrunch has requested a comment from the company.

How the app works

According to the store listing, Waddle World is a «cozy 16-bit world» where a pixel pet lives. Meta explicitly stresses that it does not want the app to become a «habit builder»: «No pressure, no streaks to defend, no points to chase». The company also states that it is «not a chatbot, not an assistant and not a productivity tool», and the app is marked as suitable only for users aged 18 and over. In addition to caring for the pet, the app works as a journal: the user describes their day by voice or text, and the pet «listens» and writes down a note on its own behalf, adding a drawing to it. There are mini-games that take a few minutes, as well as a weekly letter based on what the app has learned about the user.

Context: Meta's caution and other experiments

TechCrunch suggests that Meta may be deliberately distancing itself from the «companion» format: Character.AI and OpenAI have faced lawsuits, claiming that their products harmed teenagers — which is exactly why Waddle World has no conversational chatbot and carries an 18+ restriction. Meta has previously released experimental AI apps: Pocket for «vibe-coding» games and Vibes for quick video generation. Besides virtual pets, companies have also tried releasing hardware AI pets — for example, the $430 Casio Moflin.