Meta has released a new AI-powered mobile app called Waddle World, a Tamagotchi-style virtual pet that doubles as a daily journal, currently available only in the Philippines on iOS and Android.
The app launched in late September, according to its Apple App Store and Google Play listings spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra. Meta describes it as a "cozy 16-bit world where your pixel pet lives" and explicitly calls it "a daily journal disguised as a pet" rather than a game, chatbot, or productivity tool.
Users hatch a virtual pet, then feed it, play with it, and communicate through voice or text. The pet responds in its own voice and creates doodles to illustrate each journal entry. Mini-games include stacking groceries on the pet's head, catching falling stars while dodging bombs, and spelling words from jumbled letters. Points earned unlock food and toys.
The listings mark the app as free and rated for users 18 and older. "No pressure, no streaks to protect, no scores to chase, just a warm little escape in the cracks of your day," the store description reads.
TechCrunch reported that Meta may be avoiding the companion-app label after companies like Character.AI and OpenAI faced lawsuits alleging harm to teenagers. The Verge said Meta also introduced an AI fashion app named Style Sketch in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Engadget connected Waddle World to Meta's Muse AI agent and the upcoming Muse Charm hardware device, an egg-shaped keychain companion slated for a December holiday release.
Meta has not announced plans for a wider release beyond the Philippines. The company did not respond to requests for comment from the three outlets.