Apple has quietly agreed to hire employees and license intellectual property of Animato, a small California-based company that has developed software for creating virtual avatars used in video chats and tutoring, according to a European Commission filing spotted by MacRumors.


The acquisition was filed under the EU's Digital Markets Act in January 2026, and appears to be what's known as a "structured acqui-hire." In other words, Apple is able to make employment offers to certain Animato employees and receive a non-exclusive license to the company's intellectual property, as well as acquire its patent applications.

Apple Inc. ("Apple") will have the right to make employment offers to and hire certain employees of Animato, Inc. ("Animato"), receive a non-exclusive license to Animato's intellectual property rights, and acquire Animato's patent applications. Animato develops and distributes software that creates virtual avatars for video chats and tutoring.

Animato was founded in October 2022 by Francesco Rossi, who previously spent seven years at Apple before leaving to start the company.

Animato is best known for a free app called "Call Annie," which launched in April 2023, and gave ChatGPT a real-time animated avatar face, allowing users to have video-style conversations with the AI chatbot.

The app later moved into language learning by offering avatar tutors for practicing English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, and Korean through video conversations.

Animato also came out with a macOS virtual camera app called Animato Studio that let users make themselves appear as fantasy figures and anime avatars during video calls and live streams.

Both App Store listings have since been removed following the acquisition, and the Call Annie website says the app has been discontinued.

It's Apple's second acquisition of a digital avatar company in just over a year. In January 2025, Apple acquired technology, IP, and physical assets from TrueMeeting, a company specializing in the development of digital avatar technology for meetings.

Apple already offers avatar-style technology with Memoji on iPhone and its Personas feature on Apple Vision Pro, the latter of which generates a realistic digital representation of the user for FaceTime calls.
This article, "Apple Taps Virtual Avatar Firm Animato's Expertise and Intellectual Property" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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WhatsApp is rolling out a new media attachment sheet on iOS, providing iPhone users with a faster way to share their most recent files without losing sight of the chat.


Usually in WhatsApp, sharing media within a chat requires you to tap a plus button to reveal the app's custom share sheet, and then tap into photos to see your full library, which takes over most of the screen.

As spotted by app tinkerer WABetaInfo, the updated media sharing interface makes it easier to directly browse recent photos and videos without losing the thread of the conversation, thanks to a new recents section.

The recents section appears under the share menu icons as a compact 4x4 grid that acts as a horizontal strip that you can swipe through. If you keep scrolling to the end of the strip and still can't find what you're looking for, WhatsApp expands the view and reveals the full media gallery. It can also be quickly invoked by pressing and holding on the plus button in the input bar.

The new interface is showing up for some users of the latest WhatsApp for iOS 26.19.75, but not everyone who updates will see it immediately. It seems WhatsApp is still testing performance before a global rollout for iPhone users.


The latest change follows the recent introduction of WhatsApp's new Plus subscription for power users on iOS. It takes away nothing of the existing free functionality, but adds things like premium sticker packs, new interface colors, and new icons.
This article, "WhatsApp Begins Rolling Out Redesigned Media Share Sheet on iOS" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple allegedly wants to switch away from aluminum for future iPhones, with two materials being considered for their greater balance between weight and heat dissipation.


Apple introduced titanium to the iPhone with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max back in 2023, with the change even becoming the device's defining tagline. The iPhone 16 Pro models also showcased the material, but while the devices were said to be more durable, they also suffered from complaints about overheating. That's when Apple switched to aluminum for the current iPhone 17 Pro models.

In a new Weibo post, however, leaker Instant Digital argues that Apple's switch away from titanium to aluminum is just a compromise solution while it continues to look into the use of liquid metal or an "improved" version of titanium that solves the original material's poor thermal conductivity.

Apple is said to be using both liquid metal and improved titanium alloys in its first foldable iPhone, expected this year, so the leaker's claim may not be completely wide of the mark. The body of the device is said to use a revised titanium material that improves strength while reducing overall weight when compared with existing titanium iPhone frames, despite having virtually the same surface area.

The iPhone Air currently uses a titanium frame, courted for its light weight and strength, and the next model is also likely to have one.

Meanwhile, liquid metal has been described as an "amorphous" material that Apple has been exploring for over 15 years. Apple has reportedly chosen the material, which is manufactured using a die-casting process, as a key component in addressing common issues with foldable devices. The material choice reportedly aims to enhance screen flatness and minimize the crease marks that typically plague folding displays. The alloy's unique properties are said to include high strength, corrosion resistance, light weight, and malleability.

According to Instant Digital, achieving mass production at scale will be extremely difficult, but once the foldable's manufacturing is established, costs could come down, paving the way for future Pro models to adopt it as well.

Unless Apple reverts to a new type of titanium, that is. But don't expect either of these possibilities to emerge for the iPhone 18 Pro models, whose manufacturing materials will already be locked in.
This article, "Apple Still Developing Liquid Metal for Future iPhone Pro Frames" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is still developing a large foldable iPad despite technical hurdles, and it should feature the same crease-free hinge design as Apple's rumored "iPhone Ultra," its first foldable iPhone expected to launch in the fall.


That's according to Weibo-based Digital Chat Station. The popular Chinese-language leaker implies that Apple's large foldable iPad will create a new market for giant folding tablets, but it's likely to still be some ways off yet.

A report in July last year claimed Apple had decided to pause work on a larger-screened foldable iPad because of development issues, but Bloomberg reported in March that development continues.

According to Bloomberg's previous reporting, Apple wanted to launch the device in 2028, but problems with weight and display technology are likely to cause it to be pushed back until 2029.

The device is believed to have a Samsung-made 18-inch display, and will challenge Apple's long-running tradition of keeping the Mac and iPad as separate devices. Some have referred to it as a foldable iPad, while others have called it an all-display MacBook, but concerns remain about its practicality when it comes to typing.

When closed, the iPad resembles a MacBook, with an aluminum exterior and no outer display. When opened, it unfolds to roughly the size of a 13-inch MacBook Air, but without a physical keyboard. Due to its large display and aluminum chassis, current prototypes weigh about 3.5 pounds, making them considerably heavier than existing iPad Pro models.

An 18-inch OLED foldable display will surely be expensive, too, given that Apple charges $1,299 for the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro. If prices don't come down for components over the next few years, the foldable ‌iPad‌ could cost as much as $3,900. It also sounds like Apple still has work to do to perfect its hinge/crease designs.

Meanwhile, Apple's foldable iPhone, which could take the name "iPhone Ultra," is expected to arrive in the fall alongside Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models, barring any last-minute production mishaps. The folding iPhone is said to feature a 5.5-inch display when closed, and a 7.8-inch display when open, plus a super-thin design with minimal crease and a durable hinge.
This article, "Foldable iPad Said to Share Hinge Design With Upcoming iPhone Ultra" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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