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Meta’s New Pocket App Signals A Bigger Push Into AI-Powered Gaming

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 3, 2026

Meta is expanding its push into AI-powered content creation with the launch of Pocket, a new app that allows users to generate interactive apps and games using simple text prompts.

Turning Ideas Into Interactive Experiences

Described on Google Play as “a creative platform for making and sharing gizmos,” Pocket enables users to create small interactive experiences from written prompts and share them with others. The app also features a discovery feed where users can browse and play creations from the wider community.

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Based on screenshots published on Google Play, Pocket closely resembles Gizmo, the AI-powered gaming platform Meta acquired earlier this year. Like its predecessor, the app focuses on turning text prompts into lightweight games and interactive experiences.

A Quiet Launch Following The Gizmo Acquisition

The app was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who shared screenshots from the Google Play listing on X. According to app intelligence firm Appfigures, Pocket became available on both the App Store and Google Play on June 29, although it is still too early to determine whether it has attracted meaningful downloads.

Meta has not officially announced the app or responded to requests for comment.

Another Step In Meta’s AI Strategy

Pocket fits into Meta’s broader effort to bring AI-powered creative tools to a wider audience. Over the past year, the company has introduced AI image generation through Meta AI, video creation tools in Vibes, AI features across its social platforms and new creator capabilities in its Edits app.

By extending those tools into casual gaming, Meta is expanding beyond images and video into interactive content, allowing users not only to generate media but also to build playable experiences with AI.

Early Days, But Clear Direction

While Pocket appears to be in the early stages of its rollout, the launch offers another glimpse into Meta’s long-term AI strategy. Rather than positioning artificial intelligence solely as a productivity tool, the company is increasingly using it to help consumers create, share and discover content across different formats.

That strategy may already have a foundation. According to Appfigures, Gizmo has generated an estimated 635,000 lifetime installs across iOS and Google Play, with a 98% positive sentiment score. If Pocket is the next evolution of that platform, Meta is betting that AI-assisted game creation could become another pillar of its growing creator ecosystem.

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Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 18, 2026

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

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Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.