Apple Completes Pixelmator Acquisition

Pixelmator last year announced that it was being acquired by Apple, and today the company confirmed that the acquisition has been completed after Apple received regulatory approval. The Pixelmator for iOS, Pixelmator Pro, and Photomator apps were today updated with a new splash screen announcing the deal.

pixelmator pro apple acquisition complete
Pixelmator is a well-known image and photo editing app that competes with Photoshop and other Adobe image editing tools, while focusing on ease of use and performance. The apps are exclusive to Apple's platforms.

No changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, or Photomator apps have been made at this time. Apple could eventually integrate these apps into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but for now they remain separate and available from the App Store.

Apple has photo editing tools available in the Photos app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but the company used to maintain a separate photo editing app called Aperture. Aperture was discontinued in 2015, and the app was removed from the Mac App Store at that time.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...

Top Rated Comments

PsykX Avatar
11 weeks ago
Pixelmator and Photomator are jewels.

I hope they continue to innovate, and don't get stuck by the big boat Apple has become.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JMStearnsX2 Avatar
11 weeks ago
I'm still a bit bitter at Apple for shutting down Aperture, I REALLY hope that they don't screw this up. Not that I have a lot of faith in Apple not messing this up, they will probably just close it down...
I use Pixelmator Pro on my Mac often over the last 14 years, I'm also a big fan of it.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HJM.NL Avatar
11 weeks ago
Maybe Apple could use some of the AI tools used in pixelmator for their own photo’s app. That would fill the gap with competitors.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rlewisphilly Avatar
11 weeks ago

Pixelmator and Photomator are jewels.

I hope they continue to innovate, and don't get stuck by the big boat Apple has become.
I've been using Pixelmator Pro for a few years....prob one of my mist used apps. fingers crossed to see some of its greatness in other Apple products, and this one stay a standalone.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
11 weeks ago
Well, in (future) retrospect, I expect we'll think that this acquisition sucked (from a consumer point of view).
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PsykX Avatar
11 weeks ago

Maybe Apple could use some of the AI tools used in pixelmator for their own photo’s app. That would fill the gap with competitors.
I think this may be part of the plan.

Because there's plenty of AI in Pixelmator.
And the new cleanup tool in iOS 18 ? It's at least 25X slower than Pixelmator's counterpart, and it produces worse results, at least based on my own experience.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)