New Dinosaur and Ghost Animoji in iOS 12

Apple expanded its lineup of animated characters with the release of iOS 12, introducing expressive new options including a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a classic Ghost. This article covers the specific debut of these prehistoric and supernatural characters, the updated facial-tracking features that accompanied them, and the hardware required to use them.

With the launch of iOS 12, Apple introduced four new Animoji: the T-Rex, the Ghost, the Koala, and the Tiger. Among these, the dinosaur character arrived in the form of a bright green T-Rex, featuring distinct animated teeth, a textured hide, and the ability to mimic roaring jaw motions. The supernatural addition arrived simply as the Ghost, styled after a classic white sheet spirit with a floating tail and hollow eyes capable of wide, playful expressions.

Alongside the visual design of the T-Rex and Ghost, iOS 12 updated Apple's TrueDepth camera software to support tongue detection and wink tracking. This enhancement allowed both the dinosaur and the ghost to stick out their tongues or close individual eyes in real time based on the user's facial movements.

These characters were integrated directly into the Messages app and FaceTime. During one-on-one or group FaceTime calls, users could replace their real faces with the T-Rex or Ghost while continuing the conversation. Creating and sending these Animoji required an Apple device equipped with a front-facing TrueDepth camera system, beginning with the iPhone X and subsequent models such as the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and compatible iPad Pro models running iOS 12 or later.