Shimeji screen pets play & climb on your apps. Draw or AI-create your own!
4.45·382,813 reviews·10,000,000+ downloads
Shimeji: Screen Buddies adds adorable screen mascots that walk and climb on your apps, with AI-generated characters and customizable frames. It commands strong personalization traction across regions (#44 in fr, #71 in ca, #82 in ch) and a solid rating from hundreds of thousands of users. Total downloads: 10,000,000+; in the last 30 days: 100K.
Pros & Cons
AI-powered character creation from text prompts for unique mascots
Supports up to 10 characters on screen for a lively home screen
Original built-in characters plus PC Shimeji pack import for Android
Frame-by-frame editor for precise customization and restyling
Strong user reception with a solid rating from hundreds of thousands of ratings
Competitors often emphasize anime, kawaii or IP-based mascots; Shimeji focuses on original content and AI creation
Permissions include ad services IDs and storage; ensure clear privacy practices and license compliance
The app’s feature set is highly creator-focused, which may require more user effort to fully utilize
About Shimeji: Screen Buddies
Shimeji: Screen Buddies is a personalization app developed by Digital Cosmos.
Download Statistics
Shimeji: Screen Buddies has been downloaded 33 million times. In the last 30 days, the app was downloaded 100 thousand times. It is ranked #114 in personalization.
User Ratings
Shimeji: Screen Buddies is rated 4.45 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 380 thousand ratings.
App Information
Shimeji: Screen Buddies is FREE to download. The APK download size is 10.69 MB. The latest version available is 13.2. The last update was on July 30, 2026.
Technical Requirements
The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play December 2016.
Description
Your screen is about to get a lot cuter! Shimeji: Screen Buddies fills your phone with tiny pets that walk, climb, nap and play on top of your apps. And now you can create your dream buddy just by describing it ✨
✨ Cute screen pets, always with you - Watch your buddies walk, climb, sit, sleep and explore on top of your apps - Tap, drag and toss them to see how they react - Run up to 10 characters at once for a screen full of fun - They keep you company while you chat, study, draw or browse
🪄 Magic AI: describe it, and it comes to life - Type your dream character — a pastel cat, a cookie dragon, anything! - Add colors, outfits, accessories and fantasy details - Pick your favorite from multiple generated options
🎬 Turn one picture into a living character - A single image becomes walking, climbing, dancing, sleeping and more - Keep only the frames you love with the frame picker - Regenerate and adjust motions until they fit your mascot
🎨 Draw and edit every frame - Brush, eraser, fill and color tools for every pose - Import your own art and turn it into a live screen buddy - Recolor, fix or restyle any frame — or duplicate a buddy and make it yours
📦 Collect, create or import - Download original mascots made for Shimeji: Screen Buddies - Import compatible PC Shimeji packs and use them on Android - Build your collection with the editor, Magic AI, or both
🎮 Level up your favorites - Your Shimeji earn XP while they wander around your screen - Level up to unlock new moves, poses and surprises - Play with them for bonus XP and faster progress
⚙️ Smooth, smart and distraction-free - New animation engine for smoother, more lifelike motion - Ghost Mode: buddies stay visible but ignore touches while you game or chat - Battery-friendly, with simple controls for size, speed and behavior
🛡️ Original content All built-in characters are original creations for Shimeji: Screen Buddies. You can also draw your own, import compatible packs, or generate new originals with Magic AI.
Disclaimer Shimeji: Screen Buddies is an independent app, unrelated to the Simeji keyboard and not affiliated with any anime, game, movie or third-party IP holders. Our brand name and logo, watermarked images, UI graphics and text, app source code, original characters and curated database are protected by copyright and trademark law.
🆕 What's new - Magic AI: create original characters from a text description - Magic animations from a single image, with frame picker - Full frame-by-frame editor and compatible PC Shimeji pack import - New animation engine, character levels, up to 10 buddies on screen
Adopt a buddy, create your own, and turn your phone into a tiny playground 💛
Recent changes: ✨ NEW: turn any photo into your own screen pet 🔍 NEW: Discover tab — browse and add new characters 🎨 Fresh Material 3 Expressive design with a new Create hub 🐛 Fixed animations that wouldn't play
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Great app just wish you can have the option to switch and rotate your shimejis in case you don't want them out all at once
★★★★★FRESA sketcher· Jul 14, 2026
Omg! I LOVE IT AND IITS SO AMAZING ON MY PHONE WITH ADORABLE CHARACTERS I PICKED ARE ACTING SO CUTE AND BEINH MISCHIEFS!!! I recommend to everyone if they maybe get lonely to get this app to bring sparkles to your android. My problem tho is I wished this app could be downloaded for my apple ios ipad. Which I hope you the creator of this app could make this app be available for Apple stores, so I can download this app and make my tiny characters have adventures on my big screen ipad :<
★★★★☆hannah sinoy· Jul 22, 2026
Hi im just really confused pls help I remember getting Shinji last year and there were many anime characters I could choose from. I deleted it once and I downloaded it again this year and now there's only animals. I don't know where the anime characters are anymore. My friend has this app BUT HAS ALL THE ANIME CHARACTERS BUT I DON'T. Pls help me!!!!!!!
★☆☆☆☆Meredith· Jul 30, 2026
I used to love this app as a teenager, seeing all the community made shimejis and using them was amazing. Now, it has AI built in, and aside from the actual real world environmental issues and other issues, because the app implemented AI, I assume it's all malware. Was a dedicated user for 10 years, and now it's gone bc of AI. Thank the stars I didn't pay for anything at all. Good riddance.
★☆☆☆☆Sketch· Jul 13, 2026
Liked it until it added AI. its disgusting and annoying how even this app with art made characters is using AI. AI slop is everywhere and ruins everything. Immediately deleting the app bc there's no way I'm supporting AI art in any way possible.
★☆☆☆☆Lotus· Jul 14, 2026
EXTREMELY UN-USERFRIENDLY. I have been trying to make my own Shinji for AN HOUR NOW. I used to have this app, and reinstalled it bc I wanted to make my own. It's extremely hard to use!! Ads around every corner, you can't search anymore, and you can't even turn the canvas for the animating!!
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Shimeji: Screen Buddies is requesting 18 permissions and is using 26 libraries.
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Trust & Safety: Permissions include ad ID access, network state, foreground service, storage, notifications, and licensing checks. The app is presented as independent and not affiliated with external IP holders; ensure transparency with a privacy policy and compliance with license requirements.
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