Apple has agreed to acquire Pixelmator, a popular image editing app available on Mac and iOS, in a move to expand its creative tools portfolio. The acquisition, pending regulatory approval, will give Apple access to Pixelmator's robust suite of image editing and retouching tools, which have become a viable alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

In a blog post, Pixelmator announced the news, stating that it will "have the ability to reach an even wider audience and make an even bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world." The company assured users that there will be "no material changes" to its Mac and iOS apps at this time, but hinted at "exciting updates to come."

The acquisition is reminiscent of Apple's purchase of the popular weather app Dark Sky in 2020, which was eventually shut down and integrated into Apple's first-party weather app. However, other software packages acquired by Apple, such as Final Cut and Logic Pro, have remained available many years after their acquisition. The deal's terms and details remain undisclosed, pending regulatory approval.