Tue · 16 Jun 2026

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App profile

Character.ai

High risk

Rated High · How we rate

The teen-companion chat that caused the harm is gone — the risk moved to the unregulated substitutes that replaced it.

Ages 13–15Ages 16+

Minimum age	13
Strangers can contact	No
Location sharing	No
Disappearing messages	No
Parental visibility	None

What it actually is

Character.ai lets users chat with AI-powered characters — fictional, celebrity, or custom-created. After multiple lawsuits over teen self-harm, the platform removed open-ended chat for under-18 users in November 2025: teens can still create characters, videos, and stories, but not the free-form 'companion' conversations that drove the documented harm. Parental Insights gives a parent a weekly time-and-themes summary (not message content). The bigger risk now is migration to less-regulated substitutes — Replika, Kindroid, Janitor AI — that have none of these guardrails.

Finding Character.ai on a device

Search "Character.ai" or "c.ai" on the home screen
Check browser history for character.ai
Look for the app in App Store/Google Play download history

Conversation you should have

Ask your teen if they use it and what characters they talk to
Explain the difference between AI responses and real human connection
Discuss why forming emotional attachment to a program is risky
Set clear limits on daily time if they continue using it

If you want to allow limited use

Keep the app on a shared/family device only
Agree on a 30-minute daily maximum
Check in regularly about what they're using it for

Set up controls · Character.ai

Character.ai Parental Controls — What Changed and What to Do
Character.ai removed open-ended chat for under-18 users in November 2025 under regulatory pressure. This guide covers what's still available to teens, how to verify the under-18 flag is applied, the Parental Insights weekly summary, and how to handle the substitute-app problem.
Open guide →

→ Check your kid's other apps

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Discord

Built for gamers but now used for everything — the private servers and DMs are where the real risks hide.

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Updated June 2026

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