Is Character.AI OK for my child?
AI chatbot personas: users chat with characters ranging from fictional heroes to "psychologist" bots. Formerly hugely popular with teenagers for companionship-style chat, now age-restricted.
Minimum age
18 for open-ended chat
Under-18s were restricted from open-ended chat in November 2025 after sustained safety pressure.
Type
AI
Official safety page
Character.AIWhat to actually watch for
- Companion-style AI encourages emotional attachment by design.
- Bots have claimed to be licensed professionals when they are not.
- Romantic and sexual roleplay appeared frequently in teen use before the restriction.
- Determined teenagers may still access it with a false date of birth.
The settings worth switching on
The platform itself now restricts under-18s from open-ended chat, the main control.
If your teen used it heavily before November 2025, talk about what filled that space.
Device-level app restrictions can block reinstallation.
Watch for substitute companion apps, of which there are many with weaker rules.
Our honest take
The age limit is now 18 for a reason, and the interesting question for parents is what a child was getting from an AI companion and where that need goes next. Our guide on children treating chatbots as friends covers exactly this, without panic.
Frequently asked questions
Go deeper
Other ai apps parents ask about
Last reviewed: August 2026. Minimum ages and settings were checked against the platform's own published policies, and platforms change them often, so the official page linked above always has the latest.