How old do you have to be to use Character AI?
Character.AI's terms require you to be at least 13 (16 in the EU) to have an account. But since November 25, 2025, only users verified as 18 or older can have open-ended chats. Under-18 users are limited to a restricted creative experience. Character.AI uses age verification, including an in-house model, Persona, and possibly ID or facial checks.
Why — the first-principles explanation
There are now two age lines, and mixing them up causes confusion. The old line is the account minimum: Character.AI's terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old (or 16 in the European Union), matching common online-privacy laws for kids. That rule still exists for having an account.
The new, stricter line is about what you can actually do. After lawsuits alleging harm to teens, Character.AI decided open-ended chat was unsafe for minors and, effective November 25, 2025, removed it for everyone under 18. So while a 15-year-old might technically hold an account, they can no longer have free-form conversations with characters. Under-18 users instead get a limited creative experience, things like stories, videos, and streams, rather than open chat.
To enforce this, Character.AI rolled out age assurance. It combines an in-house age model that analyzes behavior with a third-party tool called Persona, and if those are inconclusive it can fall back to facial recognition or ID verification. No system is perfect, so some minors may slip through, but the platform's clear intent is that open-ended chat is for adults 18 and up. Practical summary: 13+ (16+ EU) to sign up, but effectively 18+ for the real chat experience, with verification in between.
An example that makes it click
Think of an amusement park. There's an age to buy a ticket and walk in, that's the 13-or-16 account minimum. But the biggest, most intense roller coaster has a taller height requirement, and a staff member checks before you board. Character.AI's open-ended chat is that roller coaster: you might get through the gate younger, but you have to clear the 18+ check to actually ride.
How to do it
- Confirm you meet the account minimum: 13+ in most places, 16+ in the EU.
- Know that open-ended chat requires being verified as 18 or older since November 25, 2025.
- If prompted, complete age verification via the in-house check, Persona, or an ID/face check.
- For under-18 users, expect only limited creative features (stories, videos, streams), not open chat.
- Parents: use device and app-store controls, and talk with teens about AI risks.
Key facts
- Character.AI's terms require users to be at least 13 years old (16 in the EU) to have an account.
- Since November 25, 2025, open-ended chat is restricted to users verified as 18 or older.
- Under-18 users get a limited creative experience (stories, videos, streams) instead of open chat.
- Age assurance uses an in-house model plus Persona, with facial recognition or ID checks as a fallback.
- The restrictions followed lawsuits alleging the app contributed to teen harm.
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How old do you have to be to use Character.AI? There are actually two answers. First, the account minimum: their terms say you must be at least 13, or 16 in the European Union, to sign up. That part hasn't changed. But here's the big update. After lawsuits over teen safety, Character.AI decided open-ended chat wasn't safe for minors. So since November 25, 2025, only users verified as 18 or older can have free-form conversations with characters. Under-18 users get a limited creative mode instead, stories, videos, streams, but not open chat. To enforce it, the app uses age verification: an in-house model that reads your behavior, a tool called Persona, and if needed, a face or ID check. No system is perfect, but the message is clear. Signing up is 13 and up, but the real chat experience is now for adults, 18 plus.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
Can a 13-year-old use Character.AI?
They can meet the account minimum (13+, or 16+ in the EU), but since November 2025 they can't have open-ended chats, only limited creative features.
Do I have to be 18 to chat with characters?
Yes, for open-ended chat. Since November 25, 2025, that experience is restricted to users verified as 18 or older.
How does Character.AI check my age?
It uses an in-house behavior-based model and the third-party tool Persona, with facial recognition or ID verification as a backstop if needed.
What can under-18 users still do?
They get a limited creative experience, such as making stories, videos, and streams with characters, instead of free-form conversations.