News / / Updated / By the editorial team
Character.AI Replaces Teen Chatbot Access With Interactive Stories Feature
Information only, not medical advice or a diagnosis. In a crisis in the US, call or text 988.
Character.AI, the companion chatbot platform, ended open-ended chat for users under 18 in late November 2025 and put a new format called Stories in its place. This is a short news summary with the dates and sources. For parent guidance, see our longer page on what the change means for families.
Timeline
- October 29, 2025: Character.AI said it would remove open-ended chat for under-18 users by November 25. Until then it would limit their chat time, beginning at two hours a day. It also announced new age assurance, built from an in-house model plus third-party tools, and said it would fund an independent AI safety lab (Character.AI).
- Late November 2025: Stories launched. Engadget reports a November 26 launch and describes a visual, narrative-first format where users pick characters and a genre, then steer the plot with choices (Engadget).
- January 2026: Court filings showed Character.AI, Google and the company’s founders had agreed to settle five lawsuits from families in Florida, New York, Colorado and Texas. Terms were not disclosed (CNN Business, via KTVZ).
What Stories Is
The company describes Stories as a guided way to create and explore fiction in place of open-ended chat. Unlike a chatbot, it asks players to make choices often, and it does not allow the free back-and-forth of a conversation.
What We Do Not Know
No independent research has tested whether Stories is safer for teens than chat, or whether teens who lose chat access move to other apps. Age assurance tools can misjudge age, and a teen can sometimes get around a check.
Outside Pressure
Regulators and lawmakers have been looking at companion chatbots. California signed SB 243 in October 2025 (bill text), and Senators Hawley and Blumenthal introduced the GUARD Act that month, which would bar AI companions for minors (NBC News). Check the current status of each.
Young people in distress can call or text 988 (988 Lifeline) or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) in the US. Use 911 for an emergency.
When did Character.AI end chat for teens?
The company said open-ended chat for under-18 users would end by November 25, 2025. Coverage varies by a day on the exact switch-over date.
What replaced chat for teens?
A format called Stories, in which users choose characters and a genre and then make choices as an AI-guided story unfolds.
Education only, not medical advice.