Best privacy settings for Character.AI (UK parent walkthrough)
The Character.AI privacy settings UK parents should configure first: Parent Insights, content filter, NSFW off, public profile off and time limits.
Character.AI's privacy controls are short but important. The biggest wins are: link Parent Insights, keep the under-18 content filter on, keep the profile private, disable any NSFW or romantic-companion mode, and cap session time. Most harm on this platform has come from very long late-night conversations.
The steps below take about three minutes.
Step-by-step
Confirm a correct date of birth on the account
Settings → Account → Date of Birth. Tip: Under-18 accounts get the stricter content filter automatically.
Link Parent Insights
Settings → Parental Insights → invite parent. Tip: Weekly email summarising usage, top characters and any flagged content.
Confirm the under-18 content filter is on
Settings → Content Filter → ensure 18+ content is blocked.
Turn off any romantic-companion or NSFW mode
Settings → check Companion / Romance / NSFW toggles → Off. Tip: If any are on for an under-18 account, contact Character.AI support; they should not be available.
Make profile private
Profile → Settings → Visibility → Private. Removes the public-creator profile from search.
Set a daily time cap
Use phone-level Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) → app limit on Character.AI of 30-45 minutes per day. Tip: Character.AI has no native time limit; phone-level is the only way.
Disable image generation if available
Settings → Image generation → Off. Tip: Reduces the chance of AI-generated unsuitable images.
Settings to check
- Date of Birth
- Parent Insights
- Content Filter / under-18 protection
- Companion / Romance / NSFW toggles
- Profile visibility
- Phone-level time limit
- Image generation
What not to do
- Do not assume your child kept the recommended settings after an app update.
- Do not use the same password on the app as on email or banking.
- Do not allow sign-in via a social account you do not also control.
- Do not skip enabling two-factor authentication.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.