Character.AI Bankruptcy: Exporting Data and Finding Alternatives

Character.AI has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In its October 12, 2026 update, the company said the service is still running, but it may wind down if the sale does not produce a bid that allows it to continue.

If you’re ready to move, choose the path that fits you:

• Just want a new romance chat? Browse dotdotdot’s characters and start a fresh story.
• Built chats or characters you want to keep? Request your account data from Character.AI and save the details you care about. Here’s how.

How to export your Character.AI data

Character.AI’s export guide lets you request a copy of your account data from either the website or the app:

• On the web: Profile → Profile Settings → Account → Manage Account & Data → Export Data.
• In the app: Profile → Settings → Legal & Privacy → Export Data.

Character.AI says an export can take 3–4 weeks to process. When it’s ready, you’ll get an email with a download link that lasts seven days. Watch for that email so the link doesn’t expire before you save the file.

The guide doesn’t spell out exactly which chats or character details the export contains, and it doesn’t describe importing the file into another app. Keep a separate copy of any notes, character details, or story summaries you wrote and care about. Once your export arrives, check what’s actually in it before relying on it as a record of a particular conversation.

Looking for a romance alternative? Meet dotdotdot

Character.AI’s creator community covers many genres and fandoms. We built dotdotdot around AI romance and stories you take part in through conversation. If romance was what kept you opening Character.AI, our focus may make us a better fit for what you want next.

dotdotdot is packed with male characters from all kinds of romance tropes, complete with opening prompts that put you in conversation with them. Pick the character who catches your eye, choose your role in the story, and shape the relationship through your replies.

Our community-created catalog gives you everything inside the romance, dark romance, and fantasy romance genre to explore. You can browse a trope, read a character’s description and opening, and decide if you want to step into that story. There’s no need to recreate an old chat before trying a new one.

Find the story you want to take part in

Choose a trope, then read the character

You can start with slow burn, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, or darker themes. If you’re after romantasy, look through fantasy and supernatural premises. Dark romance is also a popular tag. Tags help you find a direction, but you should look at the description and opening tell you what the character is like and what kind of relationship the story invites you to build.

Our catalog is made up of characters created by the community, so the choices can change. Browse the tags that interest you, open a few cards, and read the starting situation before you choose. Our AI romance roleplay guide has more on choosing a trope and getting into a story.

Write your side of the conversation

When you open a character, you can respond to the opening in your own words. Say something, describe what you do, or ask a question; the character replies, and you decide what happens on your side next. If a suggested reply appears, you can use it or write your own. You don’t need to prepare a long prompt to begin.

You can also ask for a different pace or tone as the conversation goes on: slower tension, shorter responses, more dialogue, or a change in direction. It’s a way to shape the story as you read and write it, although a character may not follow every request exactly.

Bring in more characters, or make your own

If you want more than a conversation with one character, our Multichat scenarios let several AI characters share a scene. They can respond to you and to one another, giving you a wider cast within the same story.

If the catalog doesn’t have the character you want, you can create one. Set their traits, tone, and background, then keep the character private or share them with the community. You can start with someone else’s opening or build your own setup from the beginning.

A few things to check before you start

Messages use Dots, our in-app credits. Check the current options in your account before settling into a longer story; our first-time guide explains how Dots work. Some NSFW-tagged characters may require an account and the “Show NSFW” setting.

If you’re still deciding what matters most in a new app, our broader switching guide can help you think it through.