TeenCue is coming to iPhone, including your teen’s phone. Join the early access list

TeenCue
Log iniPhone appGet started
Menu

Parent Guides

How to block Character.AI on iPhone, Android and a computer

5 min read · Updated

To block Character.AI, block both the app and the character.ai website on each device: Apps & Websites in your child’s Family settings on iPhone, and App limits plus Blocked sites in Family Link on Android or a Chromebook. Character.AI has no parent switch of its own. Blocking does not delete the account, so handle that separately.

Character.AI does not give parents an off switch. Its Parental Insights feature shows an activity overview but does not stop a teen using the app, so blocking happens on the device. Each device needs its own block, and each device has two doors: the app and the website. For what the age rule is, see the Character.AI age limit, and for other apps, parental controls in every AI app. Every other app’s minimum age is in AI chatbot age limits.

Before you block it

It is worth a conversation first. Character.AI is popular with teens, and since November 2025 users it identifies as under 18 cannot have open-ended chats with characters anyway, so a teen who still chats there may have an account with an adult birth date. A block will not tell you that. Character.AI safety for teens and how to talk to your teen about AI companions can help you start.

On iPhone or iPad

  1. On your own iPhone, open Settings, tap Family, then tap your child’s name.
  2. Tap Apps & Websites. Enter your Screen Time passcode if asked.
  3. Select Character.AI, or tap the Add button and search for it. Tap Block App, then tap again to confirm.
  4. Tap the Add button again and enter character.ai. Tap Block Website, then tap again to confirm.

This needs Family Sharing and a Child Account. Google’s Family Link cannot supervise an iPhone or iPad.

On Android

  1. Open the Family Link app and select your child.
  2. At the bottom left, tap Screen time, then Time limits, then App limits.
  3. Select Character.AI and tap the Allowed toggle so it changes to Blocked. Tap Done.
  4. For the website, go to Controls, then Google Chrome and Web. Under Manage sites, tap Blocked sites, then Add a website, and enter character.ai.

Google says the app is blocked in about five minutes, or once the device is online, and that the block covers all of your child’s Android devices and Chromebooks. A child can ask for permission to visit a blocked site, and you can say no.

On a Chromebook

On a Chromebook your family manages, the website steps above apply, because Family Link’s site settings are for Chrome. How to block AI on a Chromebook covers the gaps, such as guest mode. On a school-issued Chromebook, the school’s administrators decide what can be used, and Family Link cannot manage a school account, so ask the school.

On a Windows PC or Mac

  • Mac: Apple’s child safety guide covers a Mac as well as an iPhone. Use Apps & Websites in your child’s Family settings, and add character.ai as a blocked website.
  • Windows: Microsoft Family Safety can filter websites, mainly in Edge. Microsoft Copilot parental controls walks through it, and the same steps work for character.ai.

Family Link’s settings do not cover computers other than Chromebooks. Google says Windows PCs and Macs cannot be supervised with it.

Blocking does not close the account

A block stops access on that device only. The account and its chat history remain, and your teen could still sign in somewhere else. If you want the account gone, your teen will need to sign in and delete it. The Character.AI age limit guide covers how to download or delete the data.

That matters more than usual right now. On October 12, 2026 Character.AI said it had started a Chapter 11 bankruptcy process to sell the company, that the app is still running, and that it expects the sale to finish by late November or early December. If no suitable buyer appears, it says the platform will be wound down. The app may change hands or close, so do not wait on it to solve this.

What a Character.AI block will not do

It only covers Character.AI. A teen who wants to talk to AI characters can find many similar apps, and blocking each in turn does not end. If you are concerned about attachment rather than one app, AI companion apps and teens is a better place to start. If your teen seems withdrawn or relies on the app to get through the day, talk to their doctor or a mental health professional.

What TeenCue shows for Character.AI

TeenCue is a different kind of tool: it does not stop anyone using Character.AI. Character.AI is one of the services TeenCue supports, so when your teen uses it in the browser on their computer, TeenCue shows you what a chat was about as a category, a topic and a concern rating, never what was typed. It works in Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave on a computer, and your teen will know it is installed. It does not cover the phone app yet; the TeenCue iPhone app is coming soon. How TeenCue works has the full picture.

Common questions

How do I block Character.AI on my child’s phone?

On iPhone, go to Settings, Family, your child’s name, then Apps & Websites, and block the app and character.ai. On Android, use App limits in Family Link for the app and Blocked sites for the website.

Does Character.AI have a parent off switch?

We found none. Parental Insights gives a linked adult an overview of activity, but blocking happens through device controls.

Does blocking the Character.AI app also block the website?

No. Block both, on each device your child uses. Blocking the app leaves character.ai open in a browser.

Can I block Character.AI on a school Chromebook?

Usually not. School administrators decide what can be used on school accounts and school-issued Chromebooks, and Google says Family Link cannot manage those accounts. Ask the school.

Does blocking Character.AI delete my teen’s account?

No. The account and its chats stay in place, and your teen could sign in from another device. Deleting the account is a separate step your teen takes after signing in.

Sources

Know how your child uses AI

TeenCue shows you which AI services your child uses and what kinds of topics come up, without reading their chats. It is designed to be something you can tell them about.

Get started

Or see it first, with a sample child. See the demo

Early access

TeenCue is coming to iPhone, including your teen’s phone.

Join the early access list.

Number of teens (optional)

We’ll email you once, the day it launches. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy

Related guides

  • Parental controls in every AI app: what you can set, and why none shows chats

    No major AI app shows a parent the conversations, and each has its own parental controls or none at all. ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Character.AI, Copilot and Snapchat offer some settings or an overview, while Grok has no parent account and Claude is for adults only. Most families combine app settings, device controls and an open conversation.

  • Character.AI age limit: 13+, but no open-ended chat under 18

    The Character.AI age limit is 13, or 16 in the EEA and the UK. Since November 2025 users under 18 cannot have open-ended chats with characters, though they can still browse, view past chats and create characters, images and videos. Its parental controls, called Parental Insights, show a linked parent an overview of activity such as screen time, not chats.

  • Character.AI safety for teens

    Character.AI no longer lets users under 18 chat freely with its characters: since November 2025, starting in the US, teens get other features instead, and every user now goes through an age check. What still deserves a parent’s attention is the pattern companion chatbots invite, on Character.AI or on adult apps a teen may move to: whether one has become where they go instead of anyone else.

  • How to block ChatGPT on iPhone: the app, the website and Siri

    To block ChatGPT on your child’s iPhone, go to Settings, Family, your child’s name, then Apps & Websites, and block the ChatGPT app and the chatgpt.com website. You need both, because blocking the app leaves the website open. Then block Extensions under Siri in Content & Privacy Restrictions, because ChatGPT can also be reached through Siri.

  • AI companion apps and teens: many are 18+ only, yet most teens have tried one

    Many AI companion apps, including Replika, Chai and Janitor AI, are 18+ only, and Common Sense Media recommends no one under 18 use them. Even so, most US teens have tried one: 72 percent in a 2025 Common Sense Media survey, with about half using them regularly. These are chatbots built to be a friend, confidant or partner, so the useful question is what role the app plays for your teen.