Is Character.AI Shutting Down? What Users Should Do Now

Character.AI says its service remains available as of October 13, 2026. It could close if the sale fails to produce a buyer that keeps the platform running. Its official export guide says processing can take 3 to 4 weeks, so request a copy now if your conversations matter and check your next paid renewal.

Is Character.AI shutting down?

The company's October 12 update gives no fixed shutdown date. The following reflects its public statements and official export guidance, rather than a hands-on service test.

What Character.AI users should do now

• Request the official export if important conversations matter to you.
• Save readable copies of anything difficult to reconstruct.
• Check your next paid renewal before another charge.
• Follow the official blog and notices in your account for changes.
• Keep using the service if it meets your needs. Avoid irreversible deletion while deciding what to preserve.

What happened to Character.AI?

Character Technologies, the company behind Character.AI, filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition on October 12 (US time) in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, case 26-11603. Its official announcement says it plans to sell all or substantially all of its assets through a court-supervised process and to keep the platform operating in the meantime.

The company expects the sale to finish, and any resulting deals to close, in late November or early December 2026. That estimate comes from proposed bidding procedures and gives no shutdown deadline. Approved bid, auction, objection and hearing dates have not been verified for this report. Filings are posted by the company's claims agent, Stretto.

Did Disney buy Character.AI?

The announced Disney deal is a bid for an IP license and certain company claims. A completed Disney takeover of the platform has not been established.

Before filing, Character.AI agreed that Disney Worldwide Services, a Disney affiliate, would act as the stalking-horse bidder, setting the opening offer that rivals can try to beat.

The announced terms cover a non-exclusive, perpetual license to certain Character.AI intellectual property, plus certain company legal claims. Disney would pay $20 million and provide transition services through former Character.AI employees it has hired. The company says those services will help it run the platform safely for a limited period and support the sale.

The announcement leaves continued operation unresolved, and higher or better offers remain possible. Choosely has not reviewed the signed agreement, so the precise treatment of accounts, chats and the Character.AI brand is unconfirmed.

The question to ask of any winning bid is the one the company set: does it provide for the platform to continue? Disney's involvement alone provides no guarantee of continuity.

What happens to your chats?

Character.AI says user information remains protected under its privacy policy and that its privacy and security practices have not changed. Those statements cover the present. They do not say whether user data forms part of any asset being sold, what a buyer could do with it, or how long conversations would stay available if the platform closed.

Until transaction documents or a direct user notice answer those questions, claims that Disney is receiving users' chats, or that every conversation is safe, go further than the evidence.

How to export Character.AI data

Character.AI's export guide, updated October 8, says exports can take 3 to 4 weeks. For an October 13 request, that range points roughly to November 3-10. It is a processing estimate, with no guarantee of arrival by a particular date.

On the web: Profile > Profile Settings > Account > Manage Account & Data > Export Data.

In the mobile app: Profile > Settings icon > Legal & Privacy > Export Data.

The download link goes to the email address on your account and expires seven days after it is sent, so confirm you can still reach that inbox. The guide does not describe the file's format or contents, or say whether older or deleted conversations are included. Open the file once it arrives and check it holds what matters to you. For conversations you especially value, keep your own readable copies while you still have access, and store anything sensitive somewhere you control.

The guide says nothing about importing the file into another chatbot service or recreating your characters elsewhere.

For a separate AI-product withdrawal, our Custom GPT retirement guide examines the difference between preserving content and migrating a working experience.

What happens to paid subscriptions?

Character.AI says subscriptions remain active and billing is unchanged for now. If service changes affect paid features, the company says it intends to notify subscribers in advance. It has not said how much notice it would give or what any notice would offer.

The annual plan page still advertised yearly subscriptions on October 13 and says they renew automatically. Check your own plan type and next payment date. Assume renewal remains active unless your account or billing provider confirms otherwise.

Should you cancel?

If you still use the paid features, the filing alone does not make canceling necessary. If you would rather not pay for another period while the outcome is open, cancel before your next renewal. Buying a new annual plan now means paying in advance for months beyond the expected sale window, while closure-related refunds remain unresolved in the sources reviewed here.

Website purchases: the subscription guide directs you to Settings > Account > Manage, which opens a Customer Portal. Enter your account email and use the secure link sent to it.

App purchases: cancel through your Apple or Google Play subscription settings. Check where you originally paid, and keep the cancellation confirmation and receipts.

Will annual subscribers get refunds if it closes?

The sources reviewed for this report do not establish a refund arrangement for unused subscription time after a closure. The company says it filed first-day motions seeking authority to honor commitments to platform users during the case. Its announcement leaves the scope of those commitments unspecified.

Character.AI's summer promotion terms say cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, with no partial refunds for unused time, and send app-store refund requests to Apple or Google Play. Those terms apply to that offer and do not settle what happens after a closure. Check the terms attached to your own purchase and watch for official notices.

Should you delete your account?

Deletion is separate from exporting data or canceling a subscription. Character.AI's deletion guide says it is permanent and cannot be reversed. On the web, it sits under Profile Settings > Account > Manage Account & Data > Delete Account. In the mobile app, the settings icon in your profile leads to Remove Account.

If you plan to leave, wait until your export has arrived and you have checked it. Cancel any subscription where you paid for it rather than relying on deletion to stop a renewal.

Choosely verdict

The practical priority is to preserve what matters while access remains available. An advertised annual subscription offers no certainty about service continuity beyond the sale. Until that outcome and closure-related refunds are clearer, delaying a new yearly purchase is the more cautious choice.

FAQ

Is Character.AI already closed?

No. The company says the platform remains up and its services are accessible.

Is late November a shutdown date?

No. It is the company's estimate for completing the sale, based on proposed procedures. Verified court milestones may differ.

Did Disney save Character.AI?

The company's announcement provides no continuity guarantee from Disney. The proposed opening bid concerns certain IP rights and company claims.

Will an export move my chats to another app?

The export guide does not mention importing into other services. Treat the download as a personal copy.