How to call on Character AI: what a call gives you

None of the paid plans on file lists calls as something you have to buy, which I like: the voice side isn't dangled as an upsell.

Here's what the records say about the setting a call happens in:

• Voice calls: listed as a feature
• Free plan: messaging with no cap on PipSqueak 2 and PipSqueak 2 Rawr, carrying full ads and slow mode when it's busy
• (c.ai) lite ($4.99) and c.ai+ ($9.99) monthly: fewer ads or none, better memory, but no call-specific extras listed
• Platforms: web, iOS and Android

What the records don't include is a step-by-step path to the call button, so I won't invent menu names. What's safe to say is that on a phone or in a browser, a voice call needs access to your microphone. If you get stuck, that permission is the first thing I'd look at.

My opinion on the feature itself: it's a nice extra, not the main event. Character AI is built around characters and roleplay, and calls are one more way to enjoy them. If voice is the whole reason you're here, apps that sell themselves on calls may suit you better.

For that, check the table just below, "The apps side by side". It puts Character AI next to five companion apps and shows which of them list voice calls, and whether they sit on a free or paid plan.

And if you're thinking of moving your chats to another app for better calls, clear your history first. My page how to delete Character AI chats walks you through it.

What the records don't give is technical detail: no published call length, no minutes allowance and no list of voices. So I can't tell you how long a call can run or how many voices there are. Anyone who quotes exact numbers for those should show you where they come from. Until Character AI publishes them, I'd treat any call limit you read about as a rumour.

Other reviewers found a few voices pleasantly convincing and others as dull as a bored audiobook robot, and that delays happen and the emotional tone can be off. I'd take that seriously. If the first voice you hear feels flat, try a different character before you decide calls aren't for you.

• Free: unlimited messaging, full ads, slow mode at busy times, limited daily features
• (c.ai) lite, $4.99 a month: some premium chat-style messages each day, fewer ads, 30 memory pins
• c.ai+, $9.99 a month: no ads, no slow mode, unlimited premium chat styles, the highest daily limits
• c.ai+ Annual at $94.99 billed once a year, or $7.92 a month spread out

My view: don't upgrade just for calls. If slow mode at busy times annoys you in text chats, c.ai+ removes it, and that may make the whole app feel smoother. But nothing on file promises longer, clearer or more frequent calls on a paid plan, and you won't get money back unless the law says you must.

If you're weighing the app as a whole, not just the voice feature, my full Character AI review goes through memory, the plans and the catch. Calls are a good bonus there, and I'd judge the app on its characters first.

• Candy AI lists voice calls, and other reviewers rank how its calls sound among the best, with plenty of expression. The 1-Month Plan is €13.99; its current 12-month offer is €47.88 upfront.
• OurDream AI lists voice calls, and its Deluxe Annual plan at $359.88 a year includes 100 minutes of them. One reviewer gave its calls 3.6/5 and named the coin meter as the biggest downside.
• Nomi AI puts voice calls in Standard, its $15.99 monthly plan. Reviewers say you may wait 15-20 seconds after you speak before her answer plays.
• GirlfriendGPT lists voice calls as paid; live calls on the Elite tier at $50.00 a month were described as real-time.
• SpicyChat lists voice as limited: text-to-speech for AI replies needs Im All In, which costs $29.95 monthly.

My honest ranking for a voice-first reader: Candy AI if audio quality matters most, Nomi AI if you want a steady companion and can live with the lag, and Character AI if you want calls without paying at all. That last point matters. Character AI pairs listed calls with unlimited free messaging, which none of the others on this page offer, and that's a strong argument for starting there.

What I'd be careful with is coin-based calling. When call time draws from a token balance, a long chat can cost more than you expect, and a monthly plan price doesn't tell you the real cost. OurDream AI's minutes allowance is at least written down, which I prefer to a meter you only notice when it's empty.

Whichever app you pick, read what a call actually costs on your plan before the first long evening of talking, so the bill holds no surprises.

If you want a ranked list that weighs more than voice, my list of Character AI alternatives looks at roleplay, characters, group chat and price as well. The box below sums up OurDream AI, the app on this page with a published allowance of call minutes.

First, the microphone. A voice call needs your phone or browser to let the app use it. If you declined that permission once, the call may fail quietly. Your device's own settings will show whether the app has microphone access.

Second, the app version. An outdated app is a common reason for any feature to go missing. If you can't find the call option at all, an update is a cheap thing to rule out before anything else.

Third, your connection. A voice call needs a steadier connection than text, and a weak signal can drop it or make the reply lag. Switching from mobile data to Wi-Fi, or the other way round, is worth a go.

Fourth, busy times. The free plan uses slow mode when the service is under high load. That's documented for replies in general, and it's reasonable to wait and retry at a quieter hour if a call won't connect during a peak.

If none of that works, it may simply be the service. Better to say so honestly than make up a fix. Contact Character AI's support, and on c.ai+ note that the plan lists premium support.

One thing I would not do is pay for c.ai+ hoping it fixes a broken call. Nothing on file says calls work differently on paid plans, and a payment is only refunded when the law requires it. Sort out the device side first.

My general view is that voice features on any companion app are more fragile than text, simply because more has to go right: the microphone, the connection, the voice itself. That's not a reason to avoid them. It's a reason to be patient and to keep text as your fallback.

For other common questions, from cancelling a plan to deleting your chats, my help section collects the short answers in one place.

If you're searching how to call people on Character AI, the answer is that the characters are the only ones on the other end.

So can Character AI call the police? Nothing in the records points that way. It's a chat and roleplay app, not a phone service. If you or someone near you is in danger, close the app and call your local emergency number from your phone. Please don't rely on a character to pass anything on.

I'd add one gentle point. A character can sound caring and very present on a call, and that's part of what makes voice appealing. But it can't act in the real world for you, and it's good to keep that line clear in your head, especially late at night.

Text has real advantages, though. You can reread, edit your own messages and take your time. And since voice quality reportedly varies a lot between characters, text is the steadier experience.

My take: use calls as a treat, not a replacement. Keep your long stories in text, and switch to voice when you want a scene to feel closer. That mix gives you the best of both without depending on the more fragile feature.

It also keeps a written record of the story you can scroll back through, which a spoken call doesn't give you, and that matters more than you'd think once a plot gets long.

Everything on this page comes from official pages and plan descriptions; my method page on how apps are checked spells out the sources and how prices get dated. That's why this page doesn't quote call lengths or voice counts for Character AI: none are published in what's on file.

If a character's replies play aloud when you don't want them to, muting your device or using headphones is a sensible stopgap until you find the app's own control. Text chat stays unlimited on the free plan, so you lose nothing by sticking to typing.

Some readers also ask whether a call changes what a character will say. The content policy on file doesn't split voice from text: adult content isn't allowed on Character AI at all. That policy gets its own page, whether Character AI will allow NSFW, with the details, so I won't repeat it here.

Where it wobbles is consistency. Voice quality reportedly varies between characters, and delays and odd emotional tone happen. I'd treat calls as a bonus on top of the text chat, not the reason to join.

If voice is your main reason for using a companion app at all, compare Candy AI, Nomi AI or OurDream AI before you pay anyone, since each lists voice calls with its own trade-off: price, lag or a minutes allowance. If you mostly want characters and stories with a voice now and then, stay on Character AI's free plan. You get calls, unlimited messaging and every character without spending a cent.

That's the whole decision, really. Start free, make a few calls, and only pay somewhere else if voice turns out to be the part you can't do without.