Character.AI is going through a court-supervised sale, and the company has said the platform will be wound down if no workable bid comes in. Whatever happens, keeping your own copy of your chats and characters is sensible. Here is how to do it, step by step, using the steps in Character.AI's own help center.
Short version
- Request the official export today: it can take 3 to 4 weeks to arrive.
- Download the file within 7 days of the email.
- Copy each character you made (name, greeting, description, definition) into a document now. Don't wait for the export.
- Copy any single conversation you'd hate to lose into a document or save it as a PDF.
Step 1: Request your data export
On the website
- Sign in at character.ai and open your Profile.
- Go to Profile Settings, then Account.
- Open Manage Account & Data and choose Export Data.
- A pop-up confirms that you'll get an email with a download link.
In the mobile app
- Open your Profile and tap the Settings icon.
- Tap Legal & Privacy, then Export Data.
Menu names can change between app versions. If you can't find the option, search Character.AI's help center for "download my data".
Step 2: Wait for the email, then download quickly
Character.AI's help center says an export can take 3 to 4 weeks to process, and the download link is valid for 7 days from the time the email is sent. Check your spam folder while you wait, and download the archive as soon as it arrives. Keep it somewhere you back up, such as a cloud drive.
Step 3: Know what you're getting
The export covers your whole account at once, not one chat at a time. It's a data archive made for software, so expect files rather than a neatly formatted transcript. Open it with a text editor if you're curious; you don't need to do anything with it right away. The point is to have it.
Step 4: Save your characters by hand, now
If you created characters, the most valuable thing you own is the text that defines them. Don't rely on the export alone. For each character:
- Open the character's edit screen.
- Copy the name, greeting, description and definition (including any example dialogue) into a document.
- Save the character's picture if it's yours.
- Note anything you'd want to remember: the tone, the running jokes, the story so far.
This takes a few minutes per character, and it's the part you'll be gladdest to have.
Step 5: Keep the conversations that matter most
For a handful of chats you really care about, a quick manual copy is often more useful than the raw export:
- On a computer: open the chat, scroll up to load the part you want, select the text and paste it into a document. Or use your browser's Print command and choose "Save as PDF".
- On a phone: take screenshots of key moments, or copy messages one at a time.
Browser extensions that claim to download chats exist, but they're unofficial. If you try one, check what permissions it asks for, because it can read the pages you visit.
Step 6 (optional): Bring your character somewhere else
A character definition is just text, so you can recreate it in another app. On NuraMate, open Create your own, choose Bringing a character from Character.AI? Paste it here, paste the name, greeting, description and definition, then choose Import. The fields are filled in for you; a long definition continues in the character's lorebook. Placeholders like {{user}} and {{char}} carry over. Your old chats don't move automatically, but you can tell your new companion the story so far and save the key points as memories.
Creating your own character is part of NuraMate Plus and Pro. On the Free plan you can chat with any of the ready-made companions.
What about deleting your account?
Character.AI says you can delete your account through the app or the website. If you plan to delete it, request and download your export first: deletion can't be undone, and your characters go with it.
Sources: Character.AI help center, "How do I download my data?"; Character.AI, "An update on Character.ai" (October 2026). Steps checked on October 28, 2026. NuraMate is not affiliated with Character.AI.
