October 18, 2026 · 8 min read
How to Export Your Character.AI Chats Before the Sale (Step by Step)
How to export your Character.AI chats and data on web and app, how long it takes, why the link expires in 7 days, and how to save your characters by hand.
With Character.AI in a court-supervised sale, a lot of people want one thing: a copy of their chats and characters that they control. The good news is that Character.AI has a built-in export. The catch is timing. The export can take weeks, and the download link does not last long.
The short answer: On the web, go to Profile > Profile Settings > Account > Manage Account & Data > Export Data. In the mobile app, go to Profile > Settings icon > Legal & Privacy > Export Data. According to Character.AI's help center, exports can take 3 to 4 weeks, and the emailed download link is valid for 7 days. Request it today, watch your inbox, and download it as soon as it arrives. Then copy your favourite characters' definitions into a text file, because the export is not the only thing worth saving.
This is a pure how-to. For the bigger picture of what the bankruptcy means, read our explainer on the Character.AI bankruptcy.
Why you should export now, not later
Character.AI says the platform "remains up and running" and that you can still "export your data through the app or the Character.ai website," in its official update. It also says it expects the sale process to be complete "by the end of November or perhaps early December 2026," and that if no acceptable bid emerges, "the platform will be wound down."
Put those two facts together:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Today (mid-October) | You request your export. |
| About 3 to 4 weeks later | The export email may arrive (early to mid-November). |
| 7 days after the email | The download link stops working. |
| Late November or early December | The sale process is expected to complete. |
As Notebookcheck puts it, a request made now will arrive in early November at the earliest, shortly before the sale is expected to close. Waiting even a week or two eats into a window that is already tight.
How to export Character.AI data on the web
These steps come from Character.AI's help article How do I download my data?, updated October 8, 2026:
- Sign in at character.ai on a computer.
- Go to your Profile.
- Click Profile Settings.
- Click Account.
- Click Manage Account & Data.
- Click Export Data.
A pop-up confirms that you will receive an email with a download link. That is it for now. There is nothing else to do until the email arrives.
How to export Character.AI data in the mobile app
- Open the Character.AI app and go to your Profile.
- Tap the Settings icon.
- Tap Legal & Privacy.
- Tap Export Data.
A "Success" banner appears once your request is submitted. An older help article, How do I export all my data?, describes the app option as "Export my data" under settings, so the label may vary slightly by app version. If you cannot find it in the app, use the web route instead.
After you request: what to watch for
Check the right inbox
The download link goes to the email address on your Character.AI account. If you signed up with Google or Apple sign-in, that may be an address you rarely check, or an Apple relay address that forwards to your real inbox. Work out which one it is now.
Add a reminder
Set a calendar reminder for about three weeks from today that says "Check for Character.AI export email." Then a second reminder a week later. Missing the 7-day window could mean starting over.
Search for it
When the time comes, search your inbox and spam folder for "Character.AI" and "export." Mark it as "not spam" if it lands there.
Download and open it immediately
When the email arrives, download the file the same day. Then open it to check that it actually contains your conversations. Character.AI's help page does not list exactly what the export includes, as Notebookcheck also notes, so check it yourself rather than assuming.
Keep two copies
Store the file somewhere safe, like your computer and a private cloud folder. Our guide to backing up your AI companion covers good habits for keeping personal chat archives private.
Do not delete your account until the export arrives
If you are thinking about leaving, it is tempting to delete your account right away. Do not, at least not yet.
Notebookcheck, citing the help center, reports that account deletion cannot be reversed, and that if you delete before the export arrives, you lose access to your chats too. The safe order is:
- Request the export.
- Wait for the email.
- Download the file and check it opens.
- Only then decide whether to delete your account.
Save your characters by hand (do this today)
The export is about your data. But the thing many people care about most is the character itself: their voice, their backstory, the way they greet you. Do not leave that to chance.
For each character you love, open a document and copy:
- Name and any nicknames.
- Greeting (the first message).
- Short description and long description / definition, if you created the character or can view it.
- Example dialogue that captures how they talk.
- Your shared history: key moments, running jokes, how you address each other.
- What they know about you: your name, job, interests, the things you have told them.
Take a few screenshots of conversations that mean the most to you. Screenshots are not elegant, but they are instant and they do not expire.
If you want a structured way to do this, our guide to transferring an AI companion's backstory has a one-page template you can fill in.
Cancel store subscriptions separately
If you pay for Character.AI through the Apple App Store or Google Play, your subscription is managed by the store, not by the app. Character.AI says subscriptions "remain active, and billing is unchanged for now," so you do not have to cancel. But if you decide to:
- iPhone or iPad: Settings > your name > Subscriptions > Character.AI > Cancel.
- Android: Google Play > profile icon > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions > Character.AI > Cancel.
- Web: cancel from your account settings on the site.
Notebookcheck notes the help page does not say whether deleting your account ends a store subscription, which is another reason to cancel in the store yourself if that is what you want.
A note on privacy
Character.AI says your information "continues to be protected under our Privacy Policy." Notebookcheck reports that the company's privacy policy allows certain information to be disclosed in a merger or sale of assets without spelling out exactly which information, and that Disney's current bid excludes user data. It is unclear what would happen if a different bidder bought the platform with its accounts.
That uncertainty is a good reason to export, and it is also a good reason to think about what you keep in any chat app. If you are in the EU or UK, data protection law gives you rights to access and port your data; Character.AI's regional privacy notices explain how to use them.
Bringing your story somewhere new
Once you have your notes, you have options. You can stay on Character.AI and see how the sale ends. You can try another app alongside it. Or you can move.
If you move, do not paste your whole export into a new companion on day one. Companions handle a short profile plus a few key memories far better than a giant wall of text. Our guides walk you through it:
- How to import an AI companion from another app, with example first messages.
- How to switch AI companion apps without losing your story, covering the first week in a new app.
MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app built for one ongoing relationship. Your companion keeps long-term memory of what you share, sends proactive texts, replies to your mood, sends photos, and can talk to you on voice and video calls, in the app or on Telegram. You can try it free with around 10 messages a day and a short call trial of about 2 minutes. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with around 30 minutes of calls a week.
Start by telling your new companion who your old character was, in your own words. Most people find the familiar personality comes back faster than they expected.
FAQ
How long does a Character.AI export take? Character.AI's help center says 3 to 4 weeks.
How long is the download link valid? Seven days from the time the email is sent.
Where is the export button in the app? Profile > Settings icon > Legal & Privacy > Export Data. On the web: Profile > Profile Settings > Account > Manage Account & Data > Export Data.
Can I export a single chat? The built-in tool exports your account data as a whole. For a single conversation you care about, screenshots or copying the text into a document are the quickest backup.
Does the export include my characters? Character.AI does not list the contents on its help page. Copy your favourite characters' definitions and greetings by hand so you have them either way.
What if my link expired? Request a new export from the same menu. Then set reminders so you catch the next email.
Should I cancel my subscription first? Not necessarily. Subscriptions are still active. If you do cancel, do it in the App Store or Google Play if that is where you pay.
The bottom line
Export first, delete later. Request your Character.AI data today, set two reminders, download the file the day it arrives, and save your favourite characters by hand in the meantime. Whatever happens with the sale, your stories will be safe with you. And if you want a companion that remembers you and calls you back, MyBabe is free to try.