Is Character.AI Shutting Down? Sale Dates & Exit Kit
Your checklist
- Request your data export today. On the web: Profile → Settings → Account → Export Data. In the app: Settings → Export Data. Character.AI says exports take 3–4 weeks and arrive as an email link that works for 7 days. Requested on November 3, 2026, it should arrive by late November. Character.AI help: How do I download my data?
- Save the character definitions you care about. Copy the greeting, description and example dialogue of your favourite characters into a document while you can still see them. That text is what you need to rebuild a character elsewhere.
- Decide about c.ai+. c.ai+ costs $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year in the US. If you subscribe, consider whether to keep renewing until the sale outcome is known. Cancel through the same place you subscribed (web, App Store or Google Play), and check Character.AI’s help centre for current billing terms first.
- Pick where to go next. Compare 10 Character.AI alternatives with dated prices, or use the match finder with Character.AI excluded. Our guide to moving a companion to another app explains what carries over.
- Optional: delete your account, but only after your export has downloaded and you have opened it to check it is complete. Deleting first loses the data for good.
What the sale covers
Character Technologies filed for Chapter 11 on 12 October 2026 and agreed that Disney will act as the “stalking-horse” bidder: an opening offer of $20 million for a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to some of Character.AI’s technology, plus transition services from former employees Disney hired. Reuters reported the company was burning more than $8 million a month and could shut down if no buyer emerges to carry on its operations.
A case summary of the filings says the licence excludes the brand, domains, the consumer apps, user data, inputs and outputs, training data and finished models, and that if no better offer emerges the platform would be wound down. Other bidders can still come forward before the 20 November deadline, so the outcome is not settled. On 30 October Judge Brendan Shannon approved the bidding procedures over objections from a group of states and the US Trustee, keeping the $21.7 million rival-bid floor and the November calendar. The judge declined to require a privacy ombudsman but strongly encouraged hiring a privacy expert, and did not grant Disney’s proposed legal protections for itself and the former Character.AI staff it hired, according to Reuters.
Key dates
| Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| October 12, 2026 | Character Technologies filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware, with Disney as $20M stalking-horse bidder for a non-exclusive licence to some IP. Reuters reported burn of over $8M a month and a possible shutdown if no buyer emerges. | Reuters, 13 Oct 2026 |
| October 27, 2026 | Character.AI asked the court to approve its auction rules over objections from a group of states and the US Trustee, keeping a $21.7M minimum for rival bids and a $700,000 break-up fee for Disney. | PPC Land report of the court filing |
| October 30, 2026 | Delaware bankruptcy judge Brendan Shannon approved Character.AI’s bidding procedures and auction rules at a Wilmington hearing, keeping the November calendar. He declined to require a privacy ombudsman but strongly encouraged hiring a privacy expert, and did not grant proposed legal protections for Disney and the former Character.AI staff Disney hired. | Reuters, 30 Oct 2026 |
| November 13, 2026 (scheduled) | Deadline for objections to the proposed sale. | Bondoro case summary |
| November 19, 2026 (scheduled) | Meeting of creditors, where company officers answer questions under oath, the day before the bid deadline. | PPC Land report of the case calendar |
| November 20, 2026 (scheduled) | Bid deadline for Character.AI’s assets. | Bondoro case summary |
| November 23, 2026 (scheduled) | Auction, if qualified bids beat the stalking-horse offer. | Bondoro case summary |
| November 24, 2026 (scheduled) | Sale hearing in the Chapter 11 case. If Disney’s $20M stalking-horse bid wins, the platform is expected to wind down. | Bondoro case summary of the Delaware filing (case 26-11603) |
Court dates come from a case summary of the Delaware filings and can move. The claims agent’s case site, cases.stretto.com/chartech, holds the official docket. We update this page weekly until the sale closes. Machine-readable change log: /data/companion-pricing.json.
Frequently asked questions
Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not yet. Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 on 12 October 2026 and is running a sale process. Reuters reported the company could shut down if no buyer emerges to carry on its operations, and a case summary of the filings says the platform would be wound down if Disney’s $20 million bid for a licence to some of its technology is the winning offer.
How long does a Character.AI data export take?
Character.AI’s help centre says exports can take 3 to 4 weeks. You get an email with a download link that is valid for 7 days, so download it as soon as it arrives.
Does Disney get my chats?
According to a case summary of the court filings, Disney’s stalking-horse offer is a non-exclusive licence that excludes user data, inputs and outputs, the consumer apps and the brand. Those stay with Character.AI’s estate. Another bidder could still win at auction: rival bids are reported to need at least $21.7 million, and are due by 20 November. On 30 October a Delaware judge approved the auction rules but declined to require a privacy ombudsman, strongly encouraging the company to hire a privacy expert, Reuters reported.
Can I move my Character.AI characters to another app?
Not automatically. No other app imports Character.AI characters or memory. You can rebuild a character elsewhere from its definition and your exported chats; our guide on transferring companions explains what carries over.