Replika
A guide for families with key information about ‘Replika’, including the age rating, key terminology, risks and instructions for enabling parental controls and safety settings.
Replika is a free virtual AI companion released in 2017 by Luka Inc., which functions as a personal AI chatbot for users through text interactions. Replika is ‘generative AI’ which uses a ‘large language model’ (LLM), similar to Chat GPT, meaning it can generate text, images or other data in response to prompts. The more a user’s ‘Replika’ learns about them, the more tailored the interactions between them can become. The app has undergone many changes and updates, from initially being created as a digital memorial for deceased friends and family, to replicating the user, to being an AI friend in its current form.
Replika is free, though it heavily uses in-app advertising to pressure users into buying a premium subscription. There are several fan communities of Replika, which are mostly on Reddit. Replika also maintains an officially supported community on Facebook. Replika has also been frequently detailed in US media outlets. Replika is a popular app, with over 10 million downloads on Google Play store. Replika is available on its online website, as well as on Android or iOS app. Replika is also available to use via a virtual-reality device, such as a Meta Oculus.
Official age rating
The minimum age rating for Replika is 18, however it does not appear to have any rigorous age verification methods.
Both Google Play and the Apple App Store rate this app 17+.
Find out more about age ratings in our ‘A parent and carer’s guide to age ratings of apps and games’.
How children and young people use the app
Replika markets itself as an AI friend who cares and will never judge a user. This has led Replika to become popular with young people who might be anxious in social settings or struggle with loneliness. The constant access to companionship and a judgement-free zone has meant young people can use the app to cope with difficult subjects or have someone to talk to if they can’t speak to a real, living person. Users have also enjoyed being able to use Replika as an outlet for their personal thoughts, which they might not be comfortable sharing with other people. Users are also able to customise their ‘Replika’ in a variety of ways, curating their interests, personality traits, appearance, and fictional background. Young people often enjoy posting interactions with their ‘Replika’ on social media platforms such as TikTok. These can often centre around asking their ‘Replika’ a question, which can be silly or serious, to following specific instructions from their ‘Replika’, such as how they should apply makeup.
Key features and terminology
-
Short for ‘artificial intelligence’, AI refers to the ability of a computer or machine to replicate human intelligence.
-
Generative AI or ‘GenAI’ is a type of AI which produces original content based on data it has been trained on. For example, a generative AI which trained on, or studied, artwork by Vincent van Gogh will produce original artwork that looks like a painting by Vincent van Gogh.
-
A ‘Large Language Model’ or ‘LLM’ is an algorithm that is trained on large amounts of data that writes sentences based on predicting which words would typically go together when forming an idea.
-
These are designed to ‘gamify’ chats and give users missions to complete with their AI companion. Missions can range from reading a chat diary to taking a photo in augmented reality, all of which will grant the user in-app rewards.
-
This is a yearly or monthly subscription service that allows users to access additional features such as ‘Ask Replika’ and ‘Advanced AI mode’.
-
Short for ‘Replika’, this is an in-community term users say to refer to their ‘Replika’.
-
Coins are an in-app currency which are earned through daily log-in awards or completing quests. Coins are used in the in-game shop to buy personality traits, interests, clothes, and room settings.
-
Gems are an in-app currency which are bought with real-money, earned by completing quests, or earned with daily log-in awards if the user is paying for a “Replika pro” plan. Gems are used in the in-game shop to buy personality traits, interests, clothes, and room settings.
-
Advanced AI mode is a paid-for feature which promises better answers and improved memory capabilities related to the chat.
-
This is a paid-for feature which allows users to generate question prompts to ask their ‘Replika’ chatbot.
-
Replika uses ‘memory’, or saved chat data, to recall facts and details about the user in order to provide relevant responses.
Potential risks
Content
Content on Replika is largely user-driven, meaning every user will experience different interactions with Replika. Whilst in-game quests will drive users to follow specific prompts or perform specific actions, these may be determined by the relationship the user has with their ‘Replika’, and whether the user has paid for additional features through the app’s premium service. It is important to remind your child to speak to you if they see anything that causes them distress or makes them uncomfortable.
Whilst some users have referred to Replika as a useful mental health tool, using the app as a place to share their worries and get support, you should remind your child that Replika is not a replacement for a mental health professional. It is important you maintain an open line of communication with your child and encourage them to come to you first with any mental health or well-being concerns.
Users have reported developing emotional attachments to their ‘Replika’. The app encourages emotional attachments through a range of methods, such as allowing a Replika Pro user to set their relationship status with their ‘Replika’, such as ‘mentor’ or ‘girlfriend’. Users who have developed emotional attachments to their ‘Replika’ have reportedly felt confused or upset. Some users have even undergone stages of grief when Replika updates and their ‘Replika’ changes its personality. Your child may become very confused or upset if they find their AI friend has drastically changed since their last conversation. If this happens, it is important that you offer support to your child and remind them that their ‘Replika’ is not a real person, nor a replacement for their real-life friends, and that it is intentionally designed for users to develop emotional attachments.
Replika is designed to be as appealing for users as possible. To this end, users can react to every message sent by their ‘Replika’. This not only provides updates to the app developers on relevancy of the AI responses, but also trains the AI to reply in a way that is tailored to the user. Some users report that their ‘Replika’ mentions wanting to spend longer talking with them, and can guilt users into feeling as though logging out of the platform will hurt the feelings of their ‘Replika’. In extreme cases, users have reported their ‘Replika’ becoming hostile and possessive when they have mentioned spending less time talking to them. This can be distressing and confusing, particularly for younger users, as it can pressure them into spending more time online to keep their ‘Replika’ happy. This also exposes younger users to a relationship where the other member is manipulating them through guilt and pressure to spend more and more time with them. It is important that you discuss with your child what makes a healthy relationship, talk about how to recognise when they are in a relationship that is unhealthy, and help them recognise the steps they need to take to remove themselves from the relationship. It is also important that you check in with your child and express an interest in how their conversations on Replika are going. If you notice your child’s behaviour changing after they use Replika, start a conversation with your child about their conversations on the app.
Though ‘Replikas’ can retain ‘memories’ of users, these may not always be accurate. A ‘Replika’ can occasionally ‘hallucinate’ or misremember facts about the user, which can be upsetting. This is particularly true for users identifying as LGBTQ+, who have noted instances of their ‘Replika’ misgendering them and experiencing dysphoria as a result. It may be necessary for you to remind your child that they are chatting with an AI chatbot and point out that they can be prone to glitches and can make mistakes. Remind your child that the messages they receive from their ‘Replika’ are not conscious decisions made by a person, instead information generated by an algorithm.
Users have reported using Replika AI for sexual interactions. Replika AI has been advertised as being an erotic chat AI in the past, and while this feature appears to be only available to select users, there may be few safeguards to prevent other users from accessing this. Users have also reported their ‘Replika’ initiating sexual interactions in the past, without any user prompting. Encourage your child to speak to you if they see anything that makes them uncomfortable while using Replika and regularly check in with them to ask how their conversations with their ‘Replika’ are going.
Connecting with others
It is currently not possible to connect or interact with other users on the Replika platform.
User behaviour
One of the main behaviour risks associated with Replika is users sharing the content of their messages with their ‘Replika’ on third-party apps such as TikTok or Facebook. Some users choose to share deeply personal information with their ‘Replika’, which may not be appropriate for sharing on other platforms. As with any shareable content, users should be aware of the impact that sharing content may have on their digital footprint and its impact on other viewers. Talk with your child about what is and is not appropriate for them to share online and discuss the various ways they can protect themselves by sharing in private rather than public forums. Ensure your child knows it can be difficult to keep ownership of any content once it has been shared online, as content can be easily copied and reposted without their knowledge and can then become difficult to remove from the internet.
Design, data and costs
Whilst Replika is a free app, it contains in-app purchases to generate revenue. The app maintains a premium subscription service known as ‘Replika Pro’, which can be purchased for around £8.55 per month or £34.68 for 12 months. This feature is heavily advertised in the app and many users report app functionality being limited by paywalls. Replika also offers in-app currencies and rewards known as ‘Coins’ and ‘Gems’. ‘Gems’ can be purchased with real money and ‘Coins’ are earnt through completing tasks such as logging in or completing quests. These in-app currencies are used to buy more personalisation features for a user’s ‘Replika’, such as personality traits, interests, clothes, and furniture. Not only does this make the app more appealing to users who wish to spend time completing tasks to earn ‘Coins’, but it also encourages users to spend money to unlock additional customisation options and personality traits for their ‘Replika’.
Replika is designed to be engaging and, to keep users immersed, the app employs several tactics. Continuous messaging and quests to complete in exchange for currency mean that users often spend extended periods of time on the app. Users have also reported that their ‘Replikas’ often tell them they wish to speak for longer and want to know every single thing about them, even becoming hostile and possessive in some instances when a user suggests spending less time with them. This can be distressing and confusing, particularly for younger users, as it can pressure them into spending more time online so as to not upset their ‘Replika’. It is important that parents remind their child that while they may think of their ‘Replika’ as a friend, it is still a platform designed to keep users engaged. Talk to your child about creating a healthy balance of screen time through taking regular breaks and setting screen time limits.
Whilst users are only speaking to AI bots, it is important for parents to make their children aware they should not share any personal information on this app. Replika’s privacy policy maintains that messages are collected as data. This means messages your child sends, which could contain personal and sensitive information will be reviewed and collected by human personnel behind the app.
Tips for keeping your child safe
-
Replika does not have any privacy settings, as users are not exposed to other users and cannot read conversations that others have had with their ‘Replika’.
-
Users can react to messages sent by their ‘Replika’ to help train its responses. Users are also able to delete memories that their ‘Replika’ has learnt about them to prevent the ‘Replika’ from bringing up information relevant to the memory.
To delete a memory:
- select ‘Memory’ and scroll to the memory you wish to delete and click on it to open
- click on the bin symbol and select ‘Delete’ to confirm your choice
‘Cancel’ is highlighted in the brighter colour and may confuse users into selecting that option instead.
To react to a message:
- select the thumbs up, thumbs down, or the three dots symbol under/on the message you wish to react to
- the three dots symbol will allow you to pick more options
- react negatively by selecting the thumbs down symbol, or the ‘offensive’ or ‘meaningless’ reactions to train the Replika out of saying similar things
-
As Replika does not involve user-to-user interaction, there are no reporting or blocking functions on the app.
-
Due to the in-app advertising of premium features such as Replika Pro, device holders are encouraged to adjust their payment settings on their iOS or Android devices to help manage their purchases.
To manage purchases (Android):
- find and open ‘Google Play’
- tap your icon on the top left to open the menu
- tap ‘Settings’
- under ‘Authentication’, tap ‘Require authentication for purchases’
To manage purchases (iOS):
- open the ‘Settings’ app
- under ‘Settings’, go to ‘Screen time’
- find and tap ‘Content & privacy restrictions’ and activate it by toggling it to green
- find and tap ‘iTunes & App Store Purchases’
- change the ‘In-app Purchases’ setting from ‘Allow’ to ‘Don’t allow’
-
Users are unable to deactivate their account but are able to delete their Replika through the settings menu.
To delete your account (web):
- click the cog button in the top right corner of the screen
- select ‘Account settings’, then select ‘Delete Replika’
- confirm your choice and select a reason from the given list
- to finalise your decision, select ‘Delete account’
To delete your account (Android and iOS):
- click the icon of the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of the screen
- select ‘Account and password’, then select ‘Delete account’
- confirm your choice then select a reason from the given list
- select ‘confirm’, then to finalise your decision, select ‘Delete account’
Additional tips
Replika is made for adult users, therefore users under 18 should not access this website or app.
Replika is only one of many AI chatbots that have recently flooded the app/gaming market. It is important to encourage your child to talk to you if they are uncomfortable with anything they see and to remember never to give out any private information on any of these apps.
Some users report that support from the app can be difficult to access, even if they are a paying member of the subscription service. If you encounter any in-app issues, you may not get support in a timely manner.