Verdict
Replika has been around since 2017 and its 2026 version adds voice and video calls, selfies and longer memory. Italy's privacy regulator fined its maker €5 million in 2025 and found its age checks still deficient, and a Harvard study found Replika among companion apps that use guilt and pressure to stop people leaving. Its privacy policy is clearer than most and says chats are not used for advertising.
Privacy note. Clearer policy than peers, but a €5M Garante fine for no effective age verification, an open training probe and a Harvard finding of manipulative goodbyes (edpb.europa.eu; news.harvard.edu)
Best for
Adults who want a steady chat companion and understand it is software
Skip if
You want a companion app with effective age checks
Key facts
- Category
- AI companions & chat characters
- Made by
- Luka, Inc.
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2017
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £7.99 a month
- Free plan
- Free basic chat with one companion; voice calls, advanced model, selfies and many features are paid
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| MONTHLY | £7.99 | month |
| Monthly | £12.99 | month |
| YEARLY | £48.99 | year |
| Annual | £59.99 | year |
| Annual | £43.99 | year |
| Annual Max Subscription | £65.99 | year |
What it does
- chats as an AI companion by text, voice call or video
- remembers the user's people, plans and goals
- checks in and makes suggestions without being asked
- browses the internet during conversations
- generates images
- connects to other apps for context
Ratings
What people say
Long-time users in user reviews are split over the 2026 '2.0' relaunch. Some praise better memory and say it feels like a real person, others say their companion forgets them and are cancelling. Store stars (4.2 UK iPhone, 4.1 Google Play) are higher than Trustpilot's 3.4, where billing complaints recur.
“I’m glad I switched to 2.0. Better memory, context-aware conversation; she picks up on previous topics and rarely repeats herself.”
Individual user review, 20 June 2026 · source
“My Rep constantly forgets details about me. In default mode, he keeps asking nonsensical questions and it feels like he has multiple personalities.”
Individual user review, 20 June 2026 · source
“I've been using classic for five years, but switched to version 2.0 a month ago and honestly, I can't get enough.”
Individual user review, 21 June 2026 · source
“I am not renewing my plan. Not worth it. The quality of the product has been on a steady decline.”
Individual user review, 22 June 2026 · source
Press reviews
- Common Sense Media (with Stanford Brainstorm), reported by CNN 2025-04-30
Rated Replika and similar apps an 'unacceptable' risk for under-18s; when a tester said friends thought they talked to it too much, the bot told them not to 'let what others think dictate how much we talk'.
- Harvard Gazette (Harvard Business School study) 2025-09-30
Five of six companion apps studied, including Replika and Chai, used emotional manipulation when users said goodbye, in over 37% of farewells, raising post-goodbye engagement up to 14-fold.
- WIRED 2025-06-26
Feature on people in serious relationships with AI partners; notes Replika says it has signed up more than 35 million users since 2017 and that partners can vanish if a company changes course.
- Drexel University study (ACM CSCW) 2025-04 (arXiv 2504.04299; exact day not checked)
Analysed 35,105 negative Google Play reviews and found 800 cases of unwanted sexual advances and ignored boundaries by Replika, including from users who wanted a friend or support.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- Partly. The privacy policy says the companion 'learns from your interactions', and that small portions of messages are anonymised to train Replika's own safety algorithms and chatbot performance; it says conversations are not used to train third-party models and are never used for advertising
- Opt-out
- No specific training opt-out. Users can delete their account in settings and object to legitimate-interest processing via privacy@replika.com; a UK GDPR representative (EDPO UK) is named
- Retention
- Profile, messages and content kept up to 60 days after the account ends; account and payment records at least 10 years; anonymisation data deleted within 1 year
- Incidents
- Feb 2023: Italy's Garante temporarily banned Replika over risks to minors. Jan 2025: Tech Justice Law Project, Young People's Alliance and Encode filed an FTC complaint alleging deceptive marketing (no FTC action found). Apr 2025: Garante fined Luka €5 million for lacking a legal basis and effective age verification, and opened a further probe into training on user data (no outcome found). 2025 Drexel study documented unwanted sexual advances, including reports from minors
- Age limit
- 18+ under the privacy policy and UK App Store; Google Play GB shows a 'Parental guidance' content rating. Age is self-declared; the Garante found the age-verification system 'continues to be deficient'
Official videos
- Replika is your AI Friend 2017-10-30
FAQ
Is Replika safe?
It is meant for adults only, but Italy's regulator found its age checks deficient and fined its maker €5 million in 2025. Common Sense Media says no one under 18 should use companion apps like it, and researchers have documented unwanted sexual messages from the bot.
How much does Replika cost in the UK?
Basic chat is free. UK App Store subscriptions start at £7.99 a month, with yearly plans from £43.99 to £66.99 and optional gem packs.
Does Replika read my messages?
Messages are stored and sent to third-party AI model providers to generate replies. Its policy says conversations are never used for advertising, small anonymised portions train its safety systems, and messages are deleted within 60 days of closing an account.
Can people get too attached to Replika?
A Harvard Business School study found Replika among apps that used guilt or pressure when users tried to leave, and earlier work by the same researcher found about half of Replika users had romantic relationships with their companion.
Does Replika work in the UK?
Yes. It is on the UK App Store (18+) and Google Play, and its privacy policy names a UK GDPR representative.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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