How to Block Character.AI and AI Companion Apps in Schools
AI companion and character chat services are a different problem from homework assistants. This guide shows school IT teams how to block them on managed Chromebooks and the school network, without switching off the AI tools teachers have approved.
The short version
- Block the companion subcategory, not "all AI".
- Enforce it in Google Admin and in your filter.
- Lock down Android apps, guest mode and extensions.
- Cover devices when they leave the building.
- Test, then tell parents what changed and why.
Block the companion apps without losing the approved assistants
Our hosted CIPA filter treats this as two separate decisions. You can leave a homework assistant open for one school and keep companion chat sites blocked everywhere else.
- Always-allow and always-block lists per school do the fine tuning after the category choice.
- New companion apps are classified by our data team, so the list does not rely on someone spotting them.
- The filter blocks by domain and never reads conversations or monitors students.
Why schools block AI companion apps
Character chat services let a student hold long, personal conversations with an AI persona. Districts that block them usually point to student wellbeing, not cheating.
Emotional dependency
Personas are built to be warm and always available. Counselors report students treating them as a confidant in place of trusted adults.
Role-play that drifts
User-created characters can steer chats into romantic, sexual or violent scenarios that would be harmful to minors.
Self-harm topics
Lawsuits and regulator inquiries since 2024 have focused on how companion bots respond to teens in crisis.
Time sink in class
Ongoing story chats pull attention in a way a quick search does not. Teachers see students return to the same persona all day.
Personal data shared
Students tell companions about family, school and feelings. That information sits with a consumer service, not a vetted edtech vendor.
Policy consistency
If your acceptable use policy limits consumer chat and social apps, AI companions usually fall under the same rule.
Companion apps are not the same as AI assistants
The most common mistake is one "AI" switch that blocks everything. Teachers then lose approved tools and ask for exceptions that reopen the door. Separate the two groups first.
AI companions and character chat
- Persona-based chat, often user-created characters
- Designed for ongoing relationship or story play
- "Virtual friend", "AI girlfriend" and role-play apps
- Voice calls with a character, memory of past chats
- Typical district decision: block for students
AI assistants and learning tools
- General assistants used for research and drafting
- Tutoring tools tied to a curriculum
- Tools your district has signed a data agreement with
- Teacher productivity tools for planning and feedback
- Typical decision: allow by grade, or for staff only
If you are still deciding on general assistants, read should ChatGPT be allowed in schools. For the full list of AI subcategories you can block separately, see the AI tools blocklist for schools.
A subcategory view of AI tools
A useful AI tools category set splits more than 11,800 AI tool domains into 18 categories, updated daily. Companions sit in their own bucket, so blocking them leaves the rest untouched.
What the category data says about popular chat personas
These lookups show why one switch does not isolate companions. They share AI / LLM Tools with homework helpers, and some also carry a social label.
| Chat service | Assigned categories |
|---|---|
| character.ai | AI / LLM Tools, Web-based Applications |
| replika.com | AI / LLM Tools, Community Sites, Social Networking |
| janitorai.com | AI / LLM Tools, Web-based Applications |
| talkie-ai.com | AI / LLM Tools, Web-based Applications |
| chai-research.com | AI / LLM Tools, Computers & Technology |
| poe.com | AI / LLM Tools |
Decide the rule before you touch a setting
Write the decision down as a short table. It becomes your change record, your answer to principals and the text you adapt for parents.
| Group | AI companions | General assistants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary students | Block | Block | Most consumer AI services set a minimum age of 13 in their terms. |
| Middle school students | Block | By course | Allow only district-approved assistants with a signed data agreement. |
| High school students | Block | Allow approved | Consider blocking writing tools during testing windows. |
| Teachers and staff | Review | Allow | Counselors may need read access to understand what students use. |
| Guest Wi-Fi | Block | Policy | Visitors include students on personal phones, so filter guest networks too. |
Five layers that block AI companions on Chromebooks
No single setting covers the browser, the Android app, side doors and new domains. Stack these layers, starting with the cheapest and most reliable.
Category filtering in your web filter
Turn on the AI companion subcategory for student policies in your filter, whether it runs as a Chrome extension, a DNS service or a gateway. Category blocking catches companion sites you have never heard of, including ones registered this week.
See how category filtering on managed Chromebooks applies by organizational unit.
URL blocklist in the Google Admin console
Add the main domains of the services you know students use. This is a backstop that works even if the filter extension fails to load.
Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users & browsers > URL blockingEnter entries such as character.ai in the blocklist. Blocking the host also covers its subdomains unless you prefix it with a dot. Our Google Admin URL blocking guide covers the syntax.
Android apps and Chrome extensions
Many companion services ship Android apps that run on Chromebooks. Some also have browser extensions. Set the store to allow only apps and extensions you approve.
Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions > Users & browsersUse Block for specific apps, and set the Chrome Web Store and Google Play modes to approved items only for student OUs.
Close the side doors
Guest browsing and Incognito skip extension-based filters. Disallow Incognito, prevent guest browser logins and restrict sign-in to school accounts in the same Users & browsers page. Limit developer tools for students.
DNS or firewall on the school network
Block the companion category at the network edge for every device on school Wi-Fi, including BYOD phones and staff laptops. A DNS filter for education is the simplest way to cover devices you do not manage.
Step by step: the Google Admin console changes
Make these changes on a pilot organizational unit first, then roll them out. Menu labels shift over time, so search the settings page by keyword if a name differs.
URL blocking
- Sign in to the Admin console with a super admin or delegated Chrome admin account.
- Go to Devices, Chrome, Settings, then Users & browsers.
- Select the student organizational unit on the left.
- Find URL blocking and add each companion domain to the blocklist.
- Save. Policies reach devices after a sync or browser restart.
Apps and extensions
- Go to Devices, Chrome, Apps & extensions, then Users & browsers.
- Select the student OU and open the additional settings.
- Set the Chrome Web Store to allow only approved extensions.
- Set managed Google Play to approved apps only.
- Search for any companion app already installed and set it to Block, which removes it.
Browsing modes
- In Users & browsers, set Incognito mode to disallow.
- Set Browser guest mode to prevent guest logins.
- Restrict sign-in to your school domain.
- Set developer tools to never allow for students.
Device settings
- Under Devices, Chrome, Settings, Device, keep guest mode off on the sign-in screen.
- Restrict which accounts can sign in to the device.
- Block powerwash or developer mode changes where your policy allows.
- Confirm devices are enrolled and report to the console.
chrome://policy, select Reload policies and check that URLBlocklist shows status OK. Then follow the school web filter test to verify the block from a student account.Off-campus coverage for take-home Chromebooks
Students do most companion chatting in the evening. A block that only works on school Wi-Fi misses the hours that matter most.
| Method | Works at home? | Strength | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| School network DNS or firewall | No | Covers every device on campus | Does nothing once the device leaves |
| Google Admin URL blocklist | Yes | Policy follows the signed-in user | Only the domains you list |
| Filter extension with categories | Yes | Catches new companion sites | Must be force-installed, Incognito and guest off |
| Device-level DNS or proxy settings | Yes | Applies to apps too, not only the browser | Needs testing with home routers and hotspots |
| App store restrictions | Yes | Stops Android companion apps | Review the approved list each term |
For the wider picture, see enforcing CIPA on off-campus student devices and Chromebook 1:1 device filtering.
How students try to reach blocked companions, and what to do
You do not need to know every trick. You need logs, a review routine and a response that is fair to students.
Look-alike and mirror sites
Companion chat clones appear on new domains every week. Response: rely on category blocking and newly registered domain coverage, not your own list.
Companion features inside other apps
Some social, gaming and messaging apps add AI characters. Response: review those apps in your social and gaming policy, and see social media filtering for schools.
Proxy sites and VPN extensions
A student who wants a blocked site may look for a proxy or VPN. Response: block the VPN, proxy and anonymizer category and keep extensions on an approved list.
Personal accounts and guest mode
Signing in with a personal account or as a guest can skip policy. Response: restrict sign-in to school accounts and turn guest mode off.
Phones on cellular data
School devices are only part of the picture. Response: your network filter covers phones on Wi-Fi, and your phone policy covers the rest.
What the filter does about proxies and encrypted DNS
VPN/Proxy/Anonymizers is blocked by default in the CIPA preset, and so are public encrypted DNS and browser settings that skip the filter. Chromebooks taken home keep the same rules over a private encrypted link.
Testing the block before you announce it
Test from a real student account on a managed Chromebook, on and off the school network. Record each result so you can repeat the check after changes.
Browser test
Visit each companion domain on the list. You should see your block page, not a login screen.
Repeat with two or three companion sites that are not on your manual list, to prove the category works.
App test
Open the Play Store on the student account and search for companion apps. They should be missing or blocked.
Check that a previously installed app was removed.
Side door test
Try Incognito, guest mode and a personal account sign-in. Each should be unavailable on student devices.
Allowed tools test
Open the AI assistants you approved. If they are blocked, your companion rule is too broad.
Use the domain category checker to see how a domain is categorized.
Our school web filter test gives a repeatable test plan for every category, not only AI.
A review rhythm that keeps the block honest
Communicating the change to parents and staff
Parents often learn about companion apps from news stories. A clear note from the district builds trust and helps families decide what to do at home.
Example points for a parent message
1. From [date], school Chromebooks and the school network block AI companion and character chat apps for students.
2. These are apps where students chat with AI personas for friendship or role-play. They are different from the learning tools teachers use in class.
3. We block them because they can expose students to inappropriate content and encourage heavy emotional reliance on a chatbot.
4. The block applies to school devices and networks. It does not reach personal phones or home computers.
5. If you have concerns about your child's use of these apps, the school counseling team can help.
For teachers
- Which AI tools remain allowed and for whom
- How to request a review of a blocked tool
- What to do if a student mentions a companion app in distress
For the board and leadership
- The decision table and the reason for it
- How the block is tested each term
- Link to the updated acceptable use policy
Which companion block is easier to keep running
Companion apps appear and rebrand quickly, which tests any manual approach.
| What breaks first | Domain-by-domain | Service that tracks categories |
|---|---|---|
| A rebranded companion site | The old entry stops mattering | Its category follows the new domain once classified |
| Assistant approved for one grade | Exception reopens the whole unit | Allow list scoped to the right school |
| Staff asks to review a blocked site | Edit the list and hope to undo it | PIN bypass for 15, 30 or 60 minutes with a log entry |
| Students switching to a proxy | One more list to patch | VPN/Proxy/Anonymizers stays blocked, PIN or not |
| Showing parents the policy | Describe the settings from memory | Policy record and activity reports ready to share |
FAQ: blocking AI companions in schools
Is blocking Character.AI required by CIPA?
CIPA does not name any app. It requires a technology protection measure against obscene images, child sexual abuse material and content harmful to minors, plus an internet safety policy. Many districts block AI companion apps under their own acceptable use and student safety policies.
Character.AI changed its rules for teens. Do we still need to block it?
Character.AI announced in late 2025 that it would end open-ended chat for users under 18 and add age assurance. Age checks run on the vendor side and depend on the account, so many districts still block the service on managed devices and networks rather than rely on platform settings.
Will blocking AI companions also block ChatGPT or Gemini?
Not if you block by subcategory. A category database that separates AI companion and character chat from general assistants, writing tools and education tools lets you block companions while keeping approved assistants available.
How do we stop students using the Character.AI Android app on Chromebooks?
Control Android apps through the Apps and extensions section of the Google Admin console. Allow only approved apps from managed Google Play, then add the web domain to your URL blocklist and filter so the browser version is blocked too.
Do new AI companion sites appear often?
Yes. New character chat and companion sites launch constantly, often on fresh domains. A single URL blocklist goes stale quickly, which is why category-based blocking with daily updates matters for this topic.
Should we tell parents we block AI companions?
Yes. Explain what is blocked, why, and that the block applies to school devices only. Give parents short guidance for home devices, since students may use the same apps on personal phones.
Related guides
Pricing follows your number of schools and devices, with a quote in one business day. A pilot on a single school will show you the companion blocks working next to the assistants you keep.
Keep AI companion blocks current without daily list edits
Our category data separates AI companions from approved learning tools and adds new AI domains every day. Tell us about your district's devices and filter setup, and we will show you how it fits.
Character.AI is a trademark of its owner. Google, Chrome, Chromebook, ChromeOS, Google Play and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC. ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI. These names are used here only to identify the products discussed. CIPA Web Filtering is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by any of these companies.