AI girlfriend age verification: how apps check you are 18, and why

AI girlfriend age verification ranges from an "I am 18+" button to a face scan or ID check by a third-party provider, and which one you see depends mostly on where you live. Since 25 July 2025, the UK has required strong age checks on every site that allows pornography, and 13 of the 31 apps we track say they use a third-party check at least where the law requires it.

By AI Girlfriends Guide editorial team Updated September 29, 2026 How we rank

The ways apps check your age

From lightest to strictest:

Self-declaration. A button or checkbox saying you are 18 or older.
Date of birth. You enter a birthday at sign-up. Replika, for example, makes you confirm your age if you change it later.
Behavioral estimation. Software guesses your age from how you use the app. Kindroid says it runs this on free accounts and that under 2% of new free accounts were flagged.
Facial age estimation. A selfie is analyzed to estimate your age, usually without keeping the image.
ID document. A passport or driving license, often with a live selfie match.
Card or bank check. A payment card or open banking confirms you are an adult.

Ofcom's list of methods that can count as strong age checks includes facial age estimation, open banking, digital ID, credit card checks, email-based estimation, mobile operator checks and photo ID. A simple "I am 18" button is not on the list.

Which apps check how

From each app's own terms, privacy policy and help pages, as recorded in our data:

Use a third-party check, at least in some places: Candy AI (provider not named), OurDream (Go.cam or AgeVerif), Selira AI (Didit), Kindroid (Yoti), My Dream Companion (Didit), TryNectar AI (Go.cam), My Lovely AI (provider not named), Joi (VerifyMyAge), GoLove AI (Go.cam), CrushOn AI (Didit), LusyChat (Sumsub), Roger (Yoti) and Swipey AI (Ondato).

Rely on a self-declared age or birthday, or do not name a provider, in the pages we have read: Secrets AI, Nomi AI, FantasyGF, Infatuated AI, DarLink AI, Dondi.ai, HeyGF, Lovescape, SweetDream AI, Kupid AI, DreamGF, AI Peeps, Replika, Muah AI, DreamBF.ai, GirlfriendGPT, Spicier and Anima.

Some details worth knowing: OurDream says it receives only a pass or fail signal from its providers, Joi says it does not store ID documents, and TryNectar AI says it never sees or stores the photo or ID. Selira AI warns that a failed check permanently restricts the account. Our OurDream review and Selira AI review cover their checks.

Why age checks are spreading

United Kingdom. Ofcom said in 2024 that services with generative AI tools that can produce pornographic material are regulated under the Online Safety Act and must use highly effective age assurance. In January 2026 it opened an investigation into Novi Ltd, an AI character companion chatbot service with an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 monthly UK users, over its age checks. Our page on AI girlfriend apps in the UK covers what this means for users there.

United States. The Supreme Court upheld Texas's age-verification law for adult sites in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton in June 2025, by six votes to three. The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-industry group, counts 27 states with age-verification laws for adult websites. California's SB 243 adds protections for minors using companion chatbots.

Australia. Industry codes in force from 9 March 2026 cover services with AI companion chatbot features and state that self-declaration of age will not be considered sufficient.

Europe. Italy fined Replika's developer 5 million euros in 2025, partly because it had no age verification.

Is age verification safe for your privacy?

It depends on the method and the provider. Face estimation that returns only a pass or fail, with the image deleted, exposes the least. Uploading an ID exposes the most. Character.AI, for example, says its provider Persona deletes verification selfies and IDs within 7 days and that Character.AI never sees them.

Choose face estimation over ID when you are offered both.
Verify only through the app's own flow, never by emailing a photo of your ID.
Check which provider is used and read what it keeps.
Be wary of any site that asks for ID but names no company.

Our guide to whether AI girlfriend apps are anonymous covers the rest of your footprint.

What happens if you fail or skip the check

Usually you keep the account but lose adult content. Roger offers UK users the choice to verify with Yoti or continue without adult content, and OurDream and GoLove AI require the check before showing adult content where the law requires it. Kindroid gives flagged free users the option to subscribe or verify. Selira AI is stricter: a failed check permanently restricts the account.

Using a VPN to avoid a check can break an app's terms. Secrets AI's terms, for example, say the site is for use outside places where the content is illegal or subject to age-verification rules.

What to expect next

Checks will become more common, not less. The EU's AI Act transparency rules apply from August 2026, the GUARD Act in the US Senate would require reasonable age verification for every AI companion account if passed, and California's AB 1043, signed in October 2025, deals with age signals from operating systems and app stores. Parents can read our guide to AI girlfriend apps and teens, and our AI girlfriend laws by country page tracks the rules.

Frequently asked questions

Do AI girlfriend apps verify your age?

All of them require you to be 18 or older. 13 of the 31 apps we track say they use a third-party face or ID check at least where the law requires it, such as in the UK; the rest mainly rely on an 18+ button or a birthday.

Why is an AI girlfriend app asking for my ID?

Usually because a law where you live requires it. The UK has required highly effective age checks on sites that allow pornography since 25 July 2025, and Ofcom says that covers generative AI tools that can produce such material.

Is it safe to verify my age on an AI girlfriend app?

It is safest when a named third-party provider handles it and returns only a pass or fail. Choose a face estimate over an ID upload when offered, and never send ID documents by email or chat.

What happens if I fail age verification?

Most apps keep your account but block adult content. Some are stricter: Selira AI says a failed check permanently restricts the account.

Can I use an AI girlfriend app without age verification?

In many countries apps still accept a self-declared age. In the UK and Australia, and in some US states for adult content, stronger checks are required, and getting around them can break the app's terms.