Chai Alternative for iPhone: Works in Your Browser

Is Chai still on the iPhone App Store?

No. Chai's iPhone app disappeared from the App Store on October 22, 2026, and Apple's store still had no listing for it when we checked on November 5. Chai's founder posted on Reddit that the app "is currently unavailable to download in Apple App Store" while the team works on improving it, and that copies already installed are unaffected. Neither Chai nor Apple has given a reason or a return date.

Chai is still available elsewhere. The Android app is still on Google Play, rated Mature 17+ and updated November 3, 2026. Chai has also opened a web version of the app, which its founder began sharing on October 30, according to CompanionHunt. Chai's FAQ describes a second site, Chai Web Pro, and says it shares no data with the app, so check which one holds your chats before you rely on it.

If you stay with Chai on iPhone

Keep the installed app, since you cannot download it again for now. If you pay through Apple, you can check or cancel the plan in the Settings app: tap your name, then Subscriptions.

How do you use Nodera on a phone without an app?

Open app.nodera.ai in your phone's browser and sign in. That is the whole install. Nodera is a web app, so there is nothing to get from the App Store or Google Play, and adding it to your home screen gives you an icon that opens it full screen, like any other app.

On iPhone, in Safari
Open app.nodera.ai. Tap the More button (three dots), then Share. If your tabs sit at the top or bottom, tap the Share button directly. Scroll down, tap Add to Home Screen, leave Open as Web App on, and tap Add.
On Android, in Chrome
Open app.nodera.ai. Tap the three dot menu to the right of the address bar, then Add to Home screen or Install app. Newer versions of Chrome call it Install and create shortcut. Confirm with Install.
Sign in once
Your chats and the characters' memories belong to your account, not to the phone. The home screen icon, the browser tab and your computer all show the same conversations.

How do Chai and Nodera compare?

Both are character chat apps you can use on a phone. They differ most on how free messages work, what content is allowed and how your age is checked.

Chai and Nodera, as of November 5, 2026
	Chai	Nodera
iPhone	Not in the App Store since October 22, 2026. Web version in the browser	Web app in Safari, add it to your home screen
Android	Google Play app, rated Mature 17+	Web app in Chrome, install it from the menu
Free messages	Pieces: about 70 a day from the daily check in, plus 5 per rewarded ad (reports, October 2026)	500 credits a day, about 100 messages, no card
Paid plans	App Store before the removal: Premium $13.99 and Ultra $29.99 a month. Web: Chai Pro $9.99 a week or $159.99 a year	None. Free during the beta
Ads	Yes, in the free app	None
Memory	Short on the free plan by most reviews, longer on Ultra	Up to the last 16 messages word for word, older moments saved as memories
Characters	Community made. Chai Pro lists access to 25 million	800+, or make your own
Adult content	Its Safety Center says its models refuse sexually explicit content	Romance and mature roleplay with adult characters marked 18+, for adults who confirm their age, within safety rules.
Age check	18+, checked with a Persona selfie or a photo ID	18+, confirmed by you at an age gate

How many free messages does Chai give you now?

Fewer than it used to, and the number moves. In September 2026 Chai replaced unlimited free chat with pieces, an in app currency: a standard message costs one piece and better models cost more. Since October 6 the daily check in has given 70 pieces and each rewarded ad 5, according to RoboRhythms, which also notes that Chai runs A/B tests, so your numbers may differ.

On Nodera, every account gets 500 free credits each day. A message costs 5 credits, so that is about 100 messages, and a picture costs 5. Unused credits expire after 24 hours and the next day's arrive on their own, with no ads to watch and no card on file. There is no paid plan during the beta, so if you chat all day you will reach the limit.

Will a character remember you?

On Chai, reviewers describe memory on the free plan as short, with longer memory sold as part of Ultra, and RoboRhythms reports that extra memory can cost pieces even on a subscription.

On Nodera, memory is part of every account. Characters remember your name, what you told them and the moments that mattered, from one day to the next, on every device. Up to the last 16 messages go word for word with every reply, and older moments are saved as memories they recall when they matter. Each chat keeps its own memory, so a new chat with the same character starts fresh. It is not perfect: a saved moment comes back when it seems to matter, not every time. You can delete a chat (its messages and memories go with it), wipe your chat history from the cloud, or delete your whole account at any time.

Should you pick Chai or Nodera?

It depends on what you use Chai for. Here is the honest split.

Chai is the better pick if

You want its huge community library and the bots you already follow.
You are on Android and want an app from the store.
You prefer a platform that checks your age with a selfie or an ID.
You already pay for a plan and its limits suit you.

Nodera is the better pick if

You are on iPhone and want something you can open today, with nothing to install.
You want a fixed free allowance: 500 credits a day, no ads, no card.
You want romance and mature roleplay with adult characters, within clear safety rules.
You want pictures, audio stories and characters who remember you, in one place.

Know Nodera's limits too. If you are used to Chai's community library, 800+ characters is a far smaller catalog, though you can make your own. It is a beta and a web app only, so you will not find it in the App Store or Google Play. It has no voice calls, you cannot bring your own model or API key, and your age is self declared at a gate.

Questions people ask

Why was Chai removed from the App Store?

Nobody has said. Chai's founder wrote that the app is unavailable while the team improves it, and Apple has not commented. Some sites link the removal to stricter App Store rules for AI apps that Apple published on October 16, 2026, but that is their reading, not a confirmed reason.

Does Chai still work on my iPhone?

If it was installed before October 22, 2026, Chai's founder says it keeps working. New downloads are not possible while it is missing from the App Store. You can also use Chai's web version in Safari.

Is Nodera an app I can download?

No. Nodera is a web app at app.nodera.ai, so it has no App Store or Google Play listing. You open it in Safari or Chrome and can add it to your home screen, where it opens full screen like an app.

Can I move my Chai characters or chats to Nodera?

Not automatically. Nodera cannot import from Chai, so your chats stay where they are. You can recreate a character you made in minutes, with the help of ChatGPT or another AI, and a "bring your character" importer is being built.

Is Nodera free?

Free during the beta. Every account gets 500 free credits a day, about 100 messages, with no card and no paid plan. There are no ads, and unused credits refill the next day.

Is Nodera for adults only?

Yes, 18 and over only. Once you confirm you are 18 or older, romance and mature roleplay with adult characters marked 18+ are allowed, within our safety rules. The 18+ content setting comes on when you confirm, and you can turn it off in Settings.

Sources

Changes to this page

November 5, 2026: Published.

Nodera facts are from the app as of November 5, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on Discord.

Nodera is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Chai Research Corp. Chai is a trademark of its owner, named here only to identify that service.

A Chai alternative that works in your phone's browser