How to Not Use Voice on Character AI: Step-by-Step Guide

How to Not Use Voice on Character AI: Mute, Change, and More

So, you tried out Character AI’s voice feature, and now you’re wondering—how do I turn it off? Maybe you prefer sticking to text-based chats or maybe your AI would start talking at the worst possible moment (like in public—awkward). Either way, finding the off switch isn’t immediately obvious.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to not use voice on Character AI, step by step. You’ll learn exactly where to find the voice toggle, what are these voice features exactly, and—if you’re feeling creative—how to make a custom AI voice of your own.

What Are the Voice Features in Character AI?

Founded by former Google developers, Character AI is a cutting-edge chatbot platform that uses advanced neural language models to power natural, human-like conversations.

You can design and customize your own “characters” by shaping their personalities and settings, or chat away with millions of ready-made ones by other users. These characters can be entirely original—like Gojo Satoru—or inspired by real or fictional figures. The platform also supports both one-on-one and group chats, allowing multiple characters to interact at once.

In March 2024, Character AI rolled out a suite of voice features, making interactions with AI-generated characters more immersive. Here’s what you can do with the platform’s voice features:

Character Voice (Text-to-Speech)

This feature allows AI characters to read their messages aloud in a natural-sounding voice. When enabled, their responses to your messages will automatically be spoken aloud, enhancing the interactive experience.

Key Functions:

• Available in one-on-one and group chats.
• Different characters can have unique voices assigned to them.
• You can mute or adjust voice settings for each conversation.

Character Calls (Two-Way Voice Conversations)

Character Calls enable real-time voice interactions, making it feel like you’re talking to the AI over the phone. This feature is great for users who want a more dynamic back-and-forth conversation.

How It Works:

• You tap the phone icon to initiate a voice call with your AI character.
• The AI responds vocally, allowing for fluid conversations.
• You can choose from a variety of pre-set voices and assign specific voices to characters.

Custom Voice Creation

You have the option to personalize your experience by uploading and creating custom voices for characters. This feature allows for a tailored interaction, enabling characters to have unique vocal characteristics defined by the you. 

How to Not Use Voice on Character AI

Maybe you prefer sticking to text-based chats, find the voices for your characters bad, or maybe your AI would start talking in quiet or public environments (awkward). Whatever the reason, here’s how you can mute or manage voice settings on Character AI:

Mute the Character’s Voice During Chats

If you want to mute voice for a specific session, follow these steps:

On Phone:

1. In an active chat, look for the audio wave icon at the top right corner.
2. Tap the icon; a slash will appear over it, and a “Voice Muted” bubble will confirm that the character’s voice is off for that session.
3. To mute a specific message, tap the audio wave icon on the left side of the message. If you want to hear it again, tap the triangle play icon.

On Web:

1. In an active chat, click the audio wave icon at the top right corner, next to the three-dot icon.
2. A slash will appear over the icon, confirming that the character’s voice is turned off for the session.
3. To mute a specific message, click the audio wave icon next to the character’s name. Click the triangle play icon to replay it.

Can You Turn Off Voice for Good?

As of now, Character AI doesn’t offer a way to completely turn off voice across the platform. If you prefer a text-only experience, you’ll need to manually mute voice for each session.

However, there’s indeed a trick for iPhone users to mute voice automatically via Shortcuts:

1. Open Shortcuts → Tap Automations → Press + (top right).
2. Search for “App”, select Character AI → Choose “Is Opened” → Tap Next.
3. Select New Blank Automation → Add Action → Search “Set Volume” → Set to 0%.

Now, your volume will mute automatically whenever you launch Character AI.

Change Assigned Voices

If you want to change the assigned voice of a character instead, follow these steps:

On Phone:

1. Tap and hold the character’s avatar or name in the chat to access settings.
2. Select ‘Voice’ settings and choose a new voice from the list.

On Web:

1. Click the three-dot icon at the top right corner of the chat.
2. Select ‘Voice’ settings and pick a new voice from the list.

How to Create a Custom Voice on Character AI

Want to create a custom voice to personalize your interactions? Here’s how you can create and assign custom voices:

Creating a Custom Voice

Character AI enables you to create custom voices by recording directly within the app or uploading an existing audio file. Here’s how: 

On Phone:

1. Tap the Create (+) button at the bottom of the home screen. 
2. Select “Voice” from the creation options.
3. Agree the rules and terms.
4. Choose to record a new voice using your device’s microphone or upload an audio clip from your files.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to finalize and save your custom voice.

On Web:

1. Click the Create (+) button on the top left corner of the website. 
2. Select “Voice” from the dropdown menu.
3. Agree the rules and terms.
4. Click or drag to upload an audio file containing the desired voice.
5. Complete the process by following the provided instructions to save your custom voice.

Assigning the Custom Voice to a Character

After creating your custom voice, assign it to a character to personalize their speech:

On Phone:

1. Navigate to the chat with the character you wish to modify.
2. Tap and hold the character’s avatar or name to open the settings menu.
3. Select “Voice” from the settings options.
4. Choose your custom voice from the “Your Voices” list to assign it to the character.

On Web:

1. Go to the character’s chat or profile page.
2. Click the three-dot icon at the top right corner to open the settings menu.
3. Click on “Voice” in the settings dropdown.
4. Select your custom voice from the “Your voices” list to assign it to the character.

Build Your Own Conversational AI App with TRTC

If you’re a developer inspired by Character AI and want to create your own AI-powered conversational application, Tencent Cloud’s TRTC (Tencent Real-Time Communication) offers a powerful, cost-effective, and scalable solution.

TRTC provides a comprehensive suite of real-time text, audio, and video communication services that can help you quickly build and deploy AI-driven interactions with minimal latency and high reliability.

Here’s why TRTC’s Conversational AI solution is worth trying:

• Ultra-Low Latency: Achieves global audio/video transmission under 300 ms. and conversation latency under 1,000 ms., making AI interactions feel smooth and natural.
• Efficient Deployment: With a code-free Playground for quick verification and integration in just 2-3 days, TRTC minimizes development time and costs.
• High-Quality Audio Processing: Features AI noise suppression, echo cancellation, and speech enhancement, ensuring clear and precise AI dialogue.
• Flexible AI Integration: Seamlessly integrates with leading LLMs, ASR, and TTS models, allowing for custom AI-powered conversational experiences.
• Multi-modal AI Interaction: Supports text, voice, video, and digital avatars, creating immersive AI interactions beyond just text-based chat.

Whether you’re building a chatbot, virtual assistant, interactive customer support system, or AI-driven live-streaming experience, TRTC provides all the tools you need. With global network coverage and privacy-first security, it’s the perfect solution for developers looking to launch the next-gen conversational AI app. Get started with TRTC today!

Conclusion

Now that you’ve explored all these voice features and settings, you know exactly how to not use voice on Character AI when you don’t need it. Unfortunately, Character AI does not currently offer a built-in way to permanently disable voice across the platform. If you prefer a completely text-based experience, you’ll need to mute the voice every session or use the iPhone workaround via Shortcuts. For those wanting to experiment with different voices—or create your own—you can do so easily by following the steps above. So, customize your experience and gain full control over how you interact with your AI characters!

FAQs

Do real people talk to you on Character AI?

No, real people don’t talk to you on Character AI. Instead, the platform is powered by advanced machine learning that enables AI to simulate human-like conversations. Character AI’s system read vast amounts of text to learn how to predict and generate the next words in a conversation. This allows it to create highly realistic, engaging responses that mimic talking to a real person.

Can I permanently turn off voice interaction on all character AI platforms?

Unfortunately, Character AI does not currently offer a built-in option to permanently disable voice across all platforms. If you prefer a text-only experience, you’ll need to mute the voice manually on each individual session.