Not every AI companion you have heard of has an app. Several of the biggest names run in the browser only, and one of them tells you to add a shortcut to your home screen instead.
Candy AI links no iOS or Android app from its site; its "Get App" section explains how to add the page to your home screen as a progressive web app. Joi AI runs in the browser. Character.AI, Replika, Nomi, Kindroid and Janitor AI all ship real apps on both platforms. Apps named "Candy AI" that appear on Google Play come from unrelated developers, which is worth knowing before you install one.
The reason is not laziness. App stores apply content policies that a website does not, so platforms built around mature content often stay in the browser deliberately, where nobody reviews them.
| App | Android | iOS | Web |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character.AI | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Replika | Yes | Yes | Legacy web app |
| Nomi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kindroid | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Janitor AI | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Candy AI | No — PWA shortcut | No | Yes |
| Joi AI | No | No | Yes |
Where a platform ships both, the app is often the tamer one. Janitor AI documents this openly: because of App Store and Google Play guidelines, mature content is disabled by default in its mobile app and has to be turned on, while the website has no such default. Expect the same pattern elsewhere — the store version of a mature platform is usually the restricted version.
That cuts both ways. A store app gets you automatic updates, push notifications, proper billing you can cancel from your account, and a company that has passed some review. A browser platform gives you fewer restrictions and no install.
Confirm the developer name on the store listing matches the company whose site you visited — name-alikes are common in this category, and an app called after a well-known brand is often not that brand. Check the content rating on the listing, since it tells you what the developer declared to the store. Look at whether billing runs through the store or a card on the vendor’s site, because that determines how you cancel later.
And check the update date. An AI companion app that has not shipped in a year is usually a project that has stopped, not a stable one.
Checked 2026-07-16. Prices and features change — verify before relying on a figure here.