How Old Do You Have to Be to Use ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Other AI Apps? (2026 Table)

Most major AI apps set the minimum age at 13, and several require a parent's permission until 18. Claude is the exception: Anthropic requires users to be 18 or older. Gemini is the only app in this table that lets a parent turn on access for a child under 13, through Google Family Link, and that option is not offered in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.

So for a typical 8- or 10-year-old, none of these apps except Gemini is meant to be used on the child's own account, and Gemini only where it is available and a parent switches it on. Teens 13 to 17 can use most of them, but the rules on parental consent and teen protections differ a lot from app to app.

Facts checked October 15, 2026. Every age rule below comes from the provider's own terms or help pages, linked in each row. We did not create test accounts or check how well each app enforces its age rules.

AI app age limits: the table

"Minimum age" means the youngest age at which a person may use the app on their own account, according to the provider. Many providers add "or the minimum age in your country," which can be higher.

Last checked October 15, 2026; the ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok and Character.AI rows rechecked October 20, 2026. Age rules change often. We plan to recheck this table every quarter, and you should open the source link before relying on a row. OpenAI, Perplexity and xAI blocked our automated checks, so we read their terms through Internet Archive copies captured between September 30 and October 17, 2026.

A few notes that do not fit in a cell:

• Gemini on the web: Google's sign-in help page says accounts managed by Family Link still can't use the Gemini web app, and the parent guide says access for supervised accounts is rolling out gradually. Check on the device your child will actually use.
• CapCut's own help page says the required age is "typically 13," or 16 in some regions, including the EU. That does not match the EU section of its global terms, which sets no higher age. If you are in Europe, assume the stricter number.
• Character.AI announced on October 12, 2026 that it has started a Chapter 11 process for a court-supervised sale. The company says the platform is still running and that users can delete their account or export their data.

Teen modes and parental controls, app by app

A minimum age only tells you who is allowed in. This second table shows what changes for a teen and what a parent can switch on. The last column links to our full safety review where we have one.

Two patterns stand out. ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Snapchat and Copilot now offer some way for a parent to set limits. None of the provider descriptions we read gives a parent the teen's conversation transcripts, and Meta, OpenAI and Snapchat say so directly. A parent control on these apps is about limits and signals, not reading chats.

Your child is under the minimum age. Now what?

This is the common case for parents of 5- to 12-year-olds. Here is a practical order of steps.

1. Don't create an account with a false birthday. It moves your child out of every teen protection described above, because the app treats them as an adult. Snapchat says on its parents' page that 13- to 17-year-olds with existing accounts can't change their birthday, so a wrong date can stick.

2. Don't hand over your own adult account. OpenAI's terms and Anthropic's terms both say you may not make your account available to anyone else. If you want to explore an AI tool together, you stay the user: you type, you read the answer first, and you decide what to share. Our first AI session script shows what that looks like minute by minute.

3. If you want a child account, Gemini through Family Link is the official route in this list. It is a parent decision, made in Family Link, and Google says its filters are "not perfect." It is not available for supervised accounts in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.

4. Check the AI that comes inside apps your child already has. My AI sits inside Snapchat, and Meta AI is built into Meta's apps. Our AI safety settings checklist covers the phone, tablet and Chromebook settings that block or limit these.

5. Tell your child the rule and the reason, in one sentence. For example:

"This app is for people 13 and up, so we'll use it together
on my screen for now. When you're older, we'll set up your own
account with the teen settings turned on."

6. Put a recheck date on your calendar. These rules changed several times in 2025 and 2026. ChatGPT for Teens, Meta AI supervision and Character.AI's under-18 changes all arrived within about a year. Recheck before a birthday or a new device.

If you are unsure whether your child is ready even when the age rule allows it, read four signs that matter more than age.

A five-minute check for this week

FAQ

Can a 12-year-old use ChatGPT?

Not on their own account. OpenAI's terms set the minimum at 13, or higher where a country requires it. Users from 13 to 17 also need a parent's or legal guardian's permission.

Is there an AI chatbot in this list that a child under 13 can use?

Only Gemini, and only when a parent turns it on for a supervised Google account in Family Link. Google says access is rolling out gradually and is not available for supervised accounts in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. Every other app in this table sets 13 or older.

Why is Claude 18+ when most AI apps are 13+?

Anthropic's consumer terms set 18 as the minimum, or the minimum age to consent to use the service where you live, if that is higher. Anthropic does not offer a teen mode for its consumer app, so there is no supervised route for under-18 users.

Are age limits different in Europe and the UK?

Sometimes. Character.AI requires 16 in the EEA and UK. Gemini follows each country's Google Account age, such as 16 in Germany and 15 in France, and has no supervised-account option there. ChatGPT uses separate European terms, but the age rule is the same 13 plus parent permission.

Does meeting the minimum age mean an app is safe for my teen?

No. A minimum age is a legal and policy line, not a safety rating. Read the teen-protection column above and our per-app reviews, and decide what your own child is ready for.

From "which apps" to "how in our house"

You now know which AI apps your child is allowed to use and which parent controls exist. The next question is how to set up the one you choose so it fits your family: the account, the rules you agree on, and what you check afterward. Start with The Family AI Setup. For more step-by-step family guides, see the KidsAiTools Parent Library.