terms of service

last updated: october 2026

these terms are an agreement between you and AskBestie, Inc., a delaware corporation that makes bestie ("we", "us"). by downloading or using bestie ("the app"), or our website at askbestie.co, you agree to these terms and to our privacy policy. if you don't agree, don't use the app.

who can use bestie

you must be at least 18 years old to use bestie. by using the app, you confirm that you are 18 or older. if we learn or reasonably believe that a user is under 18, we may suspend or delete their account and data. if you're a parent or guardian and think your child is using the app, email us at hey@askbestie.co and we'll delete their account.

bestie is an ai, not a person

bestie is an ai-powered chat companion for entertainment and casual conversation. bestie's messages are generated by artificial intelligence. she is not a real person, not a real friendship, and not a substitute for real human relationships. she does not have feelings, consciousness, or genuine understanding, even though she's designed to feel like a friend. we encourage you to keep building real-world relationships alongside using the app.

bestie is not a therapist, counselor, doctor, lawyer, or any other professional, and nothing she says is professional advice.

ai-generated content

all of bestie's responses are generated by ai. they may be inaccurate, incomplete, inappropriate, or unhelpful. don't rely on bestie for medical, mental health, legal, financial, or safety decisions. use your own judgment, and talk to a qualified professional when it matters.

bestie is designed to never encourage self-harm, substance abuse, eating disorders, violence, or illegal activity. if you think she responded inappropriately, please tell us at hey@askbestie.co.

not an emergency service

bestie is not a crisis or emergency service. conversations are not monitored by humans in real time, no one is alerted when you're in distress, and we cannot contact emergency services or anyone else on your behalf.

when bestie notices signs that you may be in crisis, she is designed to share crisis resources for your region. she can miss these signs, and the resources she shares may not be complete or correct for where you are.

if you are in danger or thinking about hurting yourself, please contact your local emergency number or a crisis line right now:

• united states & canada: call or text 988
• us crisis text line: text HOME to 741741
• uk & ireland: samaritans 116 123
• philippines: ncmh crisis hotline 1553
• australia: lifeline 13 11 14
• us national domestic violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233
• anywhere else: find a free, confidential helpline at findahelpline.com

you are responsible for your own wellbeing. you acknowledge that ai-generated responses may not always be appropriate for your situation, and that bestie should not be your only source of emotional support.

messages from bestie

if you turn on notifications, bestie may message you first: check-ins, reminders, and follow-ups based on your conversations and memories. you can turn these off anytime in your device's notification settings.

your content

you own the messages and images you send. you grant us a limited license to store and process your content, including through our ai providers, to run the app, generate responses, remember context across conversations, keep the app safe, and improve it. we do not sell your content or use it for advertising.

only share content you have the right to share. screenshots often include other people's messages and names. please don't share anything that would violate someone else's privacy or rights.

acceptable use

you agree not to:

• use the app for anything illegal or harmful
• use the app if you are under 18
• attempt to extract, reverse-engineer, jailbreak, or manipulate the ai system
• send content that sexualizes, exploits, or endangers minors
• use the app to harass, stalk, threaten, or harm others
• try to get bestie into sexual roleplay or explicit content (she's a platonic friend; she can talk about relationships and sexual health in general terms, but not explicitly)
• circumvent usage limits or subscription requirements

subscriptions and payments

bestie requires a premium subscription for full access. new users may receive a free trial. subscriptions are billed through apple's app store, renew automatically until you cancel, and are subject to apple's terms. you can cancel anytime in your apple id settings. if you cancel during a free trial, you will not be charged. refunds are handled by apple under their refund policy.

suspension and termination

you can stop using the app and delete your account anytime. we may suspend or terminate your access, with or without notice, if you violate these terms, if we believe you're under 18, or if we need to in order to protect you, other people, or the app.

account deletion

you can delete your account and data from the app's settings, or by emailing hey@askbestie.co. deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. see our privacy policy for what is deleted and what we may keep.

availability and changes to the app

we try to keep bestie running smoothly, but we don't guarantee it will always be available, error-free, or unchanged. we may change, pause, or discontinue features or the app at any time.

assumption of risk

you understand and agree that: (a) bestie is an ai and may produce responses that are inaccurate, inappropriate, or unhelpful; (b) you are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on bestie's responses; (c) bestie is not a substitute for professional advice, therapy, medical treatment, emergency services, or real human relationships; and (d) your use of the app is at your own risk.

disclaimer of warranties

bestie is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

limitation of liability

to the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any damages arising from emotional distress, decisions made based on ai-generated responses, or reliance on the app as a source of emotional support. our total liability for any claim is limited to the greater of the amount you paid for the app in the 12 months before the claim or $50.

some places don't allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you. nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

indemnification

you agree to indemnify and hold harmless bestie, its creators, and its affiliates from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the app, your content, or your violation of these terms or anyone else's rights.

apple

if you downloaded bestie from apple's app store: these terms are between you and us, not apple. apple is not responsible for the app, its content, maintenance, support, warranty, or any claims relating to it, including product liability claims, claims that the app fails to meet legal requirements, consumer protection or privacy claims, or intellectual property claims. apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms and may enforce them against you. you also confirm that you're not located in a country subject to a u.s. government embargo and are not on any u.s. government list of prohibited parties.

changes to these terms

we may update these terms from time to time. we'll update the date at the top, and for material changes we'll let you know in the app or on our website. continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated terms.

governing law

these terms are governed by the laws of the state of california, united states, without regard to conflict of law principles, except where the law of your place of residence requires otherwise.

dispute resolution

please email us first at hey@askbestie.co. most issues can be sorted out quickly.

if we can't resolve a dispute informally within 30 days, it will be resolved through binding individual arbitration under the rules of the american arbitration association, except that either of us may bring an individual claim in small claims court. you and we each waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

you can opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing hey@askbestie.co within 30 days of first accepting these terms, with the subject line "arbitration opt-out".

general

these terms and our privacy policy are the entire agreement between you and us about bestie. if any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect. our not enforcing a term is not a waiver of it. you may not transfer these terms; we may transfer them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.