How to Use Secrets AI: Complete Beginner's Guide (2026)

Account creation takes under 60 seconds. Your first conversation can start immediately after. If you've never used an AI companion platform before — or if you've used others but are new to Secrets AI specifically — this guide walks through every step from signup to managing your Moments budget so you don't hit limitations you didn't expect.

This matters most if you want to avoid the most common new-user mistakes: spending all 200 starting Moments on video before testing image quality, or hitting the free tier's 20-message limit mid-conversation without realizing the cap existed.

For a full platform overview before you sign up, see the complete Secrets AI review.

Step 1 — Create Your Account

Go to secrets.ai in any browser — no download, no installation required. The platform works on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge on any device.

Account setup:

1. Click "Sign Up" on the landing page
2. Enter your email address and create a password
3. Verify your email via the confirmation link

That's it. No real name is required. No phone number is required. No social media login links your account to other platforms. Once verified, you immediately have access to:

• Full character library (~94 characters)
• 200 free Moments (one-time starting grant)
• 20 messages per day (free tier)
• 100+ fantasy scenarios

The 200 Moments is a testing allocation, not a monthly budget. Plan how you spend it: try image generation (25–50 Moments each) to test visual quality, or save them for a short voice call. Do not spend all 200 Moments on a single video — a full-length clip costs up to 600 Moments, which exceeds your starting balance.

Step 2 — Choose Your First Character

After signup, you'll land in the character library. Two options:

Option A — Use a pre-built character. Browse the library of approximately 94 hyper-realistic female characters. Each has a defined personality, backstory, and associated conversation scenarios. Select one and start chatting immediately. This is the fastest path to your first conversation.

Option B — Create a custom character. Your first custom character is free (additional ones cost 1,000–1,500 Moments). Customization options:

• Ethnicity: 9 options
• Skin tone, eye color, hairstyle
• Body type: 6 options
• Voice: 6 options
• Personality traits: Confidence, playfulness, dominance, intelligence (adjustable)
• Profession: 5 preset categories
• Personality presets: 5 options
• Hobbies: Selectable list
• Free-text field: Open description for specific backstory, relationship context, or conversational quirks

The free-text field is the most important customization input. This is where you describe specific relationship history, define how the character should address you, or establish scenario context. Characters with detailed free-text profiles produce noticeably more personalized first-session conversations than characters using only preset options.

When you finalize a custom character, 4 images are auto-generated based on your configuration — no Moments cost for this initial set.

Step 3 — Start Your First Conversation

Once you've selected or created a character, conversation starters appear. These are split roughly half casual and half suggestive. You're not required to use them — type your own opening if you have a specific direction in mind.

Tips for a strong first conversation:

• Set the tone deliberately in your first message. The AI adapts quickly to your conversational style — a specific, contextual opener ("I've been looking forward to talking with you since that trip to the coast") produces a more personalized response than a generic "hi"
• Be specific in your replies. The AI builds on detail — responding with "I was stressed at work today, had a hard deadline on a project that went sideways" gives the AI more to work with than "I was tired"
• On the free tier: each of your 20 daily messages counts. Don't waste early messages on short, low-content exchanges if you want to reach meaningful conversation depth

The AI responds naturally, asks follow-up questions, and builds on what you've shared. Expect coherent, emotionally aware replies rather than robotic or scripted responses.

Step 4 — Explore Media Features

Generate Images

To generate an image of your companion:

• Tap the image generation option within the chat interface
• Select a preset or write a custom prompt describing the scenario or expression
• Each image costs 25–50 Moments depending on the generation model selected

Images are generated in approximately 30–60 seconds. Your character's defined appearance is maintained across generated images — it won't create a random figure. Use the more expensive Advanced model for complex compositions; the standard model is sufficient for most requests.

Create Videos

To generate a video clip:

• Select an existing companion image
• Add a text prompt describing the desired motion or action
• Wait approximately 2 minutes for generation to complete
• View and save the completed clip

Short clips (3 seconds) cost ~50 Moments. Longer, higher-quality clips cost up to 600 Moments. Start with short clips to assess quality before committing to longer, more expensive generations. Video is not available on the Free tier — you need Lite or above.

Try Voice Calls

Six voice options are available, selectable during character creation. Voice calls cost 100 Moments per minute — straightforward linear pricing. Use your 200 starting Moments for a 2-minute voice call to test the feature. Quality is rated 4.3/5 by reviewers.

Step 5 — Manage Your Moments

Moments is the virtual currency for all media generation and premium actions. Your monthly allocation resets each billing period — unused Moments do not roll over.

Cost reference card:

• Text message: 1–2 Moments
• Image: 25–50 Moments
• Short video (3 sec): ~50 Moments
• Full video clip: up to 600 Moments
• Voice call: 100 Moments per minute
• Manual memory save: 10 Moments
• New custom character: 1,000–1,500 Moments

Track your Moments balance in account settings. If you're approaching the end of your monthly allocation, prioritize text conversation over media generation — text is nearly free within the system.

Additional Moments can be purchased as standalone top-ups starting at $5.99 for 1,980 Moments. Larger bundles (up to 118,800 Moments for $249.99) carry discounts up to 30.4%.

Upgrade decision point: If you consistently run out of Moments before your month ends, the next tier up is usually more cost-efficient than frequent top-up purchases. Plus ($9.99) with 3,000 Moments is the most common upgrade from Free or Lite. See the pricing page for the full breakdown.

Step 6 — Enable Privacy Features

Private Mode is not enabled by default. To activate it:

• Open the conversation settings within any chat session
• Enable "Private Mode" for that conversation
• The session now uses end-to-end encryption and is excluded from AI training data

Key detail: Private Mode is per-conversation, not a global account toggle. Enable it at the start of any session you want encrypted. Sessions started without Private Mode are not retroactively encrypted.

If billing privacy matters to you: all Secrets AI charges appear as "Sun Clinical Laboratories" on bank statements by default — no action required. For complete billing privacy, cryptocurrency payment (minimum $20) eliminates bank statement entries entirely. See the account security guide for full details.

Tips for New Users

Practical advice based on common new-user patterns:

• Start with free to test conversation quality — don't purchase a paid tier until you've confirmed the chat style matches what you want
• Don't spend all 200 Moments on video — a full-length clip costs up to 600 Moments, which exceeds your starting balance. Test images (25–50 each) first
• Create detailed character profiles — the free-text field is more powerful than any preset; use it
• The AI remembers more on paid tiers — free-tier memory (2–3 exchanges) makes relationship continuity impossible; Plus at $9.99 is the minimum for meaningful memory
• Save memories manually for important details — 10 Moments per save ensures specific facts (your preferences, shared experiences) persist reliably
• Add secrets.ai to your home screen — not a native app, but the home screen installation method (Share → Add to Home Screen on iOS, or Chrome menu → Add to Home Screen on Android) makes the platform feel like a native app

Common Issues and Solutions

Messages not sending

Check your daily message limit. Free tier: 20 messages per 24 hours. Lite: 100 messages per day. Plus, Premium, and Ultimate: unlimited. If you've hit the limit, it resets at the start of the next 24-hour cycle. If you're below the limit and messages still aren't sending, try refreshing the page or clearing browser cache.

AI seems forgetful

This is expected on free and Lite tiers. Free memory covers only 2–3 exchanges; Lite covers ~14 days. If the AI is not connecting current conversations to earlier sessions, you're at the tier boundary for that memory type. Upgrade to Plus (30-day recall) or Premium (unlimited emotional timeline) if continuity matters to your use case.

Slow responses

Peak-hour traffic causes occasional delays. Secrets AI doesn't publish server status pages, but response times typically normalize during off-peak periods. If slowdowns are consistent, try a different time of day.

Can't generate video

Video generation requires Lite tier or above. Free-tier accounts cannot generate videos regardless of Moments balance. Ensure you're on at least the Lite plan ($5.99/month). Also verify your Moments balance is sufficient — a full video clip costs up to 600 Moments, and short clips cost ~50.

Forgot password

Use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page at secrets.ai. A reset link will be sent to your registered email address. If you don't receive it, check your spam folder.

FAQ