AI companion app Dot is shutting down next month
Technology
Dot, the AI companion app launched in 2024 to offer personalized emotional support, is closing down on October 5, 2025.
Co-founders Sam Whitmore and Jason Yuan announced the shutdown on September 5, saying it's due to their diverging visions for Dot's future, without mentioning outside pressures.
If you've used the app, you can grab your data before it goes offline.
App had just 24,500 iOS downloads
Even though Dot claimed "hundreds of thousands" of users, data shows just 24,500 iOS downloads since last June (and no Android version).
The shutdown highlights how tricky it is for AI companion apps to balance innovation with user safety and well-being—especially as concerns about chatbot ethics keep growing.