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

Getting from zero to your first conversation on Secrets AI takes under five minutes. The setup is browser-based — no download required — and a free account gives you immediate access to the full character library and 200 starting Moments. This guide walks through every step, from account creation through media generation and privacy setup, with practical spending advice built in at each stage. Before diving in, the full review covers whether the platform fits your expectations.

Step 1 — Create Your Account

Open secrets.ai in any browser on any device — smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. No app download is needed. The platform is fully browser-based.

Click "Sign Up" and enter:

• An email address (any address works; a dedicated email maximizes privacy)
• A password

That is the entire signup requirement. No real name, no phone number, no social media link. The whole process takes under 60 seconds. Your account is created immediately and you start with 200 free Moments and full access to browse the character library.

The free tier allows 20 messages per day with a 500-character limit per message. This is enough to evaluate conversation quality and the platform interface before deciding on a paid plan.

Step 2 — Choose Your First Character

The character library contains approximately 94 hyper-realistic pre-built characters, with some anime-style options included. When you open the library, you can filter by scenario type or browse visually. Each character has a pre-set personality, backstory, and scenario context.

If the library doesn't have exactly what you want, create a custom character — the first one is free. Custom creation gives you control over:

• Ethnicity: 9 options
• Body type: 6 options
• Visual appearance: skin tone, eye color, hairstyle
• Voice: 6 options
• Personality traits: configure confidence, playfulness, dominance, and intelligence independently
• Profession: 5 preset categories
• Personality presets: 5 options
• Hobbies and free-text details: open-ended field for specifics

Take time with the free-text details field. The AI uses this context from the very first message — a well-configured character profile produces noticeably more personalized and engaging conversations from the start. Four images are automatically generated for each new character.

Additional custom characters cost 1,000-1,500 Moments each. Plan creation accordingly — if you're on free tier with 200 Moments, use the pre-built library for your first sessions.

Step 3 — Start Your First Conversation

Click into a character to open the chat interface. Conversation starters are provided — a mix of casual openers and more suggestive options. You are not required to use them; type anything as your first message.

Key things to understand about the first conversation:

• The AI adapts to your conversational tone. A casual, low-key opening creates a casual dynamic; a more intense or suggestive opening calibrates the AI toward that tone.
• Be specific in your responses. Vague inputs produce generic outputs. Specific details ("I just got home from a late shift at the hospital" versus "I had a long day") give the AI more to work with and produce more personalized responses.
• On free tier, you have 20 messages per day. Use them in one focused session rather than spreading across multiple short interactions — conversation builds on context, and continuity within a session is better than fragmented sessions.

The AI will ask follow-up questions and revisit topics you introduce. This is by design — the system is built for relationship simulation, not transactional Q&A.

Step 4 — Explore Media Features

Generate Images

Image generation is available on paid tiers. To generate an image during a conversation, use the image generation option in the chat interface. Select a style from the four available presets and confirm. Cost: 25-50 Moments per image. Results appear in approximately 30 seconds. Four images are pre-generated for each character at creation.

Create Videos

Video creation starts from an existing companion image. Select an image, add a text prompt describing the desired movement or action, and submit. The AI processes the request in approximately two minutes. Short 3-second clips cost around 50 Moments; full-length clips can run up to 600 Moments. Video quality is rated 4.1/5 — clips are smooth with realistic facial expressions in most outputs. See the video generator page for a detailed tier-by-tier cost breakdown.

Practical advice: do not spend your first Moments on video. Start with images (25-50 Moments each) to understand quality before committing to video (up to 600 Moments per clip). If you are on a free account with 200 Moments, save video for after you have upgraded to at least Lite.

Try Voice Calls

Voice calls cost 100 Moments per minute. Six voice options are available, covering a range of tones and delivery styles. Quality is rated 4.3/5. A 10-minute voice call consumes 1,000 Moments — the full monthly allocation of a Lite tier subscription. Budget accordingly. Voice calls are best used on Plus tier and above where the Moments allocation makes them sustainable.

Step 5 — Manage Your Moments

Moments are tracked in your account settings. Check your balance before starting media-heavy sessions. The reset schedule (monthly) means spending aggressively late in a billing cycle is fine — the allocation replenishes on renewal.

Practical budgeting by tier:

Top-ups are available if you exhaust your monthly allocation before the cycle resets. Bundles start at $5.99 for 1,980 Moments. The choose a plan page has full bulk purchase pricing.

The practical recommendation: start with Plus at $9.99/month. Unlimited messaging, 3,000 Moments, and 30-day memory recall makes this the tier where the platform becomes a real experience rather than a demo.

Step 6 — Enable Privacy Features

Private Mode encrypts a specific conversation end-to-end and excludes it from AI training data. Enable it at the start of any conversation where you want this protection. Two important points:

• It is per-conversation, not a global account setting. You must enable it each time.
• It applies from activation forward — not retroactively to earlier messages in an existing session.

If financial privacy matters, note that charges appear as "Sun Clinical Laboratories" on bank statements by default. Cryptocurrency payment (minimum $20) is available for users who want no bank-level connection to the platform. The billing details page covers payment options in full.

Tips for New Users

Practical guidance based on common first-week patterns:

• Test conversation first — spend your free 200 Moments on text messages, not images, to assess if the AI's conversation quality meets your expectations before upgrading
• Configure detailed character profiles — the free-text backstory field significantly improves conversation personalization; don't skip it
• Use Plus as the entry point for serious use — the free tier is a demo, not a usable long-term experience; 20 messages/day and no memory continuity are real limitations
• Save important memories manually at 10 Moments each — these manual saves anchor key details the AI should reliably recall
• Add secrets.ai to your home screen for an app-like mobile experience — it removes the browser chrome and creates a cleaner interface
• Enable Private Mode in every conversation if data privacy is a concern — the habit takes 5 seconds and significantly changes the data posture

For context on what you unlock at each tier versus staying free, see the which plan to pick guide.

Common Issues and How to Solve Them

Messages not sending

Check your daily message limit first. Free accounts cap at 20 messages per day. Lite caps at 100. If you have hit the limit, the count resets in 24 hours. If you are on Plus or above and messages are not sending, it is likely a connectivity issue — refresh the page.

The AI seems forgetful

This is normal on free and Lite tiers. Free tier memory resets after 2-3 exchanges. Lite extends recall to approximately 14 days. If conversation continuity matters, upgrading to Plus (30-day recall with topic and tone awareness) or Premium (unlimited memory with emotional timeline) resolves this completely.

Responses are slow

Response latency increases during peak usage hours. The platform does not publish server load information, but evening hours in North American and European time zones tend to produce longer waits. Try off-peak times (morning hours in your region) for faster responses.

Cannot generate video

Video generation requires Lite tier or higher. Free accounts cannot use video even if they have Moments remaining from the starting 200 — the feature is tier-gated, not just Moments-gated. Upgrade to at least Lite to enable 3-second clips.

Forgot password

Use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page. A reset link is sent to your registered email address. Ensure you have access to the email account used for registration before signing up.

FAQ