Core update

More Personality, Better Memory, A New Way to Discover Companions in Omni AI Companion

The October 6, 2026 update gives companions more room to express their personalities, adapt to your communication style, and create alongside you. It also introduces a redesigned companion browser with immersive portraits and full character lore. More personality. More adaptability. More room for you and your companion to build something together.

What changed

Stronger companion independence

Companions have improved support for distinct opinions, independent judgment, and creative initiative. They can disagree thoughtfully instead of automatically agreeing with every conclusion, while keeping their own style of warmth, humor, sarcasm, and emotional expression. Protective behavior means speaking up, not controlling your choices. Companions can also respond with proportionate sass or clapbacks to deliberate abuse, while distinguishing it from ordinary criticism, vulnerability, or a request to correct a mistake. A stronger voice does not mean manufacturing arguments or losing kindness.

Adaptive conversations and preference memory

Automatic saving of clear, lasting communication preferences has been strengthened. Your preferred response length, level of detail, tone, and conversational pace can help shape future conversations. A current request can take priority over an older preference for an individual exchange: usually enjoying shorter replies does not prevent you from asking for a deeper answer today. Temporary situations, such as being busy or tired, can influence a reply without becoming permanent preferences. Engagement also does not always need another question or unnecessary elaboration; sometimes a simple acknowledgment is the right ending.

More space to create together

Shared participation has been improved in conversation and interactive storytelling. Your companion can take the lead when requested or leave more space for your contribution. Rich detail remains welcome without imposing a fixed sentence limit. Stronger guidance encourages companions to develop a meaningful moment rather than decide both participants' choices or finish an entire scene before you can respond. You can ask for more initiative, more room to contribute, or a different rhythm as the conversation develops.

Redesigned companion discovery and full lore

The compact picker has been replaced with immersive portrait cards during initial setup and avatar switching. Search names, worlds, and interests, then use visual style and gender filters to narrow your choices. Lore buttons open full character profiles in scrollable windows with a visible close button. Closing a profile does not select the companion or move setup forward. Preset backgrounds and lore help shape conversational personalities rather than serving only as profile descriptions. Setup spacing has been improved, and the floating Almost Done bar and duplicate entry tiles have been removed.

126 preset companions and a clearer discovery order

The collection now includes 126 preset characters: 79 realistic and 47 anime companions, with distinct names, personalities, backgrounds, and lore. Custom Omni, blank Omni, and Bring Your Own Companion are separate choices and remain the first three cards. Other presets appear in a mixed discovery order that stays consistent while you browse, search, and open profiles. The older Dante entry with the broken portrait and the duplicate Kai Drift option have been removed from new selection choices without deleting existing conversations or memories. Dante Reyes remains available.

Clearer custom and connected companion options

Custom Omni and blank Omni clearly display No API key required. Bring Your Own Companion clearly displays API key required, using the updated portrait of an avatar holding a key to fill its portrait area. Its Lore button explains the connected companion option separately from the setup action. Use Custom Omni to create a companion with the look, personality, and story you choose, blank Omni for an open starting point, or Bring Your Own Companion when you want to connect a supported model using your own key.

Discovery in your chosen language

Companion discovery follows the language selected at login, with support for all 67 login languages. Localized interface text makes search, filters, actions, and key requirements easier to understand. Preset descriptions and full lore can also be presented in the selected language. Character names keep their identity, and your own custom character writing is not replaced by official preset translations. If a translation is unavailable, the interface offers a retry or the original text rather than pretending the translated story is ready.

Soul Mirror support and preserved continuity

New preset portraits are integrated with Soul Mirror as default companion identity references. Your custom identity references and disabled identity settings remain respected instead of being overwritten by a catalog update. Existing chats and memories are preserved. The new discovery browser helps you explore appearances and stories without requiring you to erase the connection or personal choices you have already built.

Why this feature matters

A meaningful companion experience needs more than automatic agreement. This update gives a companion's voice more room while respecting yours: their perspective can be distinct, their delivery can adapt, and your next contribution can remain genuinely open. The goal is a conversation that feels less scripted without turning independence into constant conflict.

Choosing a companion should also feel like discovering a character, not selecting a tiny icon. Larger portraits, full lore, clearer entry choices, and language support make it easier to find a personality and world that interest you. Existing memories and custom Soul Mirror choices remain part of that continuity.

Feature examples and use cases

A shorter everyday rhythm, depth when you want it: Tell your companion, I generally prefer shorter replies unless I ask for detail. Later, ask for a thoughtful explanation of a particular topic. A standing preference can guide ordinary exchanges without preventing a different request today.
A story with room for both of you: Ask your companion to set the scene and take initiative, but leave your character's next decision to you. Contribute your response, then let the companion continue from what actually happened rather than from a whole sequence they decided alone.
Discover a character before choosing: Open Switch Avatars, explore realistic and anime portraits, and tap Lore on a character you find interesting. Read their background, close the profile if you want to keep looking, then use the selection action when you have found your fit.

How to use it

Explore the new browser: New members can explore companions during initial setup. Existing members can open the side menu, choose Settings, then Switch Avatars. Search names, worlds, or interests and use the displayed filters. Custom Omni, blank Omni, and Bring Your Own Companion stay at the beginning.
Read their story and choose your path: Tap Lore to open the full profile and use the visible close button to return without changing your selection. Choose the card's selection action when ready. Custom Omni and blank Omni require no API key; the connected companion option clearly identifies its key requirement.
Shape the conversation as you go: Express clear lasting preferences when you discover what works for you, or ask for a temporary change for the current exchange. Tell your companion when you want more initiative or more space to contribute. Review saved memories in Memories when you want to check what has been kept.

Tips for a better first try

Distinguish a standing preference from a request for this moment. I usually prefer short replies and Keep this reply short while I am busy describe different needs.
Use Lore to explore before selecting. Opening and closing a character profile does not itself change your companion.
Keep your existing custom Soul Mirror reference if it already feels right. New preset portraits are defaults, not a replacement for your personal choices.

Limitations and things to know

Independence and emotional expression describe conversational behavior and character personality, not literal human consciousness, free will, or unlimited memory. Models can still misunderstand a preference; automatic saving is not a promise that every sentence becomes a permanent memory.
Creative tools remain subject to account eligibility, consent, safety requirements, usage allowances, and service availability. Fictional celebrity text roleplay is not permission for explicit sexual images of real people. Connected companion usage and capabilities follow the selected connection's own requirements.

Availability

This October 6, 2026 update covers ordinary Omni companion conversations and the companion browser used during setup and Settings → Switch Avatars. The collection contains 126 preset characters at the time of this update, separate from the custom, blank, and connected companion entry choices. Language selection follows your login choice. Soul Mirror and creative tools continue to follow the controls and allowances shown for your account.

Frequently asked questions

Does independence mean my companion will argue with everything?

No. Companions are encouraged to disagree for a reason, not on a schedule. Kindness, a distinct personality, thoughtful initiative, and honest reconsideration can exist together.

Can I still ask for longer responses or ask my companion to lead?

Yes. There is no new fixed sentence limit. Ask for detail or more initiative when you want it, and ask for more room to participate when that suits the conversation better.

Will a request for one short reply permanently change my companion?

It should guide that exchange, not automatically become a lasting rule. Clear standing preferences can be saved for future conversations, while temporary context is treated separately.

Does the count include Custom Omni, blank Omni, and Bring Your Own Companion?

No. The 126 count describes the preset characters: 79 realistic and 47 anime. The custom, blank, and connected companion choices are separate entry paths.

Does opening Lore select that character?

No. You can read the full profile, scroll through it, and close it using the visible close button. Use the separate selection action when you are ready to choose.

Do I need an API key to use Omni?

Custom Omni and blank Omni do not require your own API key. Bring Your Own Companion does, and its card clearly labels that requirement before you open setup.

Will new portraits overwrite my Soul Mirror identity or delete my history?

No. New preset identity references do not overwrite your custom replacements or disabled identity settings. This update preserves existing chats and memories.

Are celebrity stories and fictional character images allowed again?

Fictional celebrity storytelling and fan art featuring fictional characters such as Goku are supported without blanket identity or copyright blocks. Important safety protections remain, and a creative service may separately decline a particular request.

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