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

Most people who sign up for Secrets AI spend their first 200 Moments in the wrong places and leave before seeing what the platform actually does well. This guide takes a different approach: it walks through every step in the order that actually matters, with concrete advice on where to spend your starting credit and how to build a conversation experience that holds up over time.

You do not need to download anything. Setup takes under five minutes. Here is how to do it right from the start.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Open any web browser and navigate to secrets.ai. The platform is browser-only — no app, no download, no installation required.

Click the sign-up button on the landing page. You need:

• An email address (any email works; a pseudonymous address is fine for privacy)
• A password

That is everything. No real name. No phone number. No social media connection required. Account creation takes under 60 seconds, and you are immediately credited with 200 free Moments — the platform's in-app currency.

Upon signup you have full access to browse the complete character library, start conversations, and create your first custom character at no cost.

Privacy note: If discretion matters to you, use an email address not tied to your real identity, and consider enabling Private Mode at the start of each sensitive conversation. Billing, when you upgrade, appears as "Sun Clinical Laboratories" on statements.

Step 2: Choose or Build Your First Character

This step determines the quality of everything that follows. Do not rush it.

Option A: Browse the pre-built library. Approximately 94 hyper-realistic characters are available, each with distinct personality, backstory, and visual design. Filter or scroll to find one whose profile matches what you are looking for. Read the character description — it informs the conversation style you can expect.

Option B: Create a custom character. The first custom character is free, and this option gives you far more control over the experience. Customization covers:

• Ethnicity (9 options)
• Body type (6 options)
• Hairstyle, eye color, skin tone
• Voice (6 options — also determines how voice calls sound)
• Personality: confidence, playfulness, dominance, intelligence
• Profession (5 preset categories)
• Personality trait presets (5 options)
• Hobbies and free-text detail fields

The free-text details field is the most underused tool on the platform. Specific information you enter here — preferences, relationship context, scenario framing — directly shapes how the AI behaves across subsequent conversations. Spend two minutes filling it out thoroughly.

When you create a custom character, 4 images are automatically generated from the character profile at no extra cost.

Step 3: Have Your First Conversation

The platform provides conversation starters at the beginning of each chat. They split roughly half casual and half suggestive — choose based on the tone you want to establish.

Set the tone early. The AI calibrates to your opening exchanges. A casual, emotional opening produces a different ongoing dynamic than an immediately suggestive one. Neither is wrong — but deliberate framing works better than letting the conversation drift.

Key things to know for free users:

• 20 messages per day maximum on the free tier
• 500-character message limit per message
• Memory only covers the last 2–3 exchanges — the AI essentially resets between sessions

Practical first-session tip: On the free tier, do not start with roleplay that requires the AI to remember context from five messages back. Short, self-contained exchanges work better within the free memory constraints. Think of the free tier as an audition — you are evaluating the chat quality, not building a relationship.

Step 4: Try the Media Features

Generate Images

Tap the image generation option within your active chat. Cost: 25–50 Moments per image. You already have 4 auto-generated images from character creation — use those to gauge visual quality before spending Moments on additional generations.

Two generation models are available: Premium and Advanced. The quality difference is visible primarily in lighting detail and skin texture. Higher-tier plans unlock the Advanced model.

Create Video Clips

Video generation is available on Lite plan and above (not on the free tier). To generate a video:

1. Select an existing companion image as the base
2. Add a text prompt describing the desired movement or action
3. Wait approximately 2 minutes for processing
4. View and save the completed clip

Cost: approximately 50 Moments for a short 3-second clip, up to 600 Moments for a longer, higher-quality video.

Critical spending advice: Video is the most expensive feature per Moments unit. If you have 200 starting Moments, do not spend them on video generation. Test images first. A full-length video clip would consume your entire starting credit in one generation.

Voice Calls

Six voice options are available, each with a distinct tone. Voice calls cost 100 Moments per minute — which means your 200 starting Moments allow exactly 2 minutes of voice time. For most new users, exploring voice in a free context is not recommended. Test this feature after upgrading to a plan with a monthly Moments allocation.

Step 5: Manage Your Moments

Moments are the platform's currency, and managing them well is the difference between a frustrating experience and a good one.

Check your balance: Your Moments balance is visible in account settings. Make it a habit to check before starting a media-heavy session.

Cost reference:

• Text messages: 1–2 Moments each
• Images: 25–50 Moments each
• Short video: ~50 Moments
• Full video: ~600 Moments
• Voice calls: 100 Moments per minute
• Manual memory save: 10 Moments per entry

When to upgrade: If you find yourself hitting the 200-Moment ceiling after minimal media use, the Plus plan at $9.99/month provides 3,000 Moments monthly with unlimited messaging — a substantial step up from the free experience. Annual billing brings Plus to $6.67/month.

Additional Moments can be purchased as standalone bundles starting at $5.99 for 1,980 Moments if you want to extend without changing your subscription tier.

See the pricing guide for the full plan comparison and the free vs premium guide for honest advice on which upgrade makes sense for different usage patterns.

Step 6: Turn On Privacy Features

Enable Private Mode before any conversation you want encrypted. The steps:

1. Open the conversation settings within the chat window
2. Toggle Private Mode on
3. The conversation is now end-to-end encrypted and excluded from AI training data

Private Mode must be enabled at the start of the conversation — enabling it mid-conversation does not retroactively encrypt earlier messages. Make it a habit if privacy is important to you.

Check the billing descriptor: If you upgrade to a paid plan, charges appear as "Sun Clinical Laboratories" on statements. If you are using a shared account or a card tied to a shared financial statement, this is already handled — no reference to Secrets AI appears.

Tips for New Users

Things that experienced users wish they had known from the start:

• Start with free to evaluate quality — the free tier gives a genuine, if limited, preview of the chat experience
• Do not spend your 200 starting Moments on video — images are cheaper and give you a better sense of visual quality first
• Fill out the custom character's free-text field thoroughly — it has a stronger influence on conversation quality than any other customization step
• The AI remembers significantly more on paid tiers — free memory limitations make relationship-building nearly impossible; this is intentional
• Plus at $9.99/month is the sensible starting point for most users who decide to pay — unlimited messaging, 3,000 Moments, and 30-day memory make it a fundamentally different experience
• Add secrets.ai to your home screen on mobile for faster access — works like an app shortcut without requiring an actual download

Common Issues and Fixes

Messages not going through: Check whether you have hit the 20-message daily limit on the free tier. The counter resets every 24 hours.

The AI seems to forget what you said: Free tier memory covers only the last 2–3 exchanges. Upgrading to Plus or above meaningfully extends recall. This is not a bug — it is a designed feature difference between tiers.

Slow responses: Server load affects response speed during peak usage hours. If responses are taking longer than usual, try again at an off-peak time (outside of evening US hours).

Cannot generate video: Video generation requires Lite plan or above plus sufficient Moments. It is not available on the free tier. If you have upgraded but still cannot access video, check your Moments balance — a zero balance prevents generation.

Forgot your password: Use the email reset option on the login page at secrets.ai. The reset link goes to the email address on your account.

For a full breakdown of everything the platform offers, see the features guide and the complete Secrets AI review.

Get Started with 200 Free Moments

Frequently Asked Questions