New Character AI update removes Persona PFPs from chat messages, brings flashing loading screen

Update 19/12/25 – 10:47 am (IST): So it turns out that the removal of profile pictures from chats was actually a bug, not an intended tweak. CharacterAI has confirmed that they’re working to restore Persona images to chats.

The same information was also shared on the official Discord channel, as highlighted by a user on Reddit:

Original article published on December 18, 2025, follows:

It’s becoming a bit of a pattern: a popular platform rolls out a UI update, and the community immediately asks for a rollback. Character AI is the latest to fall into this cycle, pushing a new update that has stripped away key personalization features and introduced visual elements that are resulting in backlash from the community. If you’ve logged in today and felt like the soul of your chats was missing, you definitely aren’t alone.​

When you think back to why Character AI took off, it wasn’t just the smart responses — it was the immersion. Being able to see your Persona visually represented in the chat added a layer of depth that text alone couldn’t match.

That’s why the removal of profile pictures from the chat messages is hitting the community so hard. Instead of seeing the character you painstakingly crafted or your own persona’s face staring back at you, users are now staring at a wall of text that feels far more sterile than before.

We’re seeing a flood of threads on Reddit detailing just how unpopular this change is. As user SpringfieldFever110 pointed out, this feature has been part of the experience since the early days, and taking it away feels like a step backward for the platform’s core appeal.

Another user, kolip346, mentioned that without these visual cues, the experience feels less like roleplay and more like talking to a generic chatbot. It’s a small UI tweak on paper, but in practice, it breaks the illusion that makes the site special.

But the missing images aren’t even the most serious complaint we’re seeing. The update also introduced a new loading screen that flashes intensely, which is raising major accessibility red flags.

Multiple reports describe the new animation as “dizziness-inducing” and a potential trigger for those with epilepsy. One commenter even said, “I don’t like it all it flashes and I can’t do stuff that flashes due to a medical disorder.” I’m hoping this is just an oversight that gets patched out quickly, because locking basic usability behind a migraine-inducing wall is a surefire way to drive people off the platform.​

Visually, the rest of the update is a mixed bag of modern minimalism that nobody really asked for. Users are describing a “sideways WiFi symbol” inside the chat bubbles that looks out of place, contributing to a cluttered feel despite the attempt at a cleaner look.

The chat interface now reportedly pushes your own profile picture to the bottom near the text box, a change that DescriptionTiny5235 noted makes the whole setup feel like an “old MMORPG” interface rather than a sleek modern chat app.​

For now, there’s no official word on a revert, but if the backlash keeps growing at this pace, they might not have a choice. Some users are noting that the old UI is available to CharacterAI+ subscribers. However, since the UI update is fresh out of the oven, there are not many screenshots floating around that confirm the same. We’ll keep an eye out for any further developments and update this article accordingly.