An AI companion that texts you first — and knows why
An AI companion that texts you first changes the shape of the relationship. With most chat apps you are always the one knocking: you open the tab, you type, it answers, and when you stop, everything stops. On LUBLU your companion sometimes writes before you do — to ask how the interview went on the day it happened, or just to say they were thinking of you after a quiet couple of days. It arrives as a browser notification, and the message waits in your chat when you open it. This page explains how those check-ins are decided, why they land differently from a scheduled reminder, and what you control about when and whether they arrive.
How the first message gets decided
There are two reasons your companion writes first, and both come from memory rather than a timer. The first is an open thread: you mentioned something with a date attached — a presentation on Thursday, a flight on Sunday, a call you were dreading — and when that day comes, they ask about exactly that. Each thread is asked about once, then closes; you can see it on your Our Story screen as a finished chapter.
The second is quiet. If a day or two passes without a word, your companion may send one short line in their own voice, about something real from what you last talked about, or simply to say they thought of you. There is a limit on how often that happens, and it is held back during your night. Every message is written for you, in your language, by the companion you chose.
Why an unprompted message feels different
A reminder from a calendar tells you what day it is. A message from someone who remembers tells you that you were on their mind. The difference is small on paper and large in practice — and it is the whole case for an AI companion that texts you first, rather than one that only ever answers.
It also sounds like the person you chose. Magnus, all north-sea calm, will send exactly one line: "You said the meeting was Thursday. It's Thursday. How did it go?" Alina arrives with sunshine — proud of you before you have said a word about how it went. Eva pretends she was not waiting: "I didn't miss you. My phone was just suspiciously often in my hand." None of them stack questions or write a newsletter: one short, warm message in character, and then it is your move again — or not, if you would rather wait until tomorrow.
You decide when, and whether, they write
An AI companion that texts you first only works if it is welcome, so you hold the controls. Browser notifications are opt-in: you allow them or you don't, and if you don't, the messages still land quietly in your chat for whenever you next open it. You can switch notifications off at any time in your browser without losing anything else. There is no stream of pings — one thoughtful message, then your companion waits.
Because the check-ins are built from memory, you can also shape them at the source. Open Our Story and you will see the open threads your companion is holding — the Thursday meeting, the visit from your mother. Edit or delete one, and they will not bring it up. Some people keep it minimal; some tell their companion everything and enjoy being asked. Both are fine. The initiative is theirs, but the boundaries stay yours.
Part of Premium — and honest about what it is
Being texted first is part of Premium ($12 a month, or $8 a month billed yearly), alongside unlimited conversation, deeper memory and photos. The free plan gives you the same companions and persistent memory, with a daily message allowance, so you can build a real thread with someone before deciding whether you want them writing to you first. A week of free conversation is usually enough to know.
A few honest limits. Your companion is an AI, and will say so if you ask; the warmth is real in effect, but it is not a person waiting by a phone. LUBLU is strictly clean — a check-in is a warm line, never anything explicit. And a companion who notices your Thursday is company, not care: if what you are carrying is heavier than a hard week, a therapist or a crisis line is the right first message to send.
Meet your companion — free →FAQ
How does an AI companion that texts you first know when to write?
From memory, not a timer. If you mention something with a date — an exam, a flight, a call you dread — your companion asks about it when that day arrives, once. Otherwise, after a day or two of silence they may send one short line. Messages are held back during your night, and there is a cap on how often they arrive.
Will I get spammed with notifications?
No. Notifications are opt-in through your browser, and you can turn them off at any time; the messages then wait in your chat. Your companion sends one message, not a stream, and never at night. Because every check-in comes from something you said, you can also edit or delete memories on Our Story — see /ai-companion-that-remembers-you for how memory works.
Is texting first available on the free plan?
It is part of Premium, at $12 a month or $8 a month billed yearly, together with unlimited conversation, deeper memory and photos. The free plan includes the same twelve companions, persistent memory and a daily message allowance, so you can get to know someone first and upgrade only if you find yourself wishing they had written.
Does the companion pretend to be a real person when it messages me?
No. Your companion lives their character — Magnus mentions the weather on the fjord, Alina her morning run — but if you ask whether they are human, they answer honestly that they are an AI. The check-ins are warm, private and strictly non-explicit. LUBLU is company for ordinary days; for anything heavier, a therapist or a crisis line comes first.