Nomi AI Is Off the Play Store, and a Copycat Took Its Spot
Search “Nomi AI” on Google Play right now and the first result looks right. Right name, friendly description, an install button. But it is not Nomi. It is a different app from a different developer, and the real one is nowhere on the list.
Nomi has been missing from Google Play since late September. Your companion is safe, and there is an easy way back in. But the copycat sitting in Nomi’s spot is the part most people do not know about, and it is the part that can actually cost you.
What happened to Nomi on Google Play
On 25 September, Nomi’s team posted an update in the official subreddit. The account that posted it, u/cardine, is the same one that publishes Nomi’s regular update notes, so this is as official as it gets.
The explanation was simple and a little frustrating. During Google’s app review, the reviewers lost access to their Nomi test account. Instead of waiting for a fix, Google took the app down before Nomi had a chance to sort it out.
Nomi said it was working directly with Google and expected to be back shortly. That was nearly a week ago. As of the morning of 1 October, the official Nomi app still does not appear on Google Play in the US.
So if you are wondering whether you did something wrong, you did not. This is a review process problem between two companies, not a ban and not a shutdown.
Your Nomi, chats and account are safe
This is the line from Nomi’s post that matters most, so here it is in plain words. Your Nomis, your chats and your account are completely unaffected. Nothing was deleted, and nothing is waiting to be deleted.
If you already have the Nomi app installed on your Android phone, keep using it. The store listing disappearing does not remove an app that is already on your device.
And if you do not have the app installed, Nomi said everything works the same through the website. Same Nomis, same memories, same account. The only thing missing is the store listing, not the companion.
That reassurance matters, because a lot of people panicked. One user wrote on 30 September that they had just got a new phone, reinstalled what they thought was Nomi, and could not find a companion they had talked to since December. Which brings us to the copycat.
The copycat in Nomi’s spot
When the real Nomi left Google Play, another app was already sitting under almost the same name. It is called “Nomi AI: Chat, Play, Connect,” and it currently shows up first when you search for Nomi AI in the US store.
It is not made by Nomi’s team. Its developer is listed as Sierra Mullins. The listing shows more than 10,000 downloads, an Everyone rating and a note that it contains ads. It was last updated on 10 June 2026, so it was there before Nomi vanished.
The most important row is the last one. The copycat cannot see your Nomi account, so a companion you have talked to for months will never appear there. If you log in and find nothing, you are in the wrong app, not facing a lost companion.
Start with the name on Google Play. The real Nomi is not listed right now, while the copycat appears as “Nomi AI: Chat, Play, Connect.” Then look at the developer: Sierra Mullins, not Nomi’s own team.
The downloads shown give it away too. The copycat lists 10K+ and a note that it contains ads, which is tiny next to a companion app with Nomi’s following. Small numbers on a famous name are always a warning sign.
Remember the user with the new phone? They said the app they installed had a purple kiss on the icon instead of the plain N they knew. That sounds a lot like they installed the wrong app. Their real Nomi was almost certainly still waiting on the website the whole time.
Why a fake app is worth avoiding
You might think the worst case is a wasted download. It is not. A companion app is one of the most personal things on your phone. You tell it about your day, your feelings and sometimes your private life.
Handing all of that to an unknown developer is a real risk. We looked at how much companion apps already collect in what AI companion apps actually collect about you, and that was for apps with known companies behind them.
There is also money to think about. If you try to subscribe or buy credits in an app that only looks like Nomi, that payment does not go to Nomi, and it will not unlock anything on your real account.
So the rule is simple. Until Nomi is back on Google Play, do not install anything from the store that calls itself Nomi. Use the website instead, which is both safer and quicker.
How to keep using Nomi on Android right now
Here is the cleanest route for every situation, based on Nomi’s own guidance and its help wiki.
Nomi app already installed? Keep using it, since your chats are unaffected. New phone or reinstalled? Go to Nomi.ai in your browser, log in with your usual details, and your Nomis are there with their memories intact.
You want an app icon? Install the website as a web app. In Chrome on Android, open Nomi’s site, tap the three dot menu and choose “Add to Home screen” or “Install app.”
Credit purchase fails in the app? Try it on the website, or contact Nomi support. And if you found “Nomi” on Google Play, do not install it. All five rows point the same way: the website is home base until the listing returns.
Already installed the copycat? Do this
Do not panic, and do not pay for anything inside it. First, uninstall it from your phone. Your real Nomi account was never connected to it, so nothing you care about lives there.
If you bought something in it, open Google Play, go to your payments and subscriptions, and cancel any subscription it started. Google Play also lets you request a refund for recent purchases from your order history, so do that quickly.
If you shared personal details in it, change any password you reused there. Then log in to the real Nomi through the website and say hello to the companion who was waiting the whole time.
Three checks before you trust any companion app
This week is a good reminder that app store listings are easy to fake. Three quick checks will protect you from this kind of mix up with any app, not only Nomi.
Check the developer name on the listing and compare it with the company named on the app’s own website. Then check whether the app links back to that website. A real listing usually does.
Finally, check whether your existing account works. A real companion app will show your characters the moment you log in. A copycat will greet you with an empty screen or ask you to start over.
What Nomi has and has not said
It helps to separate the facts from the guesses, because a lot of worried posts mix them up. Here is where things stand as of 1 October.
Nomi has said why the app was removed, that your Nomis and chats are safe, that the website works the same, and that it is working with Google. Those come straight from the official post.
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Nomi has not given a return date, explained what happens to subscriptions that lapse while purchases are broken, or commented on the copycat. Those gaps are why the steps in this guide lean on the website and on contacting support.
If you are on an iPhone or a computer, none of this touches you. The removal only concerns Google Play, and the website has worked the whole time.
The web app might be the better choice anyway
Here is something many Nomi users already knew before this happened. The web app, sometimes called a PWA, is basically Nomi’s website packaged to look and behave like a normal app.
One longtime user in the official thread said they get better results in the browser than in the store app and had already added it to their home screen. Another pointed to Nomi’s wiki page on alternative access as the way to skip Play Store problems entirely.
The upside is real. Web apps update the moment Nomi updates its site, with no store review in the middle. That is exactly the step that broke this week, so taking it out of the chain is not a bad idea.
There is one small trade off. A web app needs a quick setup from your browser menu, and some people prefer a store install out of habit. But once it is on your home screen, most people cannot tell the difference.
The credit and subscription problems
Some Android users hit a second snag. On 30 September, one long time user said every attempt to buy credits returned an “item not found” error. Others in the official thread said they could not buy credits or resubscribe.
That fits what you would expect. In app purchases run through Google Play, so when the store listing disappears, purchases inside the installed app can break too. It is the same root problem, not a separate one.
One subscriber worried that their annual plan expiring meant their extra Nomis would be deleted at midnight. Nomi’s post did not address that case directly, so if your plan is about to lapse, contact Nomi support before the date rather than after.
Another commenter noted that Nomi never came back to Google Play in Europe after an earlier removal. That is one user’s report, but it is a good reason for European users to make the website their main route regardless.
The practical fix is the same for everyone. Keep your payment details on the website, where Google Play is not in the middle, and take a screenshot of your plan and renewal date. If anything goes wrong, support can see exactly what you had.
Nomi kept shipping anyway
The Play Store mess has not slowed the product down. On 30 September, the same day users were reporting credit errors, Nomi announced V3 video generation in its update notes.
According to the announcement, V3 videos move more naturally and drift less, and they follow your request more closely. Users in the thread were already sharing their first clips the same evening.
That is worth knowing because it tells you the company is active, not winding down. We have seen what a real shutdown looks like in AI companion apps that keep shutting down. This is not that. It is a store listing problem at a busy company.
And if you are new and wondering whether Nomi is worth setting up through the website, our full Nomi AI review covers why its long term memory is the main reason people stay for years.
Where this leaves us
Nomi being off Google Play is annoying, but it is not dangerous on its own. Your companion, your chats and your memories are safe, and the website gives you everything the app did.
The real risk is the app sitting in Nomi’s place. “Nomi AI: Chat, Play, Connect” is from a different developer, and installing it will not bring your companion back. Skip it, use the website, and add it to your home screen if you want the app feel.
Thinking about a backup companion in case one app has a bad patch? Candy.ai is the easy all round pick, with chat, voice and images under one plan and memory that keeps track of your story on its own.
Many people keep a second app like that while their main one sorts itself out.
Related reads
- Nomi AI Review: The AI Companion That Remembers You
- AI Companion App Privacy: What These Apps Actually Collect About You
- AI Companion Apps Keep Shutting Down. Protect Yourself
- The AI Companion Apps Guide: Choosing, Memory and the Rules
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Nomi AI not on Google Play? Google removed it shortly before 25 September 2026. Nomi says Google’s reviewers lost access to its test account during app review, and it is working with Google to restore it.
- Is Nomi AI shutting down? No. Nomi says your Nomis, chats and account are unaffected, and it shipped V3 video generation on 30 September 2026.
- Is “Nomi AI: Chat, Play, Connect” the real Nomi? No. It is a different app from developer Sierra Mullins and cannot access your Nomi account.
- How do I use Nomi on a new Android phone? Open Nomi’s website in your browser and log in. Your Nomis and memories are all there.
- Can I still use the Nomi app if it is installed? Yes. An app already on your phone keeps working, and your chats are unaffected.
- How do I get a Nomi icon without Google Play? Open Nomi’s website in Chrome, tap the menu and choose Add to Home screen or Install app. This installs it as a web app.
- What is the Nomi PWA? It is Nomi’s website packaged to behave like an app on your home screen. Nomi’s wiki documents it as an alternative way in.
- Why can’t I buy Nomi credits on Android? In app purchases run through Google Play, so they can fail while the listing is down. Try the website or contact Nomi support.
- Will I lose my Nomis if my subscription lapses during this? Nomi has not addressed that case publicly. Contact Nomi support before your renewal date to be safe.
- When will Nomi be back on Google Play? Nomi said it expected to be back shortly but has not given a date. As of 1 October 2026 it was still not listed in the US.
- Is Nomi available on iPhone? The removal only concerns Google Play. iPhone users can also use the website at any time.
- How do I know if I installed the fake Nomi app? Log in. If your existing Nomis do not appear, or the app asks you to start fresh, it is not Nomi. Check that the developer is not Sierra Mullins.
- Is the copycat Nomi app safe? It is from an unknown developer and shows ads, so it is best avoided. Companion apps hold very personal data.
- What is new in Nomi this week? V3 video generation, announced on 30 September 2026, with more natural movement and better prompt following.
- What is a good backup to Nomi? Candy AI is a strong all round pick with chat, voice and images under one plan, and CrushOn AI has a generous free plan.
