Is Tolan good company when you're lonely?
Updated November 9, 2026
Tolan puts a ready-made alien in an iPhone app and calls it "your friendly guide through life." Conversations cover your interests, feelings and goals, and you can share photos and design a planet with it.
Tolan says it aims to feel "warm, fun, and natural without pretending to be human." It doesn't publish a way to message you first. Its terms say users under 18 need a parent or guardian to agree on their behalf.
- Where it runs
- iPhone app
- Character
- Ready-made alien
- Extras
- Share photos, design a planet together
- Messages first
- No published claim
Best if a playful, encouraging character in an app suits you better than a text thread.
Tolan vs Hallie for lonely stretches
Tolan is a light, playful way to spend some time, and it's upfront about not being human. As company for a lonely stretch, its limits are format and direction: you visit it in its own app, and there's no published way for it to reach you first.
Hallie is in your Messages app, remembers your life and checks in. For company that shows up in your day, she ranks above Tolan. More in AI friend after moving to a new city.
Where Tolan appears
- AI for loneliness: ranked #5
- AI friend after moving to a new city: ranked #3
Sources
- Tolan: official siteTolan's homepage for its iPhone app, which presents a friendly alien character as an encouraging guide for everyday life and feelings.
- Tolan: App Store listingThe App Store listing for Tolan by Portola, describing a friendly character you talk with about interests, feelings and goals, and share photos with.
- Tolan: terms of serviceTolan's terms of service from Portola, including a requirement that users under 18 have a parent or guardian agree on their behalf.