If you only do one thing after reading my reviews, make it this: spend fifteen minutes going through your child's Roblox parental controls with them. Most of the risks I flag in the Game Directory, from scary content and chatting with strangers to mystery boxes and endless purchase prompts, can be reduced a lot with the right settings. Here's what I'd check, in the order I'd check it.
Roblox moves things around from time to time, so the exact menu names may differ slightly. The official Roblox parental controls overview is the place to check the latest details.
Step 1: choose how you'll manage the account
There are two ways to manage your child's settings:
- A linked parent account. You create your own Roblox account, verify it as a parent, and link it to your child's account. You can then change their settings from your own phone or computer without touching their device. This is the option I'd recommend.
- Parent mode on your child's device. Some settings can be managed directly on your child's account, protected so your child can't change them back.
Once you're linked, you'll find everything under Settings > Parental controls. Choose your child's account, then Settings you manage.
Step 2: content restrictions
This is where you decide which games your child can find and join.
- Maturity level. A slider sets the highest label your child can access, for example Minimal, Mild or Moderate. Roblox sets a default based on age, but you can lower it. For a younger child who scares easily, keeping it at Minimal is reasonable. If you're unsure what the labels mean, read my guide to Roblox maturity labels.
- Blocked games. You can block specific games, whatever their label. If you've read one of my reviews and decided a game isn't for your family, this is where you stop it.
- Allowed games. You can also allow particular experiences, which is useful if a game sits just above your child's level and you've checked it yourself.
- Sensitive issues. Some games deal with real-world sensitive topics, and you can decide whether those are allowed.
- Preview games. Depending on your child's age, you may be asked to approve new experiences or preview them first.
Step 3: communication
This is the setting I'd look at most carefully.
- Experience chat is the chat inside games. Roblox requires parental consent for children under 9 to use it.
- Direct chat is private messaging outside games, and children under 13 need parental consent.
- Chat and party with friends controls whether your child can chat and party up with people on their friends list.
- Friends chat can be set to all friends, trusted friends only, or no one.
- Quick Words offers preset, safer phrases in some games as an alternative to free typing.
One important catch: these settings cover Roblox's own chat, not chat systems that developers build into their games themselves. Some games, like Block Tales, have their own chat box that looks different, and I can't always tell how it's filtered. That's another reason to sit with your child for the first few rounds of a new game.
Trusted friends are a step above normal friends, usually people your child knows in real life. Children under 13 need your permission to add one. Voice chat on Roblox is only available to older, age-checked users.
For more on why chat matters so much, see my guide to chat and playing with strangers.
Step 4: spending restrictions
In the games I review, spending is the risk that comes up most often. Under spending restrictions you can:
- Set a monthly spending limit. You choose an amount, including zero, and it resets each calendar month. A small limit is often better than none, because it gives your child a budget to manage.
- Turn on spending notifications for every transaction, for big purchases only, or not at all. I'd recommend all transactions, at least at first.
There are also controls for Robux transfers between accounts, with default daily and monthly limits, and a choice between always asking you or allowing transfers to trusted friends.
Be aware that spending limits stop applying once a child turns 13, so it's worth a proper conversation about money before then. My guide to Robux, spending and microtransactions covers that.
Step 5: screen time
You can set a daily screen time limit in 15-minute steps. When it's reached, your child can't keep playing that day. From 13, children manage this themselves, so like spending, it's a habit to build early.
Many of the games I review are designed to keep children playing, with waiting rooms, idle timers, "come back tomorrow" rewards and treadmills to stand on. A daily limit stops that loop from eating the evening.
Step 6: visibility, private servers and inventory
- Visibility settings control who can see when your child is online and join their game.
- Private servers settings control whether your child can join or create private servers, which are invite-only copies of a game.
- Trading and inventory visibility controls who can see your child's items. In trading-heavy games, a visible inventory can attract unwanted attention.
Step 7: check it together, and check again
Settings aren't a one-off job. I'd suggest:
- Going through the settings with your child rather than behind their back, so they understand why.
- Checking again after birthdays, especially at 9, 13 and 16, when Roblox's defaults change.
- Rechecking when your child starts playing a new game, using the Game Directory or watching a couple of rounds together.
None of this replaces talking to your child about what they play, which I cover in my guide to talking to your child about the games they play. But it gives you a solid foundation. Fifteen minutes now can save a lot of worry later.