Minecraft: Multiplayer Chat and Family Settings
Minecraft's online multiplayer lets children play and chat with strangers on public servers, and the safety picture depends heavily on which servers they use.
Published: 2026-01-20
What Changed
Minecraft's online multiplayer lets children play and chat with strangers on public servers, and the safety picture depends heavily on which servers they use. The game includes tools to report abusive chat and players, and violations can lead to bans from online play. For children playing on a Microsoft account, family settings let a parent control whether the child can join multiplayer, use chat, and add friends. Third-party servers run their own moderation, which varies enormously in quality.
What to Review
- •Set up Microsoft Family Safety for your child's account and review the multiplayer and chat permissions.
Parent Actions
- 1Ask which servers your child plays on and whether they are playing with real-life friends or strangers, and show them how to report bad behaviour in-game.
Full app guide
View the complete Minecraft safety guide
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Sources
Was this page helpful?
Explore more
Last reviewed: 2026-03-29