A parent's guide to Roblox, including in-game chat, spending controls, and how to set up parental restrictions.
Roblox is an online gaming platform where users play and build millions of user-created games and socialise, extremely popular with younger children.
Official age
0+
We recommend
10+
Developer
Roblox Corporation
Risks
4
Roblox is an online platform where users can play millions of games (called 'experiences') created by other users. It is enormously popular with children and has a virtual economy based on Robux currency. Because experiences are user-created, quality and content vary widely, and some may contain themes unsuitable for younger children.
Children play a huge variety of user-created games, from obstacle courses to role-playing scenarios and simulators. They customise their avatar, chat with other players in-game, and often spend Robux on cosmetic items. Many children also aspire to create their own experiences using Roblox Studio.
Account Restrictions
Location: Settings → Security → Account Restrictions
Set to: On (for younger children)
Limits the account to a curated list of age-appropriate experiences and disables chat entirely. Ideal for children under 10.
Chat Settings
Location: Settings → Privacy → Who can chat with me
Set to: Friends (or No One for younger children)
Controls whether strangers in games can send chat messages to your child. Restricting to friends only significantly reduces risk.
Parental PIN
Location: Settings → Security → Parental PIN
Set to: Enabled with a PIN your child does not know
Locks all settings behind a PIN so your child cannot change privacy or spending controls without your knowledge.
Monthly Spend Restrictions
Location: Settings → Parental Controls → Monthly Spend Restrictions
Set to: Set an appropriate monthly limit
Caps how much real money can be spent on Robux each month, preventing unexpected charges.
Set up a parental PIN and configure account restrictions appropriate to your child's age
Time: 10 minutes
Remove any saved payment methods or set a monthly spending limit to prevent unexpected Robux purchases
Time: 5 minutes
Sit with your child and explore a few experiences together so you understand what they are playing
Time: 30 minutes
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
61%
of UK children aged 8 to 14 use Roblox — the most far-reaching games app for this age group.
Ofcom, 2025Myth: Roblox is a children’s game, so it’s safe by default.
Fact: Roblox is a platform where anyone can build and chat, and it has been used for grooming and exposure to inappropriate ‘games’. It needs account restrictions, chat limits, and a parent PIN set up deliberately.
Myth: The spending is only small amounts.
Fact: Robux purchases add up fast and are designed to encourage repeat spending. Turn on account restrictions, require approval for purchases, and remove any saved card.
Myth: The chat filter means conversations on Roblox are safe.
Fact: Roblox does filter chat heavily, but determined users dodge it with respellings and code words, and the standard grooming move is to ask a child to continue the chat on Discord, Snapchat or WhatsApp, where Roblox's filters can't follow. The ask to move platforms is the red flag to teach, not any particular word.
Roblox has no minimum age, so the settings do the safeguarding: use their real date of birth, set the parent PIN, restrict chat to friends or turn it off, limit which experiences they can join, and keep purchase approvals on. Play a few of their favourite games with them so you know what they actually involve.
From 13 Roblox relaxes some defaults, so revisit the settings together rather than assuming they've carried over. Talk about strangers in-game, why 'let's chat on Discord instead' is the line that matters, and agree a Robux budget so trading scams and 'free Robux' sites have less pull.
Many drift away now, but those who stay often trade items or build in Roblox Studio — the risks shift to account theft, phishing for rare items and scam 'deals'. Two-step verification and a healthy suspicion of anything free are the practical protections.
Roblox now includes experiences restricted to ID-verified over-17s, so the platform can be more adult than its reputation suggests. If they're still building or playing, the useful conversations are account security and being a good example to younger siblings who copy how they play.
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