Is your child talking about Roblox? Are you worried about what your child might be exposed to? There’s a wide range of new online games being released every month, and it can be hard to keep track of what your children are playing. Read on to find everything you need to know about Roblox parental controls. Alternatively, if you’d like to know more about Roblox in general, check out our Parents guide to Roblox.
What is Roblox and how does it work?
Roblox is an online platform that lets players create their own worlds and games to play in. Roblox has been around since 2006, so by now, there are thousands – or possibly even millions – of worlds, activities, and games for your children to choose from, all made by other players. These games can be anything from a simple race track to a more complex puzzle world to explore. Some of the worlds could contain material that's not suitable for children in certain age groups.
Roblox is free, but there is an in-game currency called Robux. Robux must be bought with real money, and then it can be used to purchase in-game items such as clothing for an in-game character.
Does Roblox have parental controls?
Yes, Roblox has parental controls. You can access the parental controls through the Settings menu on either a PC or a mobile device. Once you find the Settings menu, go to My Settings and Parental Controls. The parental controls will allow you to limit who can contact your child in the game, their spending, and the types of in-game content your child can access.
Why should I use parental controls?
According to PEGI Roblox is designed for ages 7 and up, but there is no guarantee that all content your child will find on Roblox is suitable for them. This is because so many of the games and worlds are made by other users – some users might make games that feature content unsuitable for younger children featuring horror or violence. Implementing parental controls can make sure that your child does not come across upsetting or inappropriate content.
You may also want to use parental controls in order to protect your child from chatting with strangers on the Roblox platform.
Does Roblox have any social features?
Roblox does have some social features, but these can vary for different players. All in-game text chat for users aged 12 or younger is filtered to try to ensure they only see chat language appropriate to their age. This includes blocking certain language, as well as trying to make sure that no identifying information is displayed. However, these filters are not completely foolproof, and some unwanted chat topics might get through.
Once players are aged 13 or older, they will be able to explore more widely than younger players.
You may wish to use parental controls to make sure that your child can only communicate with certain players. You can also review your child’s chat log to see their chat history. If you find that someone has been saying inappropriate things to your child, you can block them from being able to contact your child on the platform. It's also possible to disable chat entirely.
How to enable Account Restrictions on Roblox
You can find the Parental Controls options in the Settings menu. Here you'll find the Account Restrictions section in your child’s Roblox account. Enabling Account Restrictions means that no other in-game user can send your child messages, chat to them in the app, or find the account by searching for your phone number.
Account Restrictions can also allow you to set boundaries on the worlds, games, or experiences that your child can access. This means they'll only be able to look at content that the Roblox team has agreed is appropriate.
How do I add a PIN on Roblox?
You can also add a PIN code to your child’s Roblox account settings. This means that you'll need to enter the PIN if you want to change the settings. This is designed to stop your children from removing parental controls from their own accounts.
If you want to add a PIN to your child’s Roblox account, you can do this in the Settings menu. In Settings, find the Parental Controls tab and toggle the control to turn the PIN feature on. If you want to remove the PIN feature, you'll need to toggle the PIN setting to off – doing so will require you to input your PIN.
It's important your child doesn't know your PIN code for Roblox, as this will allow them to turn off the parental controls on their account.
How do I know what my child is doing on Roblox?
Roblox lets parents monitor what their children are doing on the platform. If you need to check your child’s activity, you should first sign in. You can then access the following sections from the menu:
- Chats – for one-on-one chats or small group chats
- Messages – for private messages with other players
- Friends – who your child has added as a friend in the game
- My Transactions – for virtual item purchases and Trades
- My Favorites – found under My Profile for recently enjoyed games.
Once you have found these sections, you can check the history in this section to see what your child has been doing. This can be helpful if you're worried your child is receiving inappropriate messages.
Can my child spend money in Roblox?
Yes, there are many in-game purchase options in Roblox, though most parts of the game can be played for free. The most common way children spend money in Roblox is to buy Robux – this is the platform currency that is paid for using real money.
Robux can be exchanged for in-game accessories such as clothing or tools for their character. Users can also pay for membership of Roblox Premium, which provides access to special features. Premium membership must be paid for with hard currency. Since Roblox is a popular game, there can be a great deal of peer pressure on children to buy Robux to get popular items of clothing for their character. However, there are ways to limit the amount your child spends on Roblox.
How can I manage my child’s spending on Roblox?
If you want to limit your child’s spending within Roblox, you can activate Monthly Spend Restrictions in the Parental Controls section of the platform's Settings menu. Monthly Spend Restrictions are set at zero as standard, but you can change this to any value you want.
The GoHenry app also has features for setting limits on how much your child spends. You can also monitor purchases and see exactly how much your child has spent and where. This can be easily controlled through your parent app, where you can also set spending rules and limits. You can also easily block your child’s GoHenry kids' debit card if it’s lost or stolen.
If you think your child is spending too much, our in-app Money Missions can help you teach your child about spending, budgeting, and saving with fun videos and interactive games. Your child can earn badges by answering quiz questions, all while learning the basics of finance.
