Meta Quest / VR Safety Guide
Safety guidance for children using Meta Quest and other VR headsets, covering social interactions, content risks, and parental controls.
Official age
13+
We recommend
13+
Developer
Meta
Risks
2
Overview
Meta Quest headsets provide immersive virtual reality experiences including gaming, social spaces, fitness, and education. VR social interactions feel more intense than screen-based communication because spatial audio and avatar proximity create a sense of physical presence. This means encounters with strangers — including harassment and inappropriate behaviour — can feel more threatening. Meta offers parental controls through a parent dashboard, but VR environments remain difficult to moderate.
How children use it
Children use VR headsets for gaming (Beat Saber, Roblox VR), socialising in apps like VRChat and Rec Room, watching immersive videos, and exploring virtual worlds. The social spaces are where most risks arise, as children interact with strangers through voice chat and avatar proximity.
Main risks
Recommended privacy settings
Parent Dashboard
Location: Meta Quest app on parent's phone > Parental Supervision
Set to: Fully set up
Allows parents to approve app downloads, set daily time limits, and view activity. Must be linked to the child's account.
Personal Boundary
Location: Quick Settings > Personal Boundary
Set to: On
Creates a virtual buffer around the user's avatar so strangers cannot get uncomfortably close in social spaces.
Voice chat
Location: Within individual apps > Audio settings
Set to: Friends only or muted
Restricts who can speak to your child in VR social spaces. Reduces exposure to verbal harassment and inappropriate language.
Parent actions
Set up the parent dashboard and link to your child's Meta account
Time: 15 minutes
Enable the personal boundary feature
Time: 5 minutes
Discuss that people in VR are real strangers, not game characters
Time: 10 minutes
Set daily VR time limits to prevent motion sickness and overuse
Time: 5 minutes