Best privacy settings for Meta Quest (UK parent walkthrough)
The Meta Quest privacy settings UK parents should switch on first: Parent Dashboard, age-locked account, app approvals, personal boundary and friend requests.
Meta Quest accounts come in three age brackets: 10-12 (parent-managed), 13-17 (teen) and 18+. The teen account already restricts the strictest 18+ apps, but parents still need to link the Parent Dashboard, switch on personal boundary, control who can friend the child, and approve any app downloads.
The steps below take about five minutes and apply to a 10-17 account.
Step-by-step
Confirm correct age category on the account
Meta Quest app on phone → Settings → Accounts → child's account → Date of Birth. Tip: 10-12 must be parent-managed; 13-17 is a teen account.
Link the Parent Dashboard
Meta Quest app → Family Centre → invite parent. Tip: Lets you approve apps, set time limits and see recent activity.
Turn app download approval on
Family Centre → child → App Approvals → Required. Tip: Stops them downloading VRChat, Gorilla Tag and similar without you knowing.
Restrict friend requests
Quest headset universal menu → Settings → Privacy → Who can send me friend requests → Friends of friends, or Off for under-13.
Turn on Personal Boundary
Inside Horizon Worlds and similar apps: universal menu → Safety → Personal Boundary → On. Tip: Stops other avatars getting closer than about a metre.
Turn off voice for strangers where the app allows
Horizon Worlds → Settings → Voice → Only friends.
Enable two-factor authentication on the Meta account
Meta account → Security → Two-factor authentication → On.
Set daily play limits
Family Centre → Daily time limit → 60 minutes. Tip: VR can cause cybersickness and eye strain; short sessions are best.
Settings to check
- Date of birth / age category
- Parent Dashboard linked
- App download approval
- Friend requests
- Personal Boundary
- Voice in social apps
- Two-factor authentication
- Daily time limit
What not to do
- Do not assume your child kept the recommended settings after an app update.
- Do not use the same password on the app as on email or banking.
- Do not allow sign-in via a social account you do not also control.
- Do not skip enabling two-factor authentication.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.