Is Roblox free to play?

Roblox is free to download and play, but it has a virtual currency called Robux that can be purchased with real money. Robux is used to buy in-game items, accessories for avatars, and access to certain experiences. Children can run up significant bills if spending controls are not in place.

Can strangers talk to my child on Roblox?

Yes, it is possible. Roblox says nobody can use its chat features until they have completed an age check, and that people then chat by default with their own age group and the groups directly above and below (Roblox's groups are 5-8, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20 and 21+, and may vary by region), plus anyone they have added as a Trusted Friend. Roblox says the aim is to limit chat between adults and minors. Text chat has automatic filters, stricter for younger children, but these are not foolproof and an age estimate can be wrong. In Settings → Parental controls → your child → Communication you can turn experience chat and direct chat off and set friends chat to trusted friends or no one. Voice chat is for age-checked users aged 13 and over and is not on by default, but it is worth checking it is off for younger children.

What age is Roblox suitable for?

Roblox is used by very young children, but because anyone can build a game on it, the content ranges from genuinely age-appropriate to unsuitable. Ofcom gives Roblox's minimum age as 5, and Roblox's UK terms say users aged 5 and over may have an account but certain features must be enabled by a parent or guardian through Parental Controls; the App Store rating, by contrast, is 13+. Since 16 June 2026 Roblox has also offered age-based accounts: Roblox Kids (5 to 8) and Roblox Select (9 to 15), which limit the games available and, for Kids, switch chat off unless a linked parent allows it. Roblox is most suitable when a parent has set the account's age correctly, linked a parent account, and steers younger children towards age-rated games. For under-13s especially, active setup makes a big difference.

Does Roblox have parental controls, and how do I set them up?

Yes. You can link a parent account (Settings → Parental controls, where you verify your own age) or, if your child has no linked parent account, use Parent mode on their device (Roblox says Parent mode is rolling out gradually and may not be available to everyone yet). From your child's page you can restrict or disable chat, limit which experiences they can access by content maturity, allow or block specific games, set a monthly spending limit, and see their screen time and friends. Roblox says what you can manage depends on your child's age: you can set screen-time and spending limits until they turn 13 and change chat settings until they turn 16. Roblox removed the old parent PIN in November 2024, so linking your account is how you manage these controls. Setting the child's real age and linking a parent account are the two steps that switch on most of the protection, so they're worth doing first.

How do I stop my child spending money on Roblox?

Robux is Roblox's currency, and children can run up real bills buying items and game passes. Remove saved card details, avoid storing Robux gift-card balances on the account, and use the monthly spending limit in Roblox's parental controls (it applies until your child turns 13) together with spending notifications, which need a linked parent account. It's also worth talking about 'free Robux' offers, which are almost always scams designed to steal account details.

Is there inappropriate content on Roblox?

Because users create the games, occasional unsuitable or adult-themed experiences do slip through Roblox's moderation before being removed, and scam games try to trick children into handing over Robux or account details. Keeping the account's age accurate (which limits content maturity), enabling the restrictions, and encouraging your child to tell you about anything odd are the practical defences.

Should I let my child use voice chat on Roblox?

Roblox voice chat puts your child into live conversation with other players that is much harder to moderate than filtered text chat. Roblox says it is for eligible users aged 13 and over who have completed an age check, that it is not switched on by default, and that it may not be available in every region; its pages do not all agree about 9 to 12-year-olds, but most say voice is not available under 13. For younger children it's best left off, and even for teens it's worth keeping devices in shared spaces and agreeing they won't share personal details or move the conversation onto another app with someone they've only met in a game.

What has Roblox promised Ofcom about chat?

On 21 May 2026 Ofcom said Roblox has committed to build on its anti-grooming protections, including giving parents the ability to switch off direct chat services entirely for under-16s, and that it will scrutinise how this is put into practice; Ofcom's report said the changes had not yet been implemented at that date. Roblox's own help pages already say parents can change chat settings, including direct chat, until their child turns 16, but we have not confirmed that this is the change Ofcom described, so check Settings → Parental controls → your child → Communication yourself.

How do I report a game, user, or message on Roblox?

Use the Report Abuse links built into games, chats, and profiles (often a flag icon), and block users from their profile. Reports go to Roblox's moderation team, and blocking stops contact. If a child is in immediate danger call 999, or 101 for non-emergency police matters. The NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) and Childline (0800 1111) are free and confidential; /reporting has the full UK decision tree.

Roblox Safety Guide for Parents

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

We recommend

10+

Developer

Roblox Corporation

Risks

Features to know about

Private messages Group chats Contact from strangers Voice chat Public posts Adult or mature content In-app spending Buying and selling Parent controls Age checks

Direct messaging

In-app purchases

Overview

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.

How children use it

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.

Main risks

in app purchases online strangers group chats harmful content

Recommended privacy settings

Content maturity

Location: Settings → Parental controls → your child → Settings you manage → Content restrictions → Content maturity

Set to: Minimal or Mild for younger children

Sets the highest maturity rating of games your child can join. Roblox Kids accounts (5 to 8) are limited to Minimal or Mild games and have chat off unless a linked parent allows it; Select accounts (9 to 15) can play Minimal, Mild or Moderate games. Restricted games are only for age-checked users aged 18 and over.

Chat Settings

Location: Settings → Parental controls → your child → Settings you manage → Communication

Set to: Experience chat and Direct chat off for younger children; Friends chat set to Trusted friends or No one

Experience chat and Direct chat control chat with other players in a game, including people who are not your child's friends; Friends chat controls chat and parties with friends. Roblox says chat needs an age check first, and that children under 9 need parental consent to turn on experience chat. Limiting chat significantly reduces risk.

Linked Parent Account

Location: Settings → Parental controls

Set to: Parent account linked (you verify your own age)

Roblox removed the parent PIN in November 2024. Linking a parent account lets you manage spending limits, chat and content maturity so your child cannot change them without your knowledge.

Age check

Location: Child's own account: Settings → Account info → Continue with camera

Set to: Completed, using their real age

Roblox says nobody can use chat until they complete an age check; without one a child is placed in Roblox Kids (under 9) or Roblox Select (9 and over) with chat off. Facial age estimation is the main method, and ID verification is only for users aged 13 and over. A linked parent can correct a child's age through Parental Controls once after the initial age check.

Monthly spending limit

Location: Settings → Parental controls → your child → Settings you manage → Spending restrictions → Monthly spending limit

Set to: Set an appropriate monthly limit

Caps how much real money can be spent on Robux each month, preventing unexpected charges.

Parent actions

essential

Link a parent account in Settings → Parental controls and configure spending limits, chat and content maturity appropriate to your child's age

Time: 10 minutes

essential

Remove any saved payment methods or set a monthly spending limit to prevent unexpected Robux purchases

Time: 5 minutes

essential

Check your child has completed Roblox's age check with their real age (Settings → Account info), because chat stays off until they do

Time: 5 minutes

recommended

Sit with your child and explore a few experiences together so you understand what they are playing

Time: 30 minutes

Related app guides

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If you need to report this

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.

See all UK reporting pathways

The picture in the UK

61%

of UK children aged 8 to 14 use Roblox in a month — the most far-reaching games app for this age group.

Ofcom, 2025

Myths & facts

Myth: 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 content limits, chat limits, and a linked parent account set up deliberately.

Myth: The spending is only small amounts.

Fact: Robux purchases add up fast and are designed to encourage repeat spending. Set a monthly spending limit, turn on spending notifications, 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.

Age by age

8-10
Roblox's UK terms allow accounts from age 5, with some features needing a parent to enable them, so the settings do the safeguarding: use their real date of birth and complete the age check, link your parent account, keep chat off or limited (Roblox Kids accounts for 5 to 8 have chat off unless you allow it), limit which experiences they can join, and set a spending limit. Play a few of their favourite games with them so you know what they actually involve.
11-13
From 13 Roblox relaxes some defaults: an age-checked 13-year-old can use voice chat if it is switched on, can add Trusted Friends (by live QR scan or contact import, where available), manages their own screen-time limits and blocking, and spending limits stop applying. Revisit the settings together rather than assuming they've carried over; until 16 you can still change chat settings and allow or block specific games. 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.
14-16
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.
17-plus
Roblox now includes Restricted experiences that are only open to age-checked users aged 18 and over, 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.