Roblox’s under-13 direct-message restriction began in November 2024, but it is no longer the whole story. Roblox now requires an age check for chat and has introduced age-based Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts, alongside expanded parental controls for communication, content, spending, screen time, games, and connections.
The practical result is not that every child has been cut off from every form of communication. Instead, access depends on the type of chat, the user’s age group, age-check status, region, approved relationships, and parental settings.
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What changed in the original under-13 policy?
In November 2024, Roblox announced that users under 13 would no longer be able to use platform-level direct messaging to contact people outside games or experiences. Direct messaging inside an experience would require parental consent.
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- Platform direct messages: unavailable to under-13 users under the original policy.
- Direct chat inside an experience: subject to additional parental-consent and eligibility rules.
- Ordinary in-game text chat: controlled separately from platform DMs.
- Party chat and voice chat: separate systems with their own age, region, and account requirements.
- Developer-created communication: tools built into an individual game may not follow every platform-level toggle.
Roblox also expanded parental controls covering communication, content maturity, spending, and other account activity. The original announcement is available on the Roblox Developer Forum.
What Roblox’s rules are now in 2026
Roblox’s current safety model is broader than the 2024 under-13 restriction. According to Roblox’s January 2026 age-check announcement, users must complete an age check to access chat. Users who have not completed one cannot chat, even if they have entered an older birthdate on the account.
Roblox assigns age-checked users to groups including:
- Under 9
- 9–12
- 13–15
- 16–17
- 18–20
- 21 and older
The system is designed to favor communication between users in the same or neighboring age groups. Roblox has also described Trusted Friends as a way for younger users to communicate with approved people they know and trust.
Roblox says age checks may use secure facial age estimation. Depending on the region and situation, users may have alternatives such as government-ID verification or help from a linked parent. Facial estimation is not infallible, so an incorrect result can affect chat access or place an account in the wrong age category.
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Roblox Kids and Roblox Select
Roblox made its age-based account categories globally available on June 16, 2026, although exact features, game catalogs, and age rules can vary by region.
| Account category | Intended age | What parents and children should know |
|---|---|---|
| Roblox Kids | 5–8 | Communication is off by default. Access is limited to games with Minimal or Mild content ratings that pass additional review. A linked parent may be able to allow in-game text chat. |
| Roblox Select | 9–15 | Communication and content options expand gradually. Access is limited to selected games rated up to Moderate, subject to additional review. |
| Standard Roblox | 16 and older | Intended for age-checked users, with controls and visibility changing as the user gets older. |
Under-9 chat is off by default. Parents can manage relevant communication and game controls through age 15, while parents of older teens generally receive more visibility and insights but less direct control. Roblox’s global rollout explanation contains the current account-category details.
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A linked parent account can provide a central dashboard for the child’s Roblox account. Current controls can include:
- Communication settings, including game chat, game direct chat, friends chat, and applicable party settings.
- Content-maturity restrictions.
- Access to specific games through blocking or approval.
- Visibility into connections and the ability to block or report unwanted contacts.
- Screen-time limits and activity insights.
- Monthly spending limits covering Robux and game subscriptions.
- Approval of Trusted Friend requests where the feature is available.
These controls are not automatically configured to match every family’s preferences. A parent must create or use a Roblox account, link it to the child’s account, and obtain the required parent privileges. Roblox explains the linking process and available controls in its Parental Controls overview and Parental Controls FAQ.
How to configure Roblox parental controls
According to Roblox’s current support documentation, the main path is:
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- Create or sign in to a parent Roblox account.
- Link the parent account to the child’s account.
- Open Settings → Parental Controls.
- Select the child’s account.
- Open Settings you manage → Communication.
- Review game chat, game direct chat, friends chat, and party or group-party settings where applicable.
- Return to the child’s controls and open Content restrictions → Content maturity.
- Review Allowed and blocked games, then block or approve individual experiences as needed.
- Set spending and screen-time limits.
- Review the child’s connections and discuss how to block and report suspicious or unwanted contacts.
Menu labels may differ between Roblox.com, iOS, Android, consoles, and different account rollouts. If a setting is missing, confirm that the parent account is actually linked, check whether the child has completed the required age check, verify the account’s recorded age, and try the Roblox website or an updated app.
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Important troubleshooting limits
- Parental consent is not a universal override. It does not necessarily unlock every chat type.
- Platform controls may not cover developer-built chat. Communication created inside a particular experience can have separate behavior.
- A game rating is not a guarantee. Ratings and moderation reduce exposure but cannot make every interaction safe.
- Spending controls are separate. Turning off DMs does not automatically prevent purchases or subscriptions.
- Old help pages may be misleading. Roblox’s rules and menu names have changed repeatedly since 2024.
What if Roblox gets a child’s age wrong?
An age estimate can be wrong, and correcting it is not necessarily as simple as editing the birthday field. Roblox says a linked parent can correct a child’s age through Parental Controls once after the initial age check. Users with valid government ID may be able to use ID verification, and some older users can repeat the age-check process through Account Settings.
Available methods, reset limits, and eligibility can vary by location. Roblox may also ask a user to repeat an age check if its systems identify a major mismatch between the declared age and observed behavior. Families should use Roblox’s current family guidance rather than relying on an old workaround or creating a replacement account.
Can children still communicate with friends and family?
Yes, but the answer depends on the communication channel, age group, region, age-check status, and relationship between the users.
Age-checked users may be able to communicate with people in the same or a neighboring age group. Trusted Friends can provide another controlled route for approved relationships. Roblox has also described work to support relationships such as parents, siblings, and other people a child knows.
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- This is a digital gift card that can only be redeemed for Robux at Roblox.com/redeem. It cannot be redeemed in the Roblox mobile app or any video game console. Please allow up to 5 minutes for your balance to be updated after redeeming.
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That does not mean a parent can simply restore all messaging. A child’s age category, missing age check, regional availability, parental settings, and the specific chat system can still prevent communication. Roblox’s chat support page describes the current requirements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the restrictions do not prevent
Disabling platform DMs reduces some routes for unsolicited contact, but it does not eliminate online-safety risks. Children may still encounter:
- In-game text communication.
- Voice chat where available.
- Developer-created messaging or social tools.
- Friend requests and other social interactions.
- Scams, impersonation, bullying, and manipulation.
- Attempts to move a conversation to another app or platform.
Roblox says its text chat is monitored and filtered and that it does not encrypt chat because monitoring is part of its safety approach. Those are Roblox’s stated design choices, not proof that harmful interactions cannot occur.
Parents should explain that a person met in a game should not ask for a real name, address, school, password, private photos, or a conversation on another platform. Children should know how to leave a situation, block the account, report it, and tell a trusted adult without fear of punishment.
What changes at ages 9, 13, and 16?
Around age 9
A child generally moves from the Roblox Kids category toward Roblox Select. Communication and content options may expand, but they remain age-based and subject to parental settings and regional rules.
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- The easiest way to add Robux (Roblox’s digital currency) to your account. Use Robux to deck out your avatar and unlock additional perks in your favorite Roblox experiences.
- This is a digital gift card that can only be redeemed for Robux at Roblox.com/redeem. It cannot be redeemed in the Roblox mobile app or any video game console. Please allow up to 5 minutes for your balance to be updated after redeeming.
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- From now on, when you redeem a Roblox Gift Card, you get up to 25% more Robux. Perfect for gaming, creating, and exploring- more Robux means more possibilities!
- Every Roblox Gift Card grants a free virtual item upon redemption.
At 13
Some parental and communication rules change, but turning 13 does not automatically create an unrestricted adult account. Age checks, age-group communication, content controls, and regional requirements still matter.
At 16
The user moves toward the standard Roblox account category, subject to Roblox’s age-check system and local availability. Parents generally receive more insight and less direct control as children become older.
Is Roblox safer now?
Roblox’s newer system adds meaningful layers that were missing from a simple birthdate setting: age verification, age-banded communication, curated content access, linked parental controls, game approvals, spending limits, and screen-time tools. It also increases friction for communication between young children and unknown adults while preserving limited routes for trusted relationships.
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The fairest conclusion is that Roblox has reduced some risks, not eliminated them. Parents still need to configure the account, review connections, use blocking and reporting, supervise where appropriate, and talk regularly about scams, bullying, grooming, and off-platform contact. Roblox’s Family Zone initiative also provides co-play and safety-education resources.
Quick Recap
Parent checklist
- Link a verified parent account.
- Confirm the child’s recorded age and age-check status.
- Turn off unnecessary chat settings.
- Review content maturity and approve or block games.
- Set spending and screen-time limits.
- Check connections and remove or report unwanted contacts.
- Explain blocking, reporting, privacy, scams, and off-platform contact.
- Recheck the settings after major Roblox updates or when the child enters a new age band.
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