Do I need my own Roblox account to use parental controls?

Yes. Roblox replaced the old parent PIN with accounts that have parent privileges. You create or use your own account, verify your age with a government ID or credit card, and link it to your child's account.

Can my child chat on Roblox without an age check?

No. Roblox now requires an age check, by facial age estimation or ID verification, to use chat. For the youngest accounts chat is off by default and only a linked parent can turn it on.

How do I stop surprise charges?

Set a monthly spending limit in Parental Controls and turn on spending notifications. Parents can set spending and screen-time limits until a child turns 13.

Is Roblox Kids a separate app?

No. Roblox Kids and Roblox Select are account types inside Roblox, assigned by age check, that limit which games a child can play and how chat works.

Roblox Parents' Guide: Controls, Spending Limits and Chat

Roblox changed a lot in 2026. Age checks are now required for chat, kids are placed into age-based account types, and nearly every control lives in a parent’s own linked account instead of a PIN. If you set things up a year ago, it is worth a fresh look.

Here is what each setting does and the order we suggest tackling them.

How Roblox sorts kids by age now

Roblox places each user into an account type based on an age check (a quick facial age estimate through the device camera, or a government ID for users 13 and up). Roblox says the images are deleted after processing. Ages can vary by region, and a linked parent can correct a child’s age if it’s wrong.

Account type	Typical ages	Games	Chat
Roblox Kids	5-8	Rated Minimal or Mild	Off by default; a linked parent can turn it on
Roblox Select	9-15	Rated Minimal, Mild or Moderate	Introduced gradually, with safeguards, for age-checked users
Roblox	16+	All ratings except Restricted (18+)	On by default for age-checked users

Games in the Kids and Select catalogs go through an extra safety review before they appear there.

Step 1: link your parent account

On your child’s device, open Settings (gear icon on desktop; More → Settings on mobile).
Go to Parental Controls and choose Add parent.
Create a Roblox account or log in to your own, then verify your age with a government-issued ID or a credit card.
Select Agree to link the accounts.

You may also get an email from Roblox asking you to approve a change your child requested; the link in that email walks through the same steps. Once linked, you manage everything from your own phone or computer and can see your child’s daily screen time and on-platform friends.

Linking is the single most useful step. Without it, there is no one to approve chat, spending or content changes for a young child.

Step 2: set spending limits

Under Parental Controls you can set a monthly spending limit covering Robux and subscriptions to individual games. You can also choose notifications for every purchase, only for high spending (Roblox alerts when monthly spending passes set thresholds), or none.

A few related settings worth knowing:

Robux transfers for younger users need parent approval, with daily and monthly caps.
Inventory visibility can be set to Everyone, Connections or No one.
Spending and screen-time limits are available until a child turns 13; visibility into spending, friends and screen time continues until 18.

Store-level controls help too. Purchases made through an app store can also be gated by that store’s family settings, so check those if your child plays on a phone or tablet.

Step 3: review chat and content settings

In most regions parents can manage every setting through age 12, and some (game management and Direct Chat) through age 15.

Experience Chat: turns in-game chat on or off.
Direct Chat: controls one-on-one messages.
Chat with Friends: for ages 9-12, limited to Trusted Friends.
Voice chat with friends: limited to Trusted Friends for users under 18.
Content maturity: a slider for which game ratings your child can join.
Block experiences: block a specific game even if its rating allows it.
Sensitive issues: turn off games themed on social, political or religious topics.

If your child builds games, Roblox Studio has its own control, Live collaboration in Studio, which decides who they can build with. The default is similar age groups or Trusted Friends. See our Roblox Studio guide for what building involves.

Step 4: set screen time

Screen-time limits restrict how long your child can be on Roblox each day. Pair this with a household rule about where the device lives at night; a limit works best when it matches what you’ve already agreed on together.

Talking to kids about scams

Settings stop a lot, but the most common way kids lose accounts is by being talked into handing something over. Short, concrete rules stick better than warnings:

“Nobody gives away Robux.” Roblox itself says there is no free Robux. A site, video or player promising it is a scam (here’s why).
“Passwords and codes stay with us.” Roblox staff never ask for them. Not a friend, not a “moderator,” not a YouTuber.
“Only type the password on roblox.com or the Roblox app.” Look at the address bar together once so they know what right looks like.
“Off-platform means stop.” If someone wants to move the chat to another app, or to “check” a trade on another website, come get a parent.
“You won’t be in trouble.” Kids hide mistakes when they fear losing the game. Make reporting safe.

Show them the Report Abuse button and how to block a player. For the account-side settings (2-Step Verification, signing out old devices), follow our account security checklist.

Good places to start playing

Not sure which games fit? Our games by genre list notes which titles suit younger players, and the Brookhaven guide covers one of the most popular roleplay games, including its chat. If your child wants Robux, legit ways to get Robux lays out the real options.