Should They Play?The parents' guide to apps and games

Should I let my child play Minecraft?

10+

Yes, if they only play on their own

From 10, on a child account set up so they can only play on their own.

No, if they play online with others

Regulators are questioning how well Minecraft protects children from strangers online, and that isn't resolved.

Minecraft itself is creative and mostly gentle. Played on their own, with online play locked off (the game calls this multiplayer), no one can contact your child, and our rules allow it from age 10 with the steps below in place. Online play is different. In October 2026 Australia's online safety regulator found significant gaps in how Minecraft keeps children safe: anyone who says they're 18 can reach riskier features, including online worlds run by other players that nobody moderates. Missouri's Attorney General is also pressing Microsoft over predators targeting children on Xbox, the network Minecraft uses for online play. Neither has been resolved, so our answer to online play is no.

Minecraft (playing alone) passes all 7 safety checks. Minecraft (playing online) fails 1 of our 7 safety checks. See how we decided, and the official age ratings

Last checked . Minecraft is made by Mojang Studios (Microsoft) and runs on iPhone & iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch.

What is Minecraft?

Minecraft is a building game. Players explore blocky worlds, gather materials and build almost anything. Children can play alone offline, with friends, or online on servers run by other people.

Our advice by age

Under 10
NoESRB rates Minecraft 10+, and we never go below the highest official rating.
10 to 17
Only with conditionsSingle-player only, on a child account you manage with multiplayer locked off. Set up every step below. Online play is a no until the child-safety concerns are resolved.

What to watch out for

  • Contact from strangersRisk is high by default, low with controls on

    Predators go where children play. Minecraft relies on players saying their own age, so a child who claims to be an adult, or an adult who claims to be a child, isn't caught. With multiplayer off and communication set to Friends or Block, strangers can't reach your child.

  • Unmoderated serversRisk is high by default, low with controls on

    Third-party servers are run by other players and aren't moderated by Mojang. Chat and content there can be anything. Turning off multiplayer stops your child joining them.

  • SpendingRisk is medium by default, low with controls on

    Minecoins, Marketplace add-ons and Realms subscriptions cost real money. Purchase approval stops surprise bills.

  • Time spentRisk is medium by default, low with controls on

    Minecraft has no natural end, which makes it easy to lose hours. Lawsuits filed in 2026 claim Microsoft designed it to keep children playing and spending. These are claims, not findings. Screen-time limits help.

What's good about it

  • Encourages creativity, planning and problem solving
  • Used in schools through Minecraft Education
  • Safe to play alone once multiplayer is locked off

How to set it up safely

Required steps are the conditions of our verdict. If you can't do them, our answer is no. Takes about ten minutes. Do it with your child so they know what's switched on and why.

  1. Give your child a child Microsoft account in your family groupRequired

    Child accounts are managed from your Microsoft account, so your child can't change the settings below.

  2. Keep multiplayer locked offRequired

    Multiplayer is off by default on child accounts. Leave it off: this is what makes Minecraft safe to play.

  3. Lock chat to stop strangersRequired

    Set who can communicate with your child to Block, so nothing gets through if multiplayer is ever switched on.

  4. Require approval for every purchaseRequired

    Switch it on in Microsoft Family Safety, and turn on purchase approval on your child's phone or tablet too.

  5. Look at their friends list togetherRequired

    Ask who each person is. Remove anyone your child doesn't know offline.

  6. Set a daily screen-time limitRecommended

    Use Microsoft Family Safety or your console's settings.

Recent news

  1. Missouri Attorney General wants answers from Microsoft over child predators on Xbox LiveNewstalk KZRG

    A letter demands Microsoft deal with predators targeting children on Xbox, the network Minecraft uses for online play.

  2. Online gaming giants told to lift safety standardsThe Canberra Times

    Australia's eSafety regulator found significant gaps at Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite and Steam, and says it can take enforcement action.

  3. Australia asks Roblox, Minecraft to detail child safety measuresDaily Maverick (Reuters)

    Compulsory notices asked how the games protect children from grooming, with fines of up to A$825,000 a day for not answering.

  4. Minecraft to add age verification for adult accounts in the UKNME

    UK adults must prove they're 18 to keep social features like chat, under the Online Safety Act. Microsoft plans to extend it to other countries.

Common questions

What age is Minecraft suitable for?

From 10, single-player only, on a child account you manage with multiplayer locked off. ESRB rates it 10+. Online play is a no at any age until the child-safety concerns raised by regulators are resolved.

Is Minecraft safe for a 7-year-old?

No. ESRB rates it 10+, and we never go below the highest official rating, even for single-player.

Why is online play a no when PEGI rates it 7?

For online play, age ratings judge the game's content, not what happens when children play online with strangers. Australia's online safety regulator found significant gaps in Minecraft's child protections in October 2026, and Missouri's Attorney General is pressing Microsoft over predators on Xbox. When children's safety is uncertain, we say no. Single-player avoids those risks, so it gets its own answer: from 10, with conditions.

Is playing Minecraft offline safe?

Yes, from 10, if multiplayer is locked off on a child account you manage. No one can contact your child that way. Turn on purchase approval too, because Marketplace add-ons cost real money.

All my child's friends play it. What should I do?

That's hard when friends are playing online together. From 10, your child can still play on their own, building the same kinds of worlds. Explain why online play is different: strangers can reach children there, and regulators say Minecraft hasn't done enough to stop it. If your child already plays online, keep multiplayer locked off on their child account, set chat to Block and go through their friends list together.

What would change your verdict?

For online play, the open child-safety concerns ending well. Even then, because players can join servers nobody moderates, the best possible answer would be 'only with conditions'.

How do I stop strangers talking to my child in Minecraft?

Set your child up with a child Microsoft account in your family group, leave multiplayer off, and set who can communicate with them to Friends or Block.